By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

PARIS, France — As the first two competitors to represent the Bahamas in competition at the 2024 Olympic Games, Lamar Taylor and Rhanishka Gibbs have expressed their delight in getting the ball rolling for Team Bahamas in the swimming competition.

Taylor will make the splash first in the men’s 100 metres freestyle on Tuesday, July 30.

“I feel pretty good. I’ve made the adjustment here after spending a week leading up to the games in Ireland training to sort of get used to the time zone,” Taylor said. “I feel like the training camp in Ireland has certainly helped me to adjust to the time zone and to be able to get ready to swim next week.”

Although he’s coming off another long collegiate season at Henderson State, the 21-year-old Taylor, who will be making the transition to the University of Tennessee after the games, said his expectations are not that lofty.

“I just want to be able to swim my PR (personal best) as I drop my time and set another Bahamian national record,” said Taylor of his record of 49.44. “If I can make it back out for a semifinal swim or even get into the final, that would be great. If I can make a final, anything is possible. “So I’m just going in with a clear mind to see what I can do.”

Having just arrived in Paris yesterday, Taylor said he didn’t have sufficient time to interact with the rest of Team Bahamas, but he’s excited to be here with Gibbs, whom he gets along with very good whenever they get to represent the Bahamas on any international team. He was even more thrilled to have Travano McPhee, his long time coach from Mako Swim Club, as the coach of the team.

The 18-year-old Gibbs, on the other hand, will have some extra time to get ready for competition as she’ won’t be contesting the women’s 50 metres freestyle until August 3. “I’m excited to see what the Olympic experience holds for me,” she stated. “I am also looking forward to seeing what the track and field team will do.”

In the meantime, she said she will be rooting for Taylor as he breaks the ice for Team Bahamas.

“Before I came here, coach Camron Bruny was taking me through a lot of sprint workouts and detail stuff, trying to fix my stroke because the 50m is really a sprint race,” Gibbs pointed out. 

“So everything needs to be executed perfectly. That was what we were trying to work on.”

As for the games, Gibbs, who just completed her freshman year at Texas Christian University, said she just wants to swim fast and get a PB and a Bahamas record in the process.

McPhee said from what he’s seen so far yesterday, the swimmers are in high gear and eager to get out there and compete.

“There’s a lot of energy from the other countries because this is the highest level of sports that you can achieve in your career, so I’m really excited to see Lamar and Rhanishka reach this level,” he said. 

“I’m excited to see how well they have excelled and reached this level. They both want to break the national record, so we are looking forward to see how well they do once we get past the opening ceremonies. I think they are both ready to swim very well next week.”