The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HAVING settled into their accommodations at the Breezes SuperClub Bahamas, the Korean men’s 4 x 100 metre relay team is confident that they will secure their berth in the 2024 Olympic Games.

The Koreans are one of the first group of countries to arrive in town for the BTC World Relays 2024 Bahamas, scheduled for this weekend at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

Heather Smith, the sales manager at Breezes, said they are looking forward to welcoming more than 700 athletes from the majority of the 50-plus countries in their 400-room facility on the West Bay strip.

The countries are here to participate in the World Athletics’ meet set for Saturday and Sunday. Those who are not at Breezes, will occupy rooms at the Atlantis on Paradise Island.

Smith, who has overseen a number of events at Breezes SuperClubs over the past few years, said they have opened up their entire resort from Wednesday to Monday to accommodate the visiting athletes and delegates.

“We had some early arrivals, some teams came in from as early as the weekend, but the bulk of the teams are coming in on Wednesday and Thursday,” Smith said.

Hungary, Korea, Japan, Trinidad & Tobago, Qatar, Portugal are just some of the early arrivals. But Smith said they are waiting on the arrivals of teams from Barbados, Bahrain, Chile, China, Ecuador, Mexico, Philippines, Venezuela, Turkey and Jamaica, just to name a few.

“The athletes are focused. They are here to train. That’s why we had a number of countries that came in early,” Smith said. “We will have a medical facility here where they can have ice baths and physical and massage therapies, so I don’t anticipate that they will have any time to do too many extracurricular activities.

“But our staff is ready. This is not our first rodeo. We’ve done this many times before so our staff understand what the needs are and so our staff is ready to accommodate them when they arrive.”

Smith just wishes the athletes as they come to the Bahamas and they leave feeling good, whether they win or lose.

Leonardo Burrows, who is working along with his brother Lavaughn Burrows, in accommodations for the Local Organizing Committee, said once the athletes leave the airport and they reach the hotel, a team of volunteers will be on hand to greet them.

“For many of them, this will be their first time coming here and so we want to make sure that they don’t have any stress,” Leonardo Burrows said. “The volunteers will assist them in their check in and ensure that they have a smooth process on their arrival.”

While all of the athletes are focused on the competition, Leonardo Burrows said their team of volunteers will also make sure that they enjoy their time away from home here in the Bahamas.

“I know they are excited because they are in the Bahamas and they should be because this is Paradise and we do it at a different level because we are a group of hospitable people,” he pointed out.

“We want them to remember this visit so that when they have an opportunity outside of competing, that this is the place that they need to come back to and enjoy their vacation.”

Senguk Park, who spoke on behalf of the five Korean men competing in the 4 x 100m relay, said while this is their first time here, they truly believe that it is “Paradise.”

As for their performances here, Park said they are here for one thing and that is to ensure that they “qualify for the Olympics. We feel like we can do it with the team that we have here.”

Park said they can’t wait to get into the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium on Saturday to start competing in the competition. In the meantime, he said they are enjoying the fantastic hospitality being offered at Breezes SuperClubs.