The Tribune

Although they got delayed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bahamas Olympic Committee President Romell Knowles said they are now surging full steam ahead for the 2020 Olympic Games.

The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and commonly known as Tokyo 2020, originally scheduled for July 24 to August 9, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, was rescheduled for July 23 to August 8, 2021.

“One of the challenges that we have with our athletes is not knowing when and where the qualifying events for their particular sports will take place, which has not been determined yet due to COVID-19,” Knowles said.

“We are still anxiously awaiting those decisions so athletes will know what they have to do because it’s a tedious process and we want to make sure that they don’t miss out on any opportunity to qualify for the games.”

So far, seven athletes have attained the previous qualifying standards in track and field. They are sprinters Samson Colebrooke and Tynia Gaither, quarter-milers Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner and high jumpers Donald Thomas and Jamal Wilson.

Swimming was hopeful of having a few swimmers make the standard, led by Joanna Evans, while at least one boxer, Carl Hield, and female judo competitor Cynthia Rahming, were both in the process of qualifying.

The BOA had already named the chef de mission in Cora Hepburn, one of their vice presidents. The former all-around athlete, who excelled internationally in volleyball, will be serving as the first female in charge of an Olympic contingent from the country since the Bahamas made its debut in the four-yearly games in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.

Since then, the Bahamas has accumulated a total of 14 medals, inclusive of six gold, two silver and six bronze, all in either sailing or track and field.