Bermuda?s squash team claimed the Island?s first medal of the CAC Games in Cartagena, Colombia over the weekend, beating Venezuela by two matches to one to take the bronze.

After resting world number 72 Nick Kyme in their opening pool match against the hosts and tournament favourites Colombia earlier in the week, Bermuda were at full-strength for the all-important Venezuelan clash on Saturday night.

First on the all-glass court was number three seed Michael Shrubb, who lost in straight games to Santiago Imberton 0-9, 0-9, 1-9 ? giving Bermuda the worst possible start.

Kyme though ? who heads to Belgium in the autumn to live and train for the entire professional squash season ? got the team back on track as the number one seeds went at it, trouncing Ricardo Weiskopk 9-3, 9-1, 9-3 to leave Bermuda only one win away from a medal.

The Island?s hopes lay with former professional James Stout, who made light of any pre-match nerves against Nelson Coronado by winning the first game comfortably 9-3.

But the youngster then took his foot off the pedal in the second, losing it 3-9, before storming back in the third 9-6 and taking an 8-0 lead in the fourth.

A couple of controversial refereeing decisions broke Stout?s concentration, however, allowing Coronado to sneak back into the match at 8-5 and leave the small Bermudian contingent watching in the stands holding their breath.

But just when it looked as if he might throw it away, Stout regrouped, eventually taking the game 9-5 and sending his team-mates into raptures.

?The guys did very well and I?m so happy for them that they?ve got the bronze,? said chef de mission Kris Hedges last night.

?When Shrubb was beaten so convincingly in the first match on, it looked for a moment as if it might be a bad night. He really was outclassed and it was important Nick came on and did the business.

And to his credit he did and played as well as I?ve seen him play down here, which I think helped everyone in the team relax a little bit.

?James? match was a lot more up and down. He got mad at the referee a few times in the fourth which actually made him play worse, but once he calmed down he was fine.

?It?s great that we?ve finally got a medal under our belts.?

Mexico and Colombia will battle it out today for the silver and gold medals.

Elsewhere, cyclist Geri Mewett came 41st out of 63 riders in the 176-kilometre road race in the town of Barranquilla on Saturday morning while in the Dominican Republic, Bermuda?s female hockey team were thrashed 6-0 by Trinidad and Tobago and then 7-1 by Netherlands Antilles.

They take on Mexico tomorrow morning in their final group game ? another team who have yet to record a win.