SPORTS SECTION E
Fireman’s 5TH
Brown in Rio, Page 5
MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2016
Evans shatters her national record in Olympic debut By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
hiro Igarashi of Japan in a close finish in 4:07.52. Neither will make it back for the final, which carried the top eight finishers. But 18-year-old Evans will move up all EVANS the way from No.40 to No.13 in the world as she posted the best time ever by a Central American and Caribbean swimmer. “For my first Olympic swim, I’m very, very pleased. It’s a good chunk off my best time,” Evans told the Bahamian media. “Rather, I would have liked to push that
RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — A national record-breaking performance that propelled her to No.13 in the world was a good way for Joanna Evans to make her Olympic debut. One day after Dustin Tynes flattered in his initial appearance at the 2016 Olympic Games, Evans was just simply sensational on Sunday at the National Aquatics Complex as she shattered her own women’s 400 metre freestyle national record of four minutes and 12.14 seconds when she touched the wall second in the first of four heats in a blistering time of 4:07.52. She was beaten out by Chi-
By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
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girl and win the heat, but that’s part of it.” After getting through the first 50m in third in a split of 28.89, Evans improved to second at the end of the 100m mark in 59.94. She remained in that position at 150m in 1:31.02, but took over the lead at 200m in 2:02.63. The Grand Bahamian controlled the race with a slight lead at 250m (2:33.87), 300m (3:05.57) and 3:50m (3:37.05). But in the final 50m, Igarashi just had a little more energy at the end to touch the wall first. “I felt it,” said Evans about her opponent trailing her in the race. “I was like umph. I can’t let her
catch me. But it was all a part of it. I believed we pushed each other. So it was a good swim, if you ask me.” The University of Texas freshman said she didn’t anticipate swimming as fast as she did, but not having swum a good 400m free in quite a while, she knew that the training she put in to get ready for Rio would equate to some fast times. She will be back for her second swim today when she competes in the 200m free. It’s an event she has entered just for the fun of it. But after almost posting a personal best in the 200m during the first half of her 400m race, Evans
said anything is possible. She is entered in lane two in the second of six heats with a lifetime best of 2:01.62. Once she’s done, she will take some much needed rest and prepare for her 800m final swim on Thursday. Andy Loveitt, the head coach of the Bahamian swim team, has been working directly with Evans when she’s home in Grand Bahama and he had predicted the day before that he expected her to break the national record. He said she was right on pace after the first 100m and she held her composure as she went through the middle of the race. He had hoped she could have held on at the end, but he couldn’t ask for a better performance.
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Go Team Bahamas
SPRINTER ADRIAN GRIFFITH GETS SET TO TURN IT UP IN 200M RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — After going through the process of getting ready for the past four years, Adrian Griffith said the time is now for him to shine in the men’s sprints at the 2016 Olympic Games. “I’m here. It’s a beautiful feeling, all of the attaché for the Bahamas team and all of the officials are making sure that Team Bahamas is adjusting very well to the conditions here,” Griffith said. “The team is actually gelling and we’re practicing together and everyone is having a good time. We have one or two hiccups, but that’s expected. We’re going to be alright. We’re looking to put on our best performance here in Rio.” Talking about Rio, Griffith said he wasn’t concerned about all of the media hype surrounding Rio not being ready to host the games and that there was a Zika virus that would affect the athletes. “When we got here, we found a beautiful village, as you can see,” said Griffith as he spoke to the Bahamian media in the games village. “The accommoda-
ENDS UP 13TH BEST IN WORLD IN 400M FREE
EMILY MORLEY MAKES OLYMPIC ROWING HISTORY By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
ity that he heard prior to coming here, Wilson said he was never concerned about all of the media hype. “I wasn’t concerned at all because they had ample time to prepare,” he said. “Me personally, I think it was all just for media purposes to hype it up a bit. We come from a hard place in the Bahamas, so ain’t much things could surprise us. I came here just to perform well and to enjoy this atmosphere.” Wilson, a 27-year-old graduate from
RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Emily Morley will remember Saturday, August 6, 2016, for a long time. It was the day that she got rowing officially started as a non-traditional sport for the Bahamas BTC Team at the 2016 Olympic Games. But it wasn’t quite the finish she anticipated, crossing the line in nine minutes and 22.12 seconds for sixth place. Her nearest competitor in the first of six heats at the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon was Sweden’s Anna Mulvina Svennlinc in 8:48.46. Mexico’s Alanis Kenia Lechuca came across the line first in 8:11.44, stunning world champion Kimberly Brennan, of Australia. Morley, who placed 31 out of a field of 32 competitors, said she was delighted to have gotten another sport into the Bahamas lineup at the Olympics, although she would have preferred to be in the middle of the field. “It was so amazing. It was just unbelievable for me to be out there competing for the Bahamas,” said Morley, who could easily be identified by the Bahamian flag
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LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Shaunae Miller carries the flag of the Bahamas on Friday during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP) SEE THE FULL STORY AND MORE PHOTOS ON 2&3
‘THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN AWESOME AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Although this is his first appearance at the Olympic Games, Jamal ‘Mally’ Wilson said he feels right at home in good company with the rest of the men’s high jumpers from around the world. “The experience has been awesome at the Olympic Games,” said Wilson as he spoke to the Bahamian media at the Games Village. “Actually, it’s going better than I expected, right down
to the free stuff, down to the food, down to just seeing all of the stars walking around. “The opening ceremony was great. I got a chance to get a little bit of airtime. I know the people at home got to see me. I appreciate all the love and support that I’m getting from that end. I appreciate you. Shout out to Rio Snapshot for putting me, Donald Thomas and Adrian Griffith on the story. We got hundreds of thousands of viewers from that side. So it’s been a blessing so far.” Despite all of the negative public-
Anfernee Seymour traded to Atlanta Braves in 3-player deal By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net FOR the second time in as many weeks, another highly ranked Bahamian prospect is on the move via trade, in the Minor League Baseball farm system. Anfernee Seymour was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Atlanta Braves in a three-player deal which also saw the Braves acquire pitcher Michael Mader in exchange for relief pitcher Hunter Cervenka. Seymour enters the Braves’ lists of prospects ranked at No.19, according to MLB.com’s 2016 Prospect Watch. He is ranked fourth
