Video: Alizadeh Cheered On By Family In Paris
[Written by Stephen Wright]
A swarm of Dara Alizadeh supporters, decked out in bright pink Bermuda t-shirts and “Go Dara!” caps, descended on the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium to cheer on the Bermuda rower.
More than 30 of Alizadah’s family and friends have travelled to Paris to support the 30-year-old, who took to the water today [July 27] in the men’s single sculls, finishing fifth in heat four in 7min 23.70sec.
Among the contingent, many of whom are staying at an Airbnb within walking distance of the venue – where they are displaying the Bermuda flag outside — is Babak Alizadeh, his father, who said he could not be prouder to watch his son become a two-time Olympian.
“He’s had a go-getter attitude since he was young and continues to this day,” Babak told Bernews. “I’m very proud of him accomplishing so much.
“There are 32 of us here from all over the world to cheer him on. We’re with him all the way!”
Babak, who could not attend the 2020 Tokyo Games because of the Covid-19 pandemic, said it was a privilege to support his son testing himself against some of the world’s top rowers.
“Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not just dreaming,” he said.
Dara’s older brother, Ayra, echoed those sentiments, adding: “It’s great to see him performing in something he has been training in for so long,” he said.
“This isn’t just an arc of training over the past couple of months or years, it’s the culmination of a lifetime of training, competing, and learning to be a serious athlete.
“We’re all here for him – aunts, uncles, and cousins – all wearing Bermuda’s colours. It’s a shame it’s not a little sunnier to get the full pop of the pink!
“To watch a family member, never mind your brother, the closest person in your life is a proud moment. He’s the most hard-working and laser-focused person I know.”
Dara Alizadeh has previously said that one of the best things about this Olympics is the fact that his parents and family would be able to attend, as his first Olympic Games had attendance restrictions due to the pandemic.
Speaking during his interview in the Bernews ‘Best Interview The Best’ series, he said, “My family has been so supportive which means the world to me. What’s nice, especially for this Olympics, is that they will get to come because they didn’t get to travel to Tokyo.
“It’s funny, my parents were like, ‘Dara has been rowing for 11 years or so, and we’ve been to every diddly lake in the Northeast of the US, every river across the world, and the one we can’t go to is the biggest one!’
“There’s no way to demonstrate my appreciation to them,” he previously said. “Only through their support in multiple dimensions does any of this happen.”
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