By JONATHAN BURROWS

BAHAMIAN sailor Eliza Denning delivered a patriotic performance to win the gold medal at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay this past week, overcoming early setbacks. 

Denning, who represented The Bahamas in the women’s sailing competition, faced a rocky start in the five-round event. She was disqualified in two of the early races putting her medal hopes in jeopardy.

In the final rounds of competition, Denning secured two first-place finishes and sealed the gold medal for The Bahamas. 

“It was pretty tough… I got a disqualification on the first day and I was pretty disappointed but I think it set some sort of fire so I kept pushing and then I managed to come out on top,” said Denning at the press conference. 

Looking ahead, Denning has set her sights on building from this win, and she continues to train. With a gold medal under her belt, she remains hopeful for a podium finish at the Pan American Games in 2027 and also to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2028.