among shortstops after No.1 overall prospect Dansby Swanson, No.2 Ozzie Albies and No.8 Kevin Maitan. Seymour was previously ranked No.8 in the Marlins farm system but goes to a Braves organisation known for its deep talent pool in the minors. “Seymour stands out for his elite athleticism and game-changing speed, which scouts grade as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale, where 50 is average. A switch-hitter, his short, quick swing enables him to make a lot of contact, although power will never be part of his game….Seymour spent much of his pro debut roaming centrefield before moving to shortstop
ANFERNEE SEYMOUR full time in 2015, where he committed 29 errors in 61 games.” The MLP.com scouting report said: “But he worked hard on refining his overall defensive game dur-
ing instructional league, and the Marlins liked how his hands and strong arm played at the position, despite a high error total.” He was having a productive season for the Greensboro Grasshoppers in the Class A (Full) South Atlantic League prior to the deal. In 103 games, he hit .255 with 61 runs scored, 37 stolen bases and 26 RBI. He has recorded a slugging percentage of .308, an on-base percentage of .295 and an OPS of .603 and 127 total bases. The 5’11” 165-pound Seymour was taken by the Miami Marlins with the 197th pick in round seven of the 2014 MLB Draft. The highly touted prospect received an over-slot signing bonus
from the Marlins worth twice his slot value of just over $200,000. Seymour, who starred for the rookie Batavia Muckdogs in the Gulf Coast League last season where he played in 64 games at shortstop with a batting average of .273, was called up in April to the Grasshoppers. Yesterday he was officially assigned to the Rome Braves and will continue play in the Class A (Full) South Atlantic League. The 21-year-old previously reached a career milestone against the Braves this season when he blasted the first home run of his professional career, a 10-7 win for the Grasshoppers back on June 11.
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THE TRIBUNE
Let the Games begin: By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
DUSTIN TYNES’ OLYMPIC DEBUT COMES TO AN ABRUPT END By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — The Olympic debut of Dustin Tynes came to an abrupt end as he touched the wall in the eighth and final spot in the men’s 100 metre breaststroke on Saturday at the newly built Olympic Aquatic Swimming Complex in the Barra Olympic Park. Tynes, 20, was the first of the three-member swimming team to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games. But his time of one minute and 3.71 seconds left him out of contention for a second swim as he only beat two competitors. The event saw Adam Peaty of Great Britain post a world record of 57.55 seconds to win the sixth and final heat. For Tynes, who was coming off his sophomore year at Ohio State University, the disappointment was clear as he walked through the tunnel in the mixed zone and refused to speak to the media. Head coach Andy Loveitt said it was not the typical performance
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RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — With a strong message of promoting peace around the world, the first Olympic Games to be held in South America officially got underway on Friday night with a fantastic display of artistry during each performance. It was one of the most spectacular ceremonies ever held. The highlight of the night, however, was the colourful parade of athletes into the Maracana Stadium, adorned in their traditional outfits from more than 200 countries participating in the two week sporting extravaganza. Never before have the athletes made their entrance the way they did as they received a seed and a cartridge with soil to plant a native tree of Brazil - the country with the highest diversity of trees on the planet. Each of the 1,100 athletes inserted their cartridges in the mirror towers spread across the stage. They presented more than 207 species, which will form the Athletes’ Forest in the Radical Park in Deodoro, a legacy to the city of Rio de Janeiro. Leading the Bahamas into the stadium behind a female on a bicycle decorated with plants was quartermiler Shaunae Miller, who will be contesting the women’s 400m when the athletic competition gets underway next Friday. Wearing a combination of the aquamarine gold and black, shirts and pants, Team Bahamas was followed by a small group beating some drums. They emerged after Azerbaijan and ahead of Bangladesh. On Saturday, the Baha-
SHAUNAE MILLER carries our national flag during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday, August 5. (AP)
mas BTC Team got their first taste of action as Emily Morley made her Olympic debut in the Women’s Single Sculls in rowing at the Lagoa Stadium. Morley, a 22-year-old student from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, is the only Bahamian competing in a non-traditional sport for the country at the Games. Also on Saturday, Dustin Tynes broke the ice for the three-person Bahamas team in the new Olympic Aquatics Stadium when he competed in the men’s 100m breaststroke. The stadium, built just in time for the Rio Olympics, was opened in April when the Maria Lenk Open Championships was held. It has a seating capacity of 15,445. Before his competition, Tynes, a 20-year-old student of Ohio State University, told The Tribune: “I’m very excited to be here and to feel the energy that’s at the pool and the village. It’s exciting seeing the accomplished athletes like Arianna VanderpoolWallace and Leevan Sands and seeing how they move and look to be as if the were right at home because of the amount of times they have been at an Olympic Games Village. Tynes was also making his Olympic debut after representing the Bahamas at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the Pan American Games last year. Following Morley and Tynes was Joanna Evans, whose first of three events the 400m freestyle - started yesterday. ‘Jo”, as she’s affectionately named, is coming off her freshman year at the University of Texas. While this is also her first Olympics, she has competed at the World Championships,
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Monday, August 8, 2016, PAGE 3
an Olympic spectacle FROM PAGE 2 Pan Am and the Commonwealth Games with Tynes and VanderpoolWallace, the other members of the team. Today, the Grand Bahama native will swim in the women’s 200m freestyle, starting at 8.27am. She will be in lane two in the second of six preliminary races in order to advance. Then, on Thursday, Evans will return for the heats of the women’s 800m freestyle, where she will swim in lane four in the first of four heats. Vanderpool-Wallace, the veteran of the team, was scheduled to make her initial appearance at the games on Saturday as well, but she did not enter the women’s 100m butterfly, the first of her three events in which she is qualified to compete. Instead, she will not compete until Wednesday, when she swims in lane seven in the fifth of six heats of the women’s 100m freestyle that starts at 8.17am EST. Again, the top 16 will move on to the semi-final and final. Vanderpool-Wallace will come back on Friday for the heats of the women’s 50m freestyle.
