The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LONDON, England — Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson was smiling from ear to ear as he sat in the Aquatics Centre to watch the fantastic opening performance from swimmer Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace on Wednesday morning.

53.73 seconds was the time flashed on the big television screen behind her name after she posted a victory in the sixth of seven heats in the Women’s 100m Freestyle for the sixth fastest qualifying time for the semifinal that was staged later in the evening.

“It was fabulous. It was a great atmosphere. Arianna, as the only swimmer for the Bahamas, walks into this $700 million complex with thousands of people cheering on and in front of a group of Bahamians here cheering her on, in the first race of the day, she was electrifying,” he said.

Witnessing the first performance from the Bahamian 26-member team at the 2012 Olympic Games, Johnson said he was eager to see what happens from the athletic team who start their competition on Friday. But Vanderpool-Wallace made him exceptionally proud to be a Bahamian.

“What comes to my mind is that with the Bahamas being a place surrounded by water, a nation that is 90 per cent water, I want to see more sailing, more swimming and some diving at more international meets like these,” he said.

“That’s what comes to my mind when I watch her performance in this beautiful pool. The diving section reminds me of the beautiful waters in the Exuma Cays and Cat Island and North Andros. There’s no reason why we can’t have a major presence in swimming and Arianna is certainly setting the stage for that to happen.”

But to get out of the blocks as explosively as Vanderpool-Wallace did.... Johnson said it sent goose bumps through his veins.

“It’s a wonderful experience. It’s our first day of competition and for her to win the first event, it’s just fantastic,” Johnson said.

Johnson hopes Vanderpool-Wallace’s momentum will carry over to the athletic team when they start competing.

“When you put her performance in context, there are 204 other countries around the world with millions of people and much more money than we have to spend,” he said. “We have a small population with a small budget, but we’re able to come here and compete very well against the giants of the world.

“It’s an example of the Bahamian spirit. They want to get on the world stage and compete with the best in the world and show what the Bahamas is all about. We’re going to be here punching well above our weight. I can’t wait for the rest of the competition.”