The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BEHIND the dominating performances from quarter-milers Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, The Bahamas’ 16-member team rode to a 12th place in athletics and was tied with Kosovo at 41st overall in the medal count with a 66 world ranking in what has been termed a successful Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

And as the curtains came down over the weekend on Team Bahamas’ appearance at the end of the 17 days of intense and intriguing competition at the games in swimming and track and field, chef de mission Cora Hepburn said it was quite a rewarding experience, despite the challenges they encountered.

The ‘speedy’ 25-year-old Gardiner captured his first Olympic men’s 400 metre title on Thursday and Miller-Uibo, the ‘Bahamian Super woman’ came through on Friday, repeating as the women’s champion at the Tokyo National Stadium. Their crowning feats came within an hour of hearing the Bahamas national anthem played twice during medal presentations.

In keeping up with the Bahamas’ streak of winning at least one or more medals in track and field in every Olympiad since 1992 in Barcelona, Spain when Frank Rutherford broke the ceiling in securing the bronze in the men’s triple jump, the Bahamas finished tied for 41st with Kosovo and a ranking of 66 in the world.

The Bahamas was among a record 83 teams that reached finals in Tokyo with 43 of them featured on the medal podium with 23 nations in total claiming gold, which highlighted the growth and success of the event.

Over the 10 days of athletic competition alone, three world records, 12 Olympic records, 28 area records and 151 national records were set in these history-making games.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe lauded the organisers and the people of Japan for allowing the dreams of the world’s athletes to come to life a year later in hosting the games, which was affected by the introduction of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, forcing the postponement from the original 2020 date.

“To the people of Japan, we know the hardship you have endured and continue to endure in the face of this global pandemic,” Coe said.

“We owe you a massive debt of gratitude for your gracious hospitality, your professionalism and your friendship. You really have been simply the best and we thank you unreservedly.”

Hepburn, who made history as the first Bahamian female chef de mission, said the games were held in a bubble with countless protocols, but it turned out to be better than she had imagined.

“Firstly, I would like to thank the Tokyo Organising Committee and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) for their gallant efforts in delivering these games under extremely challenging conditions,” she said.

“I would also like to thank the Bahamas Olympic Committee, the Bahamas Government, the BAAA (Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations) and the (Bahamas) Aquatic Federation for all that they have provided and done to make Team Bahamas the successful team that delivered two gold medals.”

Admitting that there were a number of challenges that they encountered, be it good or difficult, Hepburn said they all made her a better and stronger person in having the awesome responsibility of leading the Bahamian delegation in action.

“For a small delegation, everything went perfectly,” she stressed. “I am so proud of the medical team headed by Dr Ricky Davis. They did a superb job every day testing, keeping Team Bahamas healthy.

“Being part of this chapter for Team Bahamas, winning two gold medals in the same individual event, the 400m for men and women is unbelievable, a feeling I can’t explain.”

She congratulated Gardiner and Miller-Uibo for their stellar performances as well as Devynne Charlton, who emerged as a finalist in the women’s 100m hurdles where she was seventh.

With a strong management team, comprising of Dawn Woodside-Johnson, Oria Wood-Knowles, Rudolph Ferguson, David Charlton, Rupert Gardiner, Sidney Cartwright and Rochelle Bastian, Hepburn said they were able to provide the support that was needed for the athletes.

“Our team worked hard. We worked hard. I must say,” she said. “I’m sure every official on this team will tell the story of what an awesome experience, although challenging, it was for all of us.

“Our executive heads, Dorian Roach and Derron Donaldson have been very active as well,” Hepburn added. “They spent many hours in the Games Village, so they were quite helpful to the smooth operation that we had set up here in Tokyo.”

Despite pulling through, Team Bahamas did have its share of controversies, including a drama between which of the four women qualified for the 200m would occupy the three spots in the competition, which led to the resignation of two team officials from the Bahamas Coaches Association and the accreditation of relay coordinator Rupert Gardiner being stripped, and he was subsequently sent home for insubordination.

While the games came to a close yesterday with a spectacular ceremony, Hepburn and the remainder of Team Bahamas’ management team will be leaving today and should be back home on Tuesday after stopping overnight in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Team Bahamas had competitors in the men’s 100m (Samson Colebrooke), 400m (Alonzo Russell) and high jump (Donald Thomas and Jamal Wilson); women’s 100m (Tynia Gaither), 200m (Anthonique Strachan), 100m hurdles (Pedrya Seymour) and 4 x 400m relay (Doneisha Anderson, Megan Moss, Brianne Bethel and Strachan), but none of them advanced to the finals.

Two swimmers – Izaak Bastian (men’s 100 and 200m breaststroke) and Joanna Evans (women’s 200 and 400m freestyle), but neither of them made it to the final.

With the athletes already departed, team officials shared in the festivities of the closing ceremonies as the curtains came down on a fabulous Olympiad.

Athletes and officials from the 206 participating nations paraded inside the stadium one more time for the massive global spectacle.

The BOC and the athletes will now prepare for a three-year, instead of four, journey towards the 2024 edition of the games in Paris, France, July 26 to August 11.

And hopefully without the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, which kept the fans out of the stands but glued to their television sets and social media.