DUSTIN TYNES’ OLYMPIC DEBUT COMES TO AN ABRUPT END FROM PAGE 2 from Tynes. “Dustin didn’t do well today as well as he did in last
year’s Pan Am,” he pointed out. “It’s a big step up going to the Olympics. It’s his first time. He never really got going.”
Compared to last year when he was 28.29 seconds through the first 50 metres at Pan Am, Tynes was 29.6 seconds on Saturday and was
off the pace. He will now have to switch his concentration on getting ready for Tokyo, Japan, in 2020.
SHAUNAE MILLER carries the flag of the Bahamas during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday, August 5. (AP)
LOCAL FLAG FOOTBALL COMMUNITY TO STAGE BOYCOTT OF THE IFAF WORLDS By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championships has been shrouded in controversy since it was first proposed, and now the local flag football community intends to stage a boycott of the event. In a joint statement released by the Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL), the Grand Bahama Flag Football League (GBFFL) and the Abaco Flag Football League (AFFL), the groups said every aspect of the event, including the selection of the Bahamian national team, has been done without their direct involvement. The league insists they were purposefully omitted from the organisation of the event, “setting the stage for a national embarrass-
ment” when the event is hosted in Grand Bahama, September 8-11. “It is disappointing to see that despite the many concerns raised by the various leagues that developed the sport of flag football in the country that an outsider is allowed to continue to make a mockery of all the hard work Bahamians have put in over the years. “We have at numerous times sought to meet and discuss the issues to ensure that the FFWC would be an inclusive event that benefited Bahamians beyond just a few heads in beds for the course of less than a week. Despite the mantra we have heard over and over that the government believes in Bahamians, their actions have spoken louder than words,” the statement said. “This is setting the stage for a national embarrassment as without the leagues involvement, the
national team will not be made up of the best the country can offer, and the end result will be a disgrace to The Bahamas in which we could and should have been the stars and earn well-deserved acclaim. We will stand together with all our brothers and sisters in the sport and across the Bahamas in a boycott of such a mess. We deserve better and have for a long time been demanding better, but the government has been deaf to our cries.” The Ministry of Tourism serves as the lead sponsor and the event is being spearheaded by the Bahamas American Football Federation and its Local Organising Committee. Antonio Maycock, president of the Commonwealth American Football League, the local governing body for football, previously described the BAFF as a “rogue group” which could leave
Foot injury expected to keep Lucius Fox sidelined 4-6 weeks By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net LUCIUS Fox may be a part of the long-term plans for the Tampa Bay Rays, but the fallout from last week’s trade leaves the club seeking additional compensation for the rookie shortstop. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays claim Fox came to the club with an undisclosed injury and, despite playing everyday for the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic Class A League, through the setback. “Fox had a bruised left foot as the result of fouling a ball off it a week or so before the trade was announced Monday, and had been playing through it, which the Rays were not made aware of,” Topkin said. “The injury, which sounds like a bone bruise, is not overly serious, though it is expected to keep Fox sidelined 4-6 weeks and thus from playing again before the minor-league season ends. That would mean
LUCIUS FOX he would not make his Rays debut until the fall instructional league, missing development time.” On August 1, Fox was traded to the Rays along with Matt Duffy and Michael Santos in the deal which sent left-handed pitcher Matt Moore to the San Francisco Giants. With the injury news to Fox, this means all three players the Rays received in the deal are sidelined with Duffy and Santos on the disabled list. Topkin’s further stated: “Giants GM Bobby Evans
told the San Jose Mercury News he was expecting to talk with Rays officials on Saturday. ‘Fox had been playing every day, but I’ll just have to wait to talk with them until I can comment.’ Evans said.” The Rays will have to await final word from the MLB on the specifics regarding the awarding of compensation. Fox is listed as the No.7 overall prospect for the Rays, according to MLB. com’s 2016 Prospect Watch. He is ranked second among shortstops after No.1 overall prospect Willy Adames. Fox, the 19-year-old, 6’2” 170-pound shortstop was the most anticipated signing of the Giants International Prospect class of July 2015. He made his much-anticipated pro debut this season for the Giants with the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic Class A League. In 75 games, Fox hit .207 with 46 runs scored, 25 stolen bases, slugging .277, an on-base percentage of .305, an OPS of .582, two home runs, four triples and six doubles.
