Bermuda’s Team For Youth Olympics in Singapore
The Bermuda Olympic Association (BOA) today (Aug 5) officially announced the names of the four teenage athletes who will represent Bermuda at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, which are being held in Singapore from August 14 – 26 August 2010.
Four athletes will represent Bermuda in three sports:
Jeneko Place,16, will compete in Athletics in the Boys’ 200 metre track event. Jeneko won silver medals in both the 200 metre and 100 metre events at the CARIFTA games in the Cayman Islands in April.
Also competing in Athletics will be Taylor Ashley Bean,16, who will represent Bermuda in the Girls’ 1,000 metre event. Taylor also medaled in Cayman, winning a bronze in the Girls’ 3,000 metre open at the CARIFTA games.
Owen Siese, 15, will represent Bermuda in the Boys’ Sailing competition. Owen won the right to represent Bermuda at the Youth Olympic Games at selection trials run by the Byte Class of Bermuda in early July.
Ryan Gunn, 17, will compete in the Boys’ Triathlon event. Ryan participated at the ITU Monterrey Mexico and in the ITU Ixtapa, Mexico events earlier this year.
Bermuda’s Chef-de-Mission for the Singapore Games will be Patty Petty, who will be accompanied by officials Xavier James, Pablo Webber and Stephen Gunn.
Bermuda’s representatives will be among some 5,000 athletes and officials from 205 National Olympic Committees. The Youth Olympic Games, which will be held every four years, provide qualifying young athletes, aged 14 to 18 years, with the opportunity to compete for their countries at the world level. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (the first-ever Youth Olympic Games) aim to inspire youth around the world to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. The Games, therefore, will provide young Olympians with the opportunity to participate in a variety of cultural social and educational activities during their time in Singapore.
Commenting on the upcoming Youth Olympic Games, BOA President, Judy Simons, acknowledged the generosity of the Olympic Solidarity Programme of the International Olympic Committee, which provided funding to assist Bermuda’s athletes to attend the Games. Mrs. Simons said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for Bermuda and for our younger athletes to showcase their abilities on the world stage. We know the team will do Bermuda proud, and we’re pleased that the BOA is able to play a part in our athletes’ ongoing journeys to success.”
