The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

As the chef de mission for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico, in 2014, Cora Hepburn said she’s more prepared for the task of heading Team Bahamas in the same capacity for the 2020 Olympic Games.

The former volleyball player turned executive said the coronavirus pandemic has made her journey to Tokyo, Japan, with team manager Dawn Woodside-Johnson, ahead of the team arrival, a lot more than she had anticipated.

“The protocol measures are extremely complex, our athletes are responsible for downloading a minimum of three apps while the officials are responsible for downloading up to five different apps,” said Hepburn, who is making history as the first female named by the Bahamas Olympic Committee to serve as chef de mission at the biggest sporting event on the planet. “Within 96 hours, we had to take two PCR tests before arriving in Tokyo and upon our arrival, we were again tested for an antigen test. Our daily reporting is still ongoing with regards to your temperature and adhering to your C-19 protocol.”

At the Games Village, BOC’s vice president Hepburn said the restrictions are just as stringent.

“Everywhere, you will see hand sanitisers plus you will see the temperature monitors and everyone in the village, as you look around, are adhering to the protocol of wearing your mask,” she said.

With all the safety measures in place, Hepburn said they welcomed the first two members of Team Bahamas with the arrival of swimmers Joanna Evans and Izaak Bastian on Saturday.

Woodside-Johnson said the main thing right now is to get the two swimmers acclimatised to the 13-hour time difference and the humid heat in Tokyo before they start preparing for the start of the games on Friday, July 23.

Following the opening ceremonies, both swimmers will begin competition on Saturday, July 24 with Evens entered in her speciality in the women’s 400m freestyle, while Bastian will be in the men’s 100m breaststroke.

Woodside-Johnson, who served as the manager for Team Bahamas at both the World Relays in Yokohama, Japan and the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru in 2019, said they expect the athletes for track and field to start arriving in Tokyo from Thursday, July 22 well ahead of the commencement of their competition onJuly 30.

“Our expectations are for the athletes to perform at their best and be at their peak and at the end of the day, we will come out with at least two medals,” Woodside-Johnson predicted. “We expect at least three medals, two of them will be gold at least.”

Woodside-Johnson said they are making sure that there is a smooth transition for the rest of Team Bahamas as they arrive in Tokyo this week.