the hosting of the proposed IFAF Flag Football World Championships in jeopardy. LaLisa Anthony, president of the BAFF, issued a statement refuting recent claims of the league’s illegitimacy and offered an expense report outlining the $20,000 seed money given to the group by the Ministry of Tourism in preparation for the Flag Football World Championships, scheduled for September 7-12 in Grand Bahama. “At the present time, BAFF is working closely with IFAF and the 17 member countries that will be participating in the 2016 FFWC in Grand Bahama to ensure that they will have the best experience possible,” she said. “Even though there are persons that see things in a different manner, BAFF will not be derailed and is only focused on bringing close to 1,000 tourists to Grand Bahama during the first
two-weeks in September 2016.” The last local venture associated with the BAFF was facilitating the youth clinic hosted by the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, however, they are not affiliated with any local football league. The Bahamas Bowl committee subsequently announced that in 2016 they will partner with the Commonwealth American Football League for this year’s event and any ventures moving forward for the development of the sport. A total of 28 teams representing 17 countries are expected to play in the tournament. The IFAF Flag Football World Championship has been held since 2002 and is the showpiece bi-annual tournament for senior national teams in 5-on-5 flag football and has separate competitions for both men and women. This year will mark the 8th World Championship.
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Minister confident Bahamas will be ready to host 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson has been moving around checking out the various venues at the 2016 Olympic Games and from what he’s seen, he said he’s confident that the Bahamas will be ready to host the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. “It’s been fantastic. We want to say hats off to the Brazilians for what they’ve done, transforming their city and presenting it to the world and what the athletes are doing. Really, hats off to Team Bahamas, who is showing up in fine form. Everyone is here enjoying themselves.” As he watched Emily Morley
‘THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN AWESOME AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES’ FROM PAGE 1
the University of Texas, will be one of three Bahamians representing the Bahamas in the men’s high jump when the preliminary round is staged on Sunday, August 14 at 7:30pm EST with the final set for Tuesday, August 16 at 7:30pm EST. “I just want to be consistent, working my way up to the day of the competition,” he stated. “If I can do that, I can give myself a sure chance to make it to the final, then after the final, I can fight for the medal.” Calling it an “electric” feeling so far, Wilson said he feels at home. “It doesn’t feel brand new to me” and that puts him in a good position to compete in his first major international meet, although he did the Commonwealth Games two years ago. “All year I’ve been working to bring myself up to this point, so the momentum is moving forward. I don’t feel like a newcomer because everyone on the circuit knows my face now,” he said. “So I’m a part of the track and field family and the Bahamas people to have a potential to get a medal at these games.” As for the trio that will represent the Bahamas together for the first time at the Olympics, Wilson said they all deserve to be here. “If we could get more, we would have more, but three is the maximum,” he said. “Unfortunately, we have three capable guys who can go out there and perform very well.” At the end of the competition, Wilson is hoping that he will be one of the top performers.
make history as the first Bahamian to participate in rowing, Johnson said he’s sitting on a beautiful lake on the inland of the city of Rio de Janeiro thinking about some of the interesting things that could be done in Nassau harbour. “The water is incredible that we have in the Bahamas and we have to think about ways that we can improve and send our product to the world,” said Johnson, who noted that the Commonwealth Youth Games in July will provide just that opportunity for the Bahamas. “This is like Lake Killarney coming to life. We have kids in the Bahamas who can do this. This is a sport we feel we can get more people to do. So we are just proud to be Bahamians out here watching her doing us proud.” Watching Morley in action,
MEDIA members interview Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson (centre) in Rio. Johnson said he has noticed how so many countries are now copying the Bahamas in the colours they are wearing. He was especially pleased to see the aquamarine, gold and black on the Parade of Athletes during the march pass at the opening ceremonies on Friday night. “I saw some colours that looked like the Bahamas out in front,” he said. “So I had that feeling again.” Johnson, who is being accom-
panied by Timothy Munnings, the Director of Sports, said he was pleased to see Morley get the Bahamas going in another nontraditional sport and although she didn’t finish in contention, he’s looking for her to improve on her performance when she comes back for the Repechage, a contest in which the best-placed of those who failed to win heats compete for a place in the final. “She’s here competing for the first time in rowing for the Bahamas and I believe she should be congratulated,” Johnson said. Although he heard “all the noise in the market” about the Brazilians not being ready to host the games, Johnson said God has indeed blessed them because they need the economic infusion in a time of political unrest. “This is sort to bring the whole
nation together,” said Johnson, who was stunned to see the more than 70,000 armed forces out in action. “It’s wonderful that they are having this event at this time of the year. It’s their winter, which is more like our winter, a little warm in the day, but cool in the night. The cooler temperature sent the mosquito-mating season away, so you won’t find as many mosquitos in this kind of weather. And there’s no rain, so you won’t find as much mosquitos as you would find in the rain. So we got a break from that.” Before he leaves, Johnson said he intends to take advantage of as many sporting events, including the Rugby Sevens, which he used to play. But he noted that wherever a Bahamian is competing, he will be rooting for the Bahamas.
