Bermuda’s chef-de-mission Ashley Yearwood has lauded the resilience and character of the island’s athletes following an eventful opening phase at the Youth Olympic Games.
Reflecting on the team’s campaign so far, Yearwood praised the squad for staying the course through testing moments on the international stage, highlighting their determination both in and out of competition.
Bermuda launched their campaign in the pool with swimmers Noah Maranzana and Maggie Meywet. While both faced stiff competition, each managed standout individual swims to be proud of.
"I think that our athletes have done such an amazing job at the Games so far," said Yearwood. "We really kicked it off strong with the swimmers... As they’ll say themselves, they didn’t have stellar swims throughout the entirety of the competition, but each one of them had one of those swims that made them really proud of themselves.
"They really struck through and stayed the course even when things didn't go their way. I'm really, really proud of them."
The drama continued on the course in the triathlon, where Luca had to overcome adversity following a mid-race crash. Despite the setback forcing a tactical and mental reset, he battled through to complete the event.
"He had that unfortunate crash which kind of took him into a different mindset and a different race," Yearwood explained. "The way he finished, and the determination and the grit that he had throughout the entire process, was really admirable."
Beyond the scoreboards and race splits, Yearwood emphasized that the most rewarding part of leading the delegation has been observing the maturity of the young contingent.
"My favourite part has been spending time with our young athletes and seeing not just that they're promising young athletes with the ability to become really great stars, but also seeing how amazing of people they are," she said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do as young adults and in the future, not just as athletes, but as people."
Bermuda's attention now turns to the field, with javelin thrower Tatiana set to open her campaign on the 9th after arriving in high spirits.
"She just got here last night and is in really, really great spirits," Yearwood added. "We'll see what she can pull off."
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