SPORTS SECTION E
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016
Golden Moments
Rio Olympics, Page 8
Track and field team hopes to have ‘perfect storm,’ says head coach By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — The BTC Bahamas team is all set and ready to put on a show when the athletic competition gets underway on Friday at the Olympic Stadium, according to head coach George Cleare, who is predicting some medals at the end of the 10 days of competition. “We have settled in. We have people getting in so basically the entire team is in place,” Cleare told the local media. “We’ve been going to the practice sessions and we are looking good. We’ve been monitoring athletes that have been training with their individual coaches and we feel as though they are basically healthy, which is
a good thing. There’s always some knicks and knacks, but that’s a part of the sport. “But I’m looking forward to the competition. I think the athletes now are getting restless and the excitement of them beginning on the 12th is starting to really show up. They’ve been coming to practice and they’ve been on time. We have a good group, we have a lot of newcomers, it’s really a young group, but the future looks bright and we’re hoping to make a lot of noise in the upcoming days.” With all of the athletes here qualified to compete in their individual events, Cleare said it makes the job of the coaching staff that much easier. “A lot goes into it, it’s not just about physical, but mentally,” he said. “We always remember our great accomplish-
ments, but we forget about our licks. Along the way, many of our stars, who have gone on to become medallists, took some licks. But this young group of athletes that
we have, I think that they’re going to do, how well they do will show how well we are going to be in the next four years and we know we have some veterans here that are very strong, so we have a few shots at some medals. We hope to have a perfect storm and leave out here with a lot of hardware.” Coupled with the fact that there are no complaints from the living accommodations to the sporting facilities, Cleare said it is definitely a total team effort in Rio. “I think that everybody is getting along. The accommodations are great. I don’t think Team Bahamas has much to complain about. I think it’s been more than satisfactory,” he said. “The venue is beautiful, so I think that everybody has been getting together, they’re catching the bus together
Morley clinches final berth
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BAHAMIANS IN ACTION THIS WEEK all times Bahamian Wednesday Swimming 12.02pm: Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace Women’s 100m freestyle, heat five, lane seven Final at 9.12pm
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — In just her first exposure to the international circuit, Emily Morley said she feels like a celebrity after all the attention she has received in treading new waters for the Bahamas at the 2016 Olympic Games. She has accomplished her goal and is looking forward to putting the icing on the cake in her series of races on Friday. Yesterday in the semi-final of the Women’s Single Sculls, Morley clinched her birth into the final with a third place finish at the Lagoa Stadium. She will have a few days off to relax and recuperate before she completes her debut as the first Bahamian to compete in the Olympic Games in rowing on Friday. Morley, 22, completed the 2,000 metre race on a straight course in eight minutes and 46.09 of the Repechage - a contest in which the best-placed of those who failed to win heats compete for a place in the final - to earn her berth in the E Final with Kazakhstan’s Svetlana Germanovich, the heat winner in 8:29.18 and second place finisher Dewi Yuliawati from India, who did 8:39.95 for second place. “The race was definitely a bit more harder than yesterday (Monday),” Morley told the media. “There was a bit of a head wind, so there was more on the legs than yesterday. But it was a good race. My start and my first 500 wasn’t my best. Today was my slowest 500, but after that I picked it up, got my pace and got my boat running the way I wanted it to. So
and eating together as a group, so I’m pleased with the way the team is gelling. “It’s not just the track, the swimmers are here and we have a rower and everybody is sharing the space. We’re always in the office watching TV together and encouraging each other so I think it’s a good mix.” There, however, could be something brewing in the camp with word emanating that flag bearer Shaunae Miller is now leaning towards running the double and if she does, it will eliminate one of the three female competitors already listed to compete. Bear in mind that Miller has qualified, not just for the 400m, but for both the 200 and 100m.