MORLEY MAKES OLYMPIC ROWING HISTORY FROM PAGE 1 painted on the blades of her oars. “I never dreamt that I would be here competing at the Olympics and here I am.” After the “dream come true” experience sunk in, Morley said she went out there and tried to give it her best shot. “I was ready to compete,” said the student of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, who had her share of spectators in the stands cheering for her. “I just didn’t anticipate that it would have been as intense as it was. But it gives us an incentive to come back and compete again tomorrow.” Morley, the 22-yearold daughter of Olympic swimmer David Morley, who was at the event watching, will be back today as she competes in the Repechage, a contest in which the best-placed of those who failed to win heats compete for a place in the final. The rowing regatta was postponed yesterday because of high winds. She will be in lane five in the first of three
EMILY MORLEY, our lone rower at the Olympics, is all set to compete in the Repechage today. races. Whatever she does, Becky Robinson, one of her two coaches, said she and Beth Greene are proud of her accomplishment. “The experience was amazing. It was great. It was so much fun to watch her progress from a collegiate athlete to an international competitor and to watch her from what she has done to get here,”
Robinson said. Laura Morley, a promising junior swimmer who hopes to one day follow in the footsteps of her father and now achieve what her big sister has, said she was just as excited as Emily watching from the sidelines. “Just to watch her compete and do what she likes is just great,” the younger Morley said. “After hearing that my dad went to
the Olympics, it was a goal of all of us to represent the Bahamas. But I never expected Emily to be competing in rowing, so to come out here and see her do it is so exciting.” The Morley family was well represented in the arena by Emily’s father, David, and his girlfriend, Laura Kimball, siblings Laura and Peter Morley as well as her aunt and uncle Ann and Jeff Carmel, who were visiting from California where they reside. Also in attendance were members of the Bahamian delegation to witness the historic race, including Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson and Director of Sports Timothy Munnings, Bahamas Olympic Committee president Wellington Miller, Chef de Mission Roy Colebrooke, head doctor Dr Rickey Davis and physio Cottrice Robinson. Today, Emily is hoping that she will “beat some competitors” that she faced in the South American Olympic qualifiers.
SPRINTER ADRIAN GRIFFITH GETS SET TO TURN IT UP IN 200 METRES FROM PAGE 1 tions are great for the Bahamian athletes. I can’t speak for anyone else. But everything here is good. We have housekeeping on time and everything is right in order. We don’t have anything to complain about.” After the athletes returned to their various training sites in the United States following the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ Nationals in June, Griffith said they tried to get the team together, but were unsuccessful. Now that they are all together in Rio, he said they hope to make the best out of their time together before the
athletic competition gets underway on Friday. “I expect to perform really well. During the season I made some mistakes, but this is the real thing, so I kind of corrected them, so I’m looking forward to going up against these guys and actually doing my best,” he said. “I want to perform at the best and take one of the two spots.” With so much pressure on the athletes to perform, 31-year-old Griffith, who has competed in just about every major event but his first at the Olympics, advised the athletes to just go out there and “perform at their best.” Once they can do that, Griffith said he’s confident that
Team Bahamas will end up with some really great performances, including him in the men’s 100m. Griffith, affectionately called ‘Vardo or Aerodynamic,” will take a career best of 10.11 seconds (legal time) and 10.03 (wind-aided) in the century that will start on Saturday, August 13 with the heats at 11am EST as he competes along with Shavez Hart and Jamial Rolle. When it’s all said and done, Griffith is hoping that at least one of them, more specifically him, will join national record holder Derrick Atkins in running under the 10-second barrier. That, in itself, has been the major challenge for our male sprinters.
Meet our Olympians Name: TyNia Gaither Nickname: Ty or TyNi Age: 23 High School: Osceola High School College: The University of Georgia (2011-2013) , The University of Southern California (2013-2016) Best subject: Statistics Event (s): 100m, 200m Best time (s): 11.19, 22.54 International teams competed on: Carifta Games (Cayman Islands, 2010), World Junior Championships (Moncton, Canada, 2010), Carifta Games (Montego Bay, 2011), Summer Youth Olympics (Singapore, 2014) Coached by whom: Coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert Medals won: 2010 Carifta Games 4x100m runner up, 2014 Summer Youth Olympics 200m runner-up, 6x State 4A State Champion, 7x NCAA First-Team AllAmerican, 1x 100m Bahamas Nationals Champion, 1x 200m Bahamas National Champion Favourite colour: Pink Favourite food: Shrimp Alfredo
Favourite movie: Heartbreakers Idol: Shelly-Ann FraserPryce Parents: Sabrina Johnson & Tony Gaither Sibling (s): Hashim Gaither Status - Married, en-
gaged, single: Single Expectations for Rio: PR in 100m & 200m • The Tribune is featuring profiles of the Bahamian Olympians daily in the buildup to the 2016 Games in Brazil next month
SPRINTER TYNIA GAITHER
EVANS SHATTERS HER NATIONAL RECORD IN 400 FREE FROM PAGE 1
A new national record and a 13th place ranking is there to show for it. Among the Bahamian delegation on hand to view the performance was Bahamas Swimming Federation president Algernon Cargill, along with executives from the Bahamas Olympic Committee and her swimming team-mates. “She was very happy with her performance and it showed that with her committed and dedicated training, she can perform great things in the future,” he said. “Being 13 in the world is quite an achievement for the Bahamas because we tend to shy away from distance swimming. But to be ranked among the best swimmers in the world speaks well for her.” Cargill said Tynes had a disappointing swim and he wasn’t too pleased with his performance. “He came here prepared to swim a national record time and qualify for the semi-finals, but unfortunately, he had a bad dive into the pool and that dive really caused him a place in the semis,” Cargill said. “But he’s recuperated and he’s even more hungrier to come back and compete at the World Championships next year.” Following the two swimmers, the veteran of the team, Arianna VanderpoolWallace will dip into the pool. She opted out of the 100m back so that she can concentrate on the 100m free before she closes out her third Olympic appearance in her specialty in the 50m free. “She’s very focused, determined and prepared,” Cargill said. “She’s psyched up and ready to compete in both events.”
