BY ANTHONY FOSTER, Freelance Writer
Beverley McDonald - FILE
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RELAY gold medallists Beverley McDonald and Debbie-Ann Paris-Thymes have drawn the curtain on their careers.
Both athletes made their final stop at August's World Championships in Helsinki, McDonald in the 4x100m and Paris-Thymes in the 400m hurdles.
McDonald, who first represented Jamaica at the Carifta Games in 1987, and Paris-Thymes at the World Junior Champions in 1994, decided they had done enough.
"I think it was time for me to quit after 13 years," said McDonald. "It's a lot of pounding on my body and I just don't love it anymore," added the 1999 World silver medallist.
Paris-Thymes said it was time for her to look to new challenges.
"I have done very well in track and field over the last couple of years," she said.
In 13 years at the senior level, McDonald finished her career with personal best times of 10.99 and 22.22 at 100 and 200 metres respectively.
McDonald said the highlight of her career was her World Championships silver medal in the 200m and 2000 Olympics (fourth 200m, second 4x100m).
The former many-time national 200m champion has also won silver in the 100m and 200m Commonwealth Games 1998; Gold in the 4x100m relay and third in 100m at Pan American Games in 1991; Gold in 4x100 relay at World Championships 1991.
She is now out of the sport with no immediate plans, apart from just going out there with (coach) Raymond (Stewart) and sometimes helping out.
Parris-Thymes, has won the last two national championships.
Parris-Thymes who was a member of Jamaica's 4x400m gold medal quartet at the Paris World Championships, also helped Jamaica to silver in the 4x400m at the 1992 World Junior Championships.
She also won silver at the last Commonwealth Games and bronze in 1994 in addition to taking gold at the CAC Championships in 1993 and was second at the World University Games the same year.
"I have been very appreciative of the opportunity I was given to compete at the level I competed at but at this point it's not bad to seek new challenges in your life," she said.
The 32-year-old, who was a semi-finalist at August's World Championships in Helsinki, won her last medal for Jamaica in July at the Central American & Caribbean Championships in Nassau, Bahamas.
Parris will now work as the assistant coach at Louisiana State University (LSU), the institution for which she won back-to-back 400m hurdles titles in 1993-94.
She was a fourth place finisher behind Deon Hemmings at the 1996 Olympic Games, and according to her, this was her best moment in Jamaica's colours.
"I got a feeling of national pride that I was not just there as a part of the team but I was there when Jamaica won its first female gold medal and I was in that event.
"It really brought a great feeling of national pride to me," she said.
Do
you have a problem? Is something bothering
you? Write to 