Thursday Swimming 1.26pm: Joanna Evans Women’s 800m freestyle, heat 2, lane eight. Final at 10.18pm
EMILY MORLEY
EMILY MORLEY, of the Bahamas, and Svetlana Germanovich, of Kazakhstan, compete in the women’s single sculls semi-final heat yesterday during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP) it was good after that.” Through the first 500m, Morley did 2:13.83 to sit in third and she remained there, despite dropping to 2:14.37 to take her to 4:28.20
at the halfway mark of 1,000. She improved over the next 500m in 2:11.30 to push her time to 6:39.50, but it was a stronger finish in a 2:06.59 split that propelled
her across the line ahead of Claire Ayivon of Togo, who rounded out the field in 9:25.60 and was relegated to the F final. “The first two minutes were a bit choppy so my blades kept hitting the water a little bit,” said Morley of her performance through the race. “But other than that, it smoothed out. There was just a gust of wind here and there, but the water was flat.” The integrated marketing and communications major at Ithaca College in New York, who is assisted here by her coaches Becky Robinson and Beth Greene and accompanied by her family, said her goal coming here was to make a final and she will get that opportunity on Friday against five other boats and she hopes that she can make the best of it. With a few days off to relax and
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Friday Swimming 1.02pm: Arianna VanderpoolWallace - Women’s 50m free, heat 12, lane three Athletics 8.05pm: Steven Gardiner, Chris Brown and Alonzo Russell - men’s 400m prelims 9.40pm: Ty’Nia Gaither Women’s 100m heats Saturday Athletics 10am: Shaunae Miller Women’s 400m heats 11am: Shavez Hart, Adrian Griffith and Jamial Rolle Men’s 100m heats 7.30pm: Men’s 400m semi-final 8pm: Women’s 100m semi-final 9.35pm: Women’s 100m final Sunday Athletics 7.30pm: Donald Thomas, Trevor Barry and Jamal Wilson - men’s high jump qualification. Final Tuesday, August 16, at 7:30pm 7.30pm: Women’s 400m semi-final 8pm: Men’s 100m semi-final 9pm: Men’s 400m final 9.25pm: Men’s 100m final
Vanderpool-Wallace looks to make a splash in 100m free tonight By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — With a day off to relax and reflect on the fantastic performances so far from Joanna Evans, head coach Andy Loveitt said he’s looking forward to the swim team returning to action today in the 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Swim Complex. The three-man team will pick up from the two national record breaking performances posted by Joanna Evans in the women’s 400 metre freestyle in four minutes and 7.80 for a ranking of 13th in the world and 2:01.27 in the 200m freestyle for 37th in the world. Dustin Tynes was the first to compete, finishing 44th overall in the 100m breaststroke in 1:03.71.
“When the preliminaries were going on this morning, we were at the stadium training,” said Loveitt, who worked directly with Evans, while Lionel Moreau dealt with Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace. “Arianna has a big three days of competition to look forward to and Jo had a nice easy swim and she will do some more pace work before she finishes her final swim. “But they are both looking very good. A girl dropped out of the 800m, which moves Jo into the second heat, which means that she is put in the pool with the women in the 8:20 range. She’s around the 8:32 range, so moving into that competition will help her to improve on her time.” To help put the team in a more relaxed mood, Loveitt said they took the swimmers out to dinner
VANDERPOOL-WALLACE
Monday night, rather than eating from the variety of items on display in the Games Village cafeteria. He said they got a chance to enjoy another side of the Olympic experience. “We slept in late this morning, had a light breakfast and went straight to the pool,” he said. “Now they are relaxing in their rooms and hopefully get a good night’s sleep so that they can be ready for tomorrow (today).” Vanderpool-Wallace, who has qualified for three events here, will be competing for the first time in the heats of the women’s 100m freestyle. She will be in lane seven in the fifth of six heats that starts around 12:02 pm EST. On Thursday, Evans will come back in her final event in the women’s 800m freestyle at 12:36 pm EST. She is now entered in the
second of four heats in lane eight. Then on Friday at 12:02pm EST, Vanderpool-Wallace completes her participation in her third Olympics by swimming in the heats of the women’s 50m free where she is entered in the last of 12 heats in lane three. “We have to be very pleased what we’ve done so far. We’re really making progress,” Loveitt said. “In the past when you look at it, the Bahamas has really been a track and field country, but swimming is coming up and our swimmers are making great progress. So we’re looking forward to some exciting results over the next few days.” Loveitt said the swimmers have been holding their own and anticipates that they will close out the competition for Team Bahamas with a bang.