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, August 8, 2016, PAGE 5
‘Fireman’ Brown looking forward to running his fifth and final Olympics By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Despite his bag not arriving here with him when he came, veteran quarter-miler Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown said he’s looking forward to competing in his fifth and final Olympic Games. Since arriving here on Thursday on his flight from Atlanta, Georgia via Chile, Brown was able to use the Bahamian official outfits, sponsored by Puma. The 37-year-old who has won an individual medal at every major international event, except the Olympics, said he’s hoping he will get his bag before he starts competing on Friday, August 12 in the preliminaries of the men’s 400 metres. He has assured the public that he has been training to run the open 400m along with Steven Gardiner and Alonzo Russell before he helps the Bahamas defend their title in the men’s 4 x 400m relay that opens with the heats a week later on Friday, August 19. “It’s a blessing. It’s a great feeling. God has allowed me to see five Olympics and to be able to represent my country is an honour,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade it for nothing in the world. To see the next generation come and go and to still be able to stand on two feet and not just a relay, but an individual event, so I’m truly blessed and honoured to be a part of it.” After his third place fin-
ish in the men’s 400m at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations National Open Championships and the final Olympic trials in June at Thomas A Robinson Stadium, Brown said he went back to his training base to get prepared to run the rounds of both the 400m and as a member of the relay team. “I don’t know what will happen in the first round, but I definitely will be doing the 400 and the 4 x 4,” he said. “For me, the first round (of the 400m) is my final. As long as I can get out of the first round, the semi-final will take care of itself for me. I’ve been in this game for a while. I think I know what I have to do. I just have to do it day by day and stride by stride and see what happens.” While he admits that it won’t be any easier in the relay as the Bahamas defends its title won in London, England in 2012, Brown said they are going to give it their best shot. “We definitely see that we are still a threat to reckon with,” he said. “The good thing now is we have guys on the team that nobody knows, we have young legs, we have fresh new young legs and we have the same mix of experience so with the youth mixed with experience, that should be able to take us to where we want to go. “A lot of people are counting us, but you can never count your eggs until they are hatched. At the end of the day, you never
TODAY AT THE GAMES All times Bahamian MONDAY Archery Men’s and Women’s Individual Eliminations, 8am, 2pm Basketball Men Serbia v Australia, 1.15pm United States v Venezuela, 6pm France v China, 9.30pm Women Spain v United States, 11am Canada v Serbia, 1.15pm Japan v Brazil, 4.30pm Senegal v China, 6.45pm Beach Volleyball Men’s and/or Women’s Prelims, 9am, 2.30pm, 8pm Boxing Men’s 49kg, 69kg, 75kg, 91kg Prelims, 10am, 4pm Canoe-Kayak (Slalom) Men’s C-2 Heats and Women’s K-1 Heats, 11.30am Diving Men’s Synchronised 10-metre Platform, 3pm Equestrian Eventing Individual Cross Country, 9am Eventing Team Cross Country Fencing Women’s Sabre Individual First Round, Second Round and Quarter-finals, 8am
VETERAN quarter-miler Chris “Fireman” Brown says he is looking forward to competing in his fifth and final Olympic Games. know what’s going to happen. We have experience and we have a team leader that knows how to get the job done. We didn’t come this far to go back home
Women’s Sabre Individual Semi-finals and Finals, 3pm Handball Women South Korea v Sweden, 8.30am France v Russia, 10.30am Spain v Norway, 1.40pm Brazil v Romania, 3.40pm Argentina v Netherlands, 6.50pm Angola v Montenegro, 8.50pm Hockey Men Germany v India, 10am Canada v Argentina, 11.30am Women Australia v United States, 9am New Zealand v Germany, 12.30pm Netherlands v South Korea, 4pm India v Britain, 5pm Spain v China, 6.30pm Argentina v Japan, 7.30pm Gymnastics (Artistic) Men’s Team Final, 3pm Judo Men’s -73kg and Women’s -57kg, 9am Men’s -73kg and Women’s -57kg Finals, 2.30pm Rugby Women 11th Place, 11.30am Ninth Place, noon Placing 5-8, 12.30pm, 1pm Semi-finals, 1.30pm, 2pm Seventh Place, 4.30pm Fifth Place, 5pm Bronze Medal match, 5.30pm Gold Medal match, 6pm
empty handed, at least I didn’t, so we’re going to do our best to see how and where we’re going to place each guy to bring home a medal. I’m confident that
we can get a medal, regardless of what it is.” And looking back at the five games that he has attended, Brown said it was a totally different experience everywhere he went, including the food, which he considers not to be the best variety he has seen. And putting it into perspective, Brown said the trip to Sydney, Australia in 2000 was the best, followed by Beijing, China in 2008, London in 2012 and there is a toss up between here and Athens, Greece in 2004. As for his individual event, Brown said he’s hoping that “God will grant me favour to send me out with a bang,” but if it doesn’t happen, he will still leave Rio with his head held high,. “I still got to live a dream that many only wish they could,” said Brown, who has had the longest appearance at the four-yearly games than any other Bahamian. “I’ve gotten a few relay medals, but this individual medal will mean a lot to me. But if it doesn’t happen, I’m still going to be me and do what I always do, representing my country and my family and just being who I am.” Make no mistake about it, after making the trek around the world during his illustrious career, Brown said he’s going to close the chapter on the Olympics on August 21 when the games are done and will be sitting down with his family and discussing his future in the sport. “This is definitely my last
