Horton-Perinchief To Officiate Pan Am Events
[Written by Stephen Wright]
It has been 15 years since Katura Horton-Perinchief’s last competitive dive, but she remains heavily involved in the sport as a coach, referee and administrator.
Aside from running her popular Star Diving Camp at the Aquatics Facility, National Sports Centre, Horton-Perinchief also serves on the Executive Board of the Bermuda Olympic Association and chairs its Standards Committee.
She is also wearing multiple hats at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, working as a referee and assistant referee for diving and among 14 members of the Panam Sports Technical Commission, overseeing diving, artistic swimming, gymnastics [trampoline], skateboarding, sport climbing and water skiing.
“The role is ensuring the validity and integrity of each event and that they follow the rules and technical manual put out by Panam Sports and the international sports federations,” Horton-Perinchief told Bernews.
“I’ve had to do lots of reading and learning! Diving comes easier because I’ve been around it for so long, but it’s been a steep learning curve regarding the other sports. Everybody has been great walking me through them, though.”
Horton-Perinchief, a PanAm Aquatics Technical Diving Committee member, will only officiate three diving events in Santiago because of her other commitments at the Games.
“I’m pretty young to be on that committee, and it’s a real honour,” said Horton-Perinchief, who also worked as a referee and assistant referee at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, in 2019.
“The referee is in charge of the entire event, pretty much, and keeps eyes on every aspect.”
The Olympian said she enjoys being on the other side of the sporting fence and believes there are a variety of pathways available to former athletes to stay involved in their respective sports.
“For many athletes, when our athletic careers are over, we think it’s over, but our sport still needs us. There are many roles out there,” added Horton-Perinchief, who competed at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, in 2003 and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2007.
“I’m delighted to be able to mesh my day job with the Bermuda Hospitals Board with my sports work – Panam Sports, Panam Aquatics and Team Bermuda. It’s near and dear to my heart.”
