Meet Bermuda’s Olympians And Paralympians
[Written by Stephen Wright]
With the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Paris on the horizon, Bernews takes a closer look at the ten athletes who will represent Bermuda on the biggest stages of all.
Name: Dame Flora Duffy
Age: 36
Sport: Triathlon
Event: Women’s individual
Date: July 31
Venue: Pont Alexandre III
Olympic appearances: [4] Beijing 2008 [DNF], London 2012 [45th], Rio de Janeiro 2016 [eighth], Tokyo 2020 [first]
Dame Flora Duffy is set to make a record setting 5th appearance in the Olympic Games.
Duffy, who made history at the rescheduled Tokyo Games by winning Bermuda’s first-ever Olympic gold, only returned to action in May after an 18-month injury layoff, finishing seventh at the World Triathlon Championship Series [WTCS] Yokohama in Japan.
She followed up by coming eighth at WTCS Cagliari in Italy and has spent the past few months sharpening her swim, bike and run as she looks to close the gap on her rivals before taking to the start line on the River Seine beneath the Pont Alexandre III bridge.
The four-time world champion admits she contemplated retirement during her darkest days recovering from her knee injury; however, her never-say-die attitude and burning desire to defend her Olympic title in Paris helped keep her dream alive.
Name: Erica Hawley
Age: 26
Sport: Triathlon
Event: Women’s individual
Date: July 31
Venue: Pont Alexandre III
Olympic appearances: Debut
Erica Hawley left no stone unturned in her quest to qualify for her first Olympics, which involved a punishing race schedule, competing in multiple continents pursuing precious ranking points.
It all paid off for Hawley, who was the final athlete to qualify on Olympic rankings after a series of impressive displays this year.
She started the year with a twelfth-place finish at the World Triathlon Cup [WTC] Napier in New Zealand, a fifth at the WTC Wollongong in Australia, and a fourteenth at the WTC Chengdu in China.
Hawley stepped up her qualifying bid by coming thirteenth at WTC Samarkand in Uzbekistan and then placed 42nd in the World Triathlon Championship Series Cagliari in Italy.
She has some experience of major multi-event competitions, with a pair of Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games under her belt, and will relish the chance to test herself in the biggest race of her life.
Arguably the best performance of her career came at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile, last year when she finished fourth.
Name: Tyler Smith
Age: 25
Sport: Triathlon
Event: Men’s individual
Date: July 30
Venue: Pont Alexandre III
Olympic appearances: Debut
Tyler Smith won his spot at Paris through one of two universality places handed out by the Tripartite Commission on offer designed to support smaller, emerging triathlon nations.
His seventh-place finish at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last year proved decisive in ensuring he joins Dame Flora Duffy and Erica Hawley in Bermuda’s Olympic triathlon team.
Smith, based in Boulder, Colorado, along with Duffy and Hawley, has raced worldwide this year chasing his Olympic dream.
Among his best showings were a tenth-place finish at the American Triathlon Championships Miami and sixth at the Americas Triathlon Cup La Paz in Bolivia.
Smith has a history of rising to the big occasion after producing an impressive thirteenth-place finish at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
Name: Dara Alizadeh
Age: 30
Sport: Rowing
Event: Men’s singles sculls
Date: July 27 to August 3
Venue: Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
Olympic appearances: [1] Tokyo 2020 [eighteenth]
Dara Alizadeh became only the third rower behind Jim Butterfield and Shelley Pearson to represent the island at the Olympics in Tokyo and is one of only two members of Bermuda’s team, along with Dame Flora Duffy, who has experienced this level.
He ensured he would return to the Olympics after finishing fourth at the World Rowing Americas Regatta in Rio de Janeiro in March.
Alizadeh has ticked several boxes in his sport, winning back-to-back titles in the prestigious Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race in 2018 and 2019.
He ramped up his Olympic preparations by competing in World Cup events in Lucerne, Switzerland, Poznan, Poland, and the Henley Regatta in Oxfordshire.
Name: Adriana Penruddocke
Age: 24
Sport: Sailing
Event: Women’s dinghy ILCA 6
Date: August 1 to 6
Venue: Marseille Marina
Olympic Appearances: Debut
Adriana Penruddocke continues Bermuda’s proud sailing tradition at the Olympics, following in the sails of Peter Bromby, Paula and Peta [White] Lewin, Christine Patton, Kirk Cooper, Howard Lee and Penny Simmons.
She secured her qualifying spot after finishing sixth in her final race at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last year to seal one of the available North American Olympic places.
Penruddocke should be well acclimatised to the conditions at the Marseille Marina, having spent several weeks honing her skills on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, where her sailing event will be held.
Paris has perhaps come earlier than she anticipated, with Penruddocke initially eyeing the Los Angeles Games in 2028 as her likely Olympic debut.
Name: Emma Harvey
Age: 22
Sport: Swimming
Event: Women’s 100 metres backstroke [PB: 1min 01.21sec].