Rowing Men’s Single Sculls E-F Semi-finals, 7.30am Women’s Single Sculls E-F Semi-finals, 7.50am Women’s Pair Repechage, 8.10am Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls Repechages, 8.20am Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls Repechages, 8.40am Men’s Quadruple Sculls Repechage, 9am Women’s Quadruple Sculls Repechage, 9.10am Men’s Four Repechage, 9.20am Women’s Eight Heats, 9.30am Men’s Eight Heats, 9.50am Sailing Men’s RS:X, noon Women’s RS:X, noon Men’s Laser, noon Women’s Laser Radial, noon Shooting Men’s 10-Metre Air Rifle Qualification, 8am Men’s Trap Day 2 Qualification (50 targets), 8.30am Men’s 10-Metre Air Rifle Final, 11am Men’s Trap Final, 2pm Swimming Women’s 200m Freestyle, Men’s 200m Butterfly and Women’s 200m Individual Medley Prelims, noon Women’s 200m Freestyle Semi-final, Men’s 200m Freestyles Final, Women’s 100m Backstroke Final, Men’s 100m Backstroke Final, Women’s 100m
Breaststroke Final, Men’s 200m Butterfly Semi-final and Women’s 200m Individual Medley Semi-final, 9pm Table Tennis Women’s Singles Third Round, 9am Men’s Singles Third Round, 11am Women’s Singles Fourth Round, 3pm, 7.30pm Men’s Singles Fourth Round, 4pm, 8.30pm Tennis Men’s Singles and Doubles, Women’s Singles and Doubles Second Round, 9.45am, 5.45pm Volleyball Women China v Italy, 7.30am Japan v Cameroon, 9.35am United States v Netherlands, 1pm Serbia v Puerto Rico, 3.05pm Russia v South Korea, 6.30pm Brazil v Argentina, 8.35pm Water Polo Men Serbia v Greece, 8am Italy v France, 9.20am United States v Spain, 10.40am Hungary v Australia, noon Japan v Brazil, 6.30pm Croatia v Montenegro, 7.50pm Weightlifting Men’s 62kg Prelims, Women’s 58kg Prelims, 9am Women’s 58kg Final, 2.30pm Men’s 62kg Final, 6pm
Meet our Olympians Name: Jeffery Lawrence Harrison Gibson Nickname: Raffe (the ending of Gi-Raffe) Age: 25 (26 on the first day of my competition August 15 High School: Bishop Michael Eldon School Class of 2008 College: Oral Roberts University Class of 2013 Best subject: History and Geography Event (s): 400m hurdles Best time (s): 48.17 s NR Coached by whom: George Williams Favourite colour: Black, Gray, Charcoal Favourite food: Fried chicken Favourite movie: Speed Racer the Movie Idol: None Parents: Bridgette and Rhett Storr (Jeffery H Gibson -deceased) Sibling (s):Kyle Gibson, Rhea, Rhett jr, Rhys, and Rhyan Storr.
Status - Married, engaged, single: Single and ready to mingle Expectations for Rio: To seize the moment and win a gold medal. Run a Personal Best
• The Tribune is featuring profiles of the Bahamian Olympians daily in the build-up to the 2016 Games in Brazil next month
Olympic Games and at the end of the year, I will sit down with my family and see where and what is in store for me, but this is definitely my last Olympics,” Brown said. Whatever his decision, Brown said he will be there to pass some of his knowledge onto the younger competitors following in his footsteps, whether they are listening or not. “The younger teammates are definitely listening,” he said. “The team is gelling well and it’s easy to get to them because they’re young and they’re willing to take in the knowledge. So for one who has been around for a while, they are listening and taking it in. “I just hope they retain it and keep it to help them go further. The team is getting long very well. So that is a start. Once you have that unity, it will build strength.” As the leader of the pack, Brown said he wants to assure the Bahamian public that they will go out and give it their best shot, whether or not they win any medals. But for Brown, he said he would love nothing better than to ascend the top of the medal dais one more time, with the relay team and if possible in the open 400m. It would be a fitting farewell to an incredible career for Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown.
HURDLER JEFFERY GIBSON
PAGE 6, Monday, August 8, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
ROYAL Bahamas Police Force officials and Caribbean Bottling Company representatives with the Sprite basketball champions, Northeastern Division.
Northeastern Division wins the annual Sprite basketball tourney THE Northeastern Division emerged victorious in the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Summer Camp’s annual Sprite basketball tournament. They took the tournament after an 81-71 win over the Western Division team. Kenneth Johnson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player while Terell Butler, of the Western Division, was awarded the Sprite Sportsmanship Award. For the eighth year Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producer of Coca-Cola products, partnered with the RBPF to bring together the nine districts of New Providence and over the past four weeks young men from across the island worked together in teams to win the coveted title of “Sprite Basketball Champions”, while learning new skills in a friendly, safe environment. “Over the past eight years the Sprite Basketball Tournament has become a highlight of our Summer programme,” said Inspector Johnson, of the RBPF. “This programme not only allows us, as the police body, to pass on valuable team building and professional skills to young men,
TERELL BUTLER, of the Northeastern Division, gets his MVP award from Sasha Pratt of CBC Marketing.
