By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

PARIS, France — Cora Hepburn, who serves as the first female chef de mission for Team Bahamas, has confirmed that reigning Olympic men’s champion Steven Gardiner and world female indoor record holder Devynne Charlton will be the flag bearers during the opening ceremonies today for the 2024 Olympic Games.

The ceremonies is all set to begin at 7:30pm and for the first time will not be staged inside the games’ track and field stadium, but rather on the waterfront in Paris. It’s expected to be a spectacular show with the participants being hosted on the river bank in a number of boats. 

Hepburn, listed as the first female to serve as a vice president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, indicated yesterday that all of the Bahamas team arrived in the Games Village up to last night with the exception of female javelin thrower Rhema Otabor and sprinter Ian Kerr. She noted that there was a slight problem with their flight, but they should be in town by today, hopefully in time for the 7:30pm opening ceremonies. “We’re just waiting on our javelin thrower and our sprinter to come in,” Hepburn said. 

“Other than that, all of the athletes are here and they have settled in and they are making the necessary adjustments and getting ready to compete next week when we start off with our two swimmers, Lamar Taylor and Rhanishka Gibbs.”

As expected with every Olympics, Hepburn said there are some adjustments that the management team has to deal with and she and her team, including Barron ‘Turbo’ Musgrove, the team leader, are making the adjustments to ensure that the team is comfortable and don’t have anything to worry about than to compete.” 

BOC president Romell Knowles as well as secretary general Derron Donaldson are also in Paris, ensuring that there is smooth sailing for Team Bahamas. 

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and his Director of Sports Kelsie Johnson-Sills, are also in Paris and are preparing to host a team reception before the competition starts for the Bahamas.

“Right now, everything is going good,” Hepburn said. 

“We are really looking forward to some great performances from our team.”

Hepburn noted that while everybody is talking about Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who is also the two-time Olympic gold medallist in the women’s 400 metres, she wants the country to look out for the dynamic trio, who will carry the Bahamian flag in the women’s 100m hurdles in Charlton, Denisha Cartwright and Charisma Taylor. “It was 24 years ago that we had three female sprinters in the women’s 100 metres with Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, Sevatheda Fynes and Chandra Sturrup,” she pointed out. “For the first time at these games, we will have three female competitors in the women’s 100m hurdles. That is something that is unheard of for a small country like ours. I think our athletes will really do well at these games.”

Since Frank Rutherford broke the ceiling in Barcelona, Spain with his bronze in the men’s triple jump, the Bahamas has walked away from every consecutive games with at least one medal and eventually securing the title as the winner of the games per capita. 

No doubt, the Bahamas is far away from being on top of the leaderboard in the medal count, but it’s a feat that doesn’t go un-noticed.

The only question is: Who will win a medal or two or three for the Bahamas this year? Only time will tell as the competition swings out on Saturday and wraps up on Sunday, August 12 here in Paris. 

The Bahamas is being represented by two swimmers and 20 athletes in track and field.