Date: July 29 to 30
Venue: The Paris La Défense Arena
Olympic appearances: Debut
Emma Harvey punched her ticket to Paris via a universality spot after reaching the Bermuda Olympic Association’s minimum qualifying standard, winning the B final at the Mare Nostrum Barcelona in 1min 01.21sec in June.
The Pennsylvania State University graduate will look to build on her successful showings at her previous two major multi-sport competitions.
She won silver in the 50 backstroke and bronze in the 50 butterfly at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, and came eighth in the 100 backstroke final [1:02:35] at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last year.
Harvey, who also competed at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, will hope to shave time off her personal best when she takes to the pool at the Paris La Défense Arena, and is extremely excited to represent Bermuda in the Olympics alongside her brother.
Name: Jack Harvey
Age: 21
Sport: Swimming
Event: Men’s 100 metres backstroke [PB: 55.19sec]
Date: July 28 to 29
Venue: The Paris La Défense Arena
Olympic appearances: Debut
Jack Harvey, the youngest of Bermuda’s team, heads to Paris on a universality spot after hitting the Bermuda Olympic Association’s minimum qualifying standard in the 100 backstroke in a time of 55.19sec at the AP Race International in London in May.
Harvey has made steady progress since the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, his first major multi-sport competition, where he finished seventh in his 100 backstroke heat in 57.31.
He earned three top-eight finishes at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, last summer, including a sixth in the 100 backstroke in 58.35.
A few months later, Harvey competed at his first Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, finishing eighteenth overall in the 100 backstroke in 57.04, and he will now make his Olympic debut alongside his sister Emma.
Name: Jah-Nhai Perinchief
Age: 26
Sport: Athletics
Event: Men’s Triple jump [PB: 17.03 metres]
Date: August 9
Venue: The Stade de France
Olympic appearances: Debut
Jah-Nhai Perichief, the island’s top triple jumper, qualified for Paris as one of the top 35-ranked men’s triple jumpers.
Perinchief opened his outdoor campaign at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix at the Flora Duffy Stadium in April, coming second with a wind-assisted jump of 17.13 metres.
His Olympic build-up has continued with a pair of fourth-place finishes at the Jamaica Athletic Invitational Meet in Kingston in May and USATF New York Grand in June.
Perinchief produced the finest performance of his career at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, winning a bronze medal with a jump of 16.92 before claiming silver at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Association Senior Championships in the Bahamas a few weeks later with a leap of 15.89.
Although he missed the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last year because of hamstring concerns, Perinchief looks fit and raring to go and will hope to deliver something special when he stares down the runway towards the sandpit in front of the crowd at the iconic Stade de France.
Name: Jessica Lewis
Age: 31
Sport: Athletics
Event: T53 100 and 400 metres [PB: 16.12 and 58.00]
Date: September 1 to 5
Venue: The Stade de France
Paralympic appearances: [3] London 2012 [eighth in 100], Rio Janeiro 2016 [sixth in 100] and Tokyo 2020 [Fourth in 100]
Jessica Lewis will become a four-time Paralympian after qualifying for the Paralympic Games in Paris, and she will become the first Bermudian to make four Paralympic appearances,
The Female Athlete of Year represented Bermuda at the 2012 London Games, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and 2020 Tokyo Games, and is the island’s most decorated para-athlete.
She claimed a third successive gold medal at the Parapan Games in Santiago, Chile, last year with a time of 16.71sec, smashing her own Games record of 17.36, and finishing lengths ahead of the other competitors.
Last year, Lewis made significant career changes, moving to Victoria, British Columbia, to train at the Athletics Canada West Hub under her new coach, Geoff Harris.
She stepped up her preparations for Paris by breaking a record that has stood for 27 years after winning the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Nottwil, Switzerland, in June, crossing the line in 16.12.
Among Lewis’ many career highlights was winning a bronze medal in the T53 100 at the IPC World Athletics World Championships in Doha in 2015.
Name: Yushae DeSilva-Andrade
Age: 30
Sport: Boccia
Date: August 29 to September 5
Venue: South Paris Arena, Paris Expo
Paralympic appearances: [1] Rio de Janeiro 2016
Yushae DeSilva-Andrade earned her spot at the Paralympic Games in Paris after securing sufficient ranking points after a successful qualifying period.
She finished last year with a world ranking of fourth in the women’s individual BC1 Division after winning medals in three top competitions: gold at the Fortaleza World Cup in Brazil, silver at the World Challenger in Santiago, Chile, and silver at the Montreal World Cup.
DeSilva-Andrade, who competed at the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, also won silver at the Parapan Am Games in Santiago, Chile, last year.
Bernews will be providing comprehensive coverage of Bermuda’s athletes in the coming weeks, thanks to our sponsors Butterfield & Vallis, Auto Solutions, Clarien Bank and One Communications!
Congratulations and best wishes to you all. So proud of each one of you for believing in yourselves and abilities.
Go for gold!