RBPF officials and Caribbean Bottling Company representatives with the Sprite basketball tournament runners-up, Western Division. but it also helps us to foster relationships with these young men, which is invaluable. Without CBC’s continued support in organising and financing this entire programme, none of this would have been possible.” Cara Douglas, CBC Marketing Manager, said the Sprite basketball tournament was created by the company as a way to offer support to the neighbourhoods across New Provi-
dence. “Each of the individual districts were looking for corporate support for summer events in their areas, and we saw a great opportunity to bring the districts together around a positive event, basketball. CBC rightly believed this would foster a deeper relationship between the young men, their communities, and the police department. “This tournament is a safe and supportive envi-
ronment for young men to participate in each summer, and we are so proud to continue to support it with the Royal Police Force.” Each player in the tournament received a Sprite gift bag for their participation, while the winning teams walked away with medals, a case of Sprite soda, and an Acer tablet or Sports Center gift card for the first and second placed teams respectively.
KENNETH JOHNSON, of the Western Division, receives the Sprite Sportsmanship Award from Cara Douglas, CBC Marketing Manager.
58! Furyk sets a PGA Tour record at Travelers By PAT EATON-ROBB AP Sports Writer CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Jim Furyk has a place in PGA Tour history all to himself with a new magic number in golf. Three years after Furyk became the sixth player on tour with a 59, he took it even lower Sunday in the Travelers Championship with a 58. The 46-year-old American bounced in an eagle from 135 yards on his third hole, ran off seven straight birdies around the turn and picked up his final birdie on the 16th hole with a putt from just inside 24 feet. He rolled in a short par putt on the final hole at TPC River Highlands, thrust his arms in the air and waved his cap to salute thousands of fans who had rushed to the amphitheater around the 18th green to catch a stunning slice of history. “There’s a lot of rounds by a lot of great players ahead of me that have never reached 58, so to hold that record alone right now, on the PGA Tour at least ... is phenomenal,” Furyk said. “To have a little, small place in history is something you dream of.” And it could have been even lower. Furyk reached 11 under on the par-70 course with his seventh straight birdie at No. 12. He missed a 12foot birdie attempt on the 14th hole, and after nearly driving the par-4 15th, his 8-foot birdie putt lipped out. It might be one of the best rounds hardly anyone saw. Furyk, who started the fi-
JIM FURYK celebrates after shooting a course and PGA-record 58 during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament yesterday. (AP) nal round 16 shots out of the lead, had less than a dozen fans watching when he teed off at 8:41 a.m. He finished his round before Golf Channel coverage began. The news traveled far. “Amazing, eh?” Justin Rose said from the practice range at the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro. “Amazing that he did it without birdieing the 13th (par 5) and 15th. Pretty cool.” It might not have happened if Furyk had not gone this road before. He shot a 59 at Conway Farms in the second round of the 2013 BMW Championship with a bogey on his card.
“I guess had I never shot 59 before, I probably would have been thinking 59, the barrier,” he said. “But the fact that I did it three years ago, you know, in the back of my mind I’ve got 11-under through 12; I’ve got six holes to play. If I play them under par, I’m going to break another barrier.” Ryo Ishikawa shot a 58 in The Crowns on the Japan Golf Tour in 2010. Shigeki Maruyama shot a 58 in U.S. Open sectional qualifying in 2000. And just last week, Stephan Jaeger posted a 58 on the Web.com Tour in the Ellie Mae Classic at the TPC Stonebrae. Furyk is the only player
with sub-60 rounds twice. And it would appear that both times, he had to settle for history, not a trophy. He finished third at the 2013 BMW Championship, and he was still four shots behind 54-hole leader Daniel Berger at the Travelers before Berger even teed off. The most pressure Furyk felt Sunday was after his final birdie. He still had two par 4s to navigate. He acknowledged guiding the ball with his drive on 17, where he had hit the water earlier in the week. His approach was 40 feet beyond the flag, but he twoputted for par by making a 4-footer. His drive on 18 hit the right side of the fairway and his approach left him 29 feet to the right and below the hole. He says the attempt for birdie felt good, but it slid by on the right about 2 feet past the hole. That’s when Furyk knew he had the record. “It’s nice when the second ones are mindless,” he said. Furyk was the most recent PGA Tour player with a 59 at Conway Farms. The others were Al Geiberger at the 1977 Memphis Classic; Chip Beck at the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational; David Duval at the 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic; Paul Goydos at the 2010 John Deere Classic and Stuart Appleby at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic. Furyk, whose best finish at the Travelers was fourth place in 2000, finished at 11-under 269. He said he spent a lot of Saturday night talking to his father and sending him video of his swing, because he had been playing so poorly. He
decided he might have been swing too hard after playing the PGA Championship last week at Baltusrol, a course that measured 7, 428 yards for a par 70. He made an adjustment.
It worked. Now he not only has a 59 on his resume, he has a 58. “No one else can say they’ve done that out here on the PGA Tour,” he said. “It’s really special.”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STANDINGS