Team BVI in Nanjing, China for 2nd edition of the Youth Olympic Games

Team BVI in Nanjing 2014. Photo: Provided

Team BVI in Nanjing 2014. Photo: Provided

The second Youth Olympic Games will kick off in Nanjing, China with the official opening ceremony which will take place on Saturday, August 16. Chef de Mission for Nanjing 2014, Stephanie Russ-Penn is settling in to the Athletes’ Village with the Virgin Islands’ young competitors from athletics, swimming, and sailing.

Team BVI includes the following athletes:
Sam Morrell, who has been selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony, will be sailing in the Men’s Byte CII (one person dinghy) starting on August 18.

Amarah Phillips will be competing in swimming in the Women’s 50m Butterfly on August 19, and in the Women’s 50m Freestyle on August 21.

In athletics the following athletes will be taking part in the qualification rounds: Deya Erickson in the Women’s 100m Hurdles on August 20; Kala Penn in the Women’s Long Jump on August 20; Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner in the Women’s 800m on August 20; Nelda Huggins in the Women’s 100m on August 21; Kyron McMaster in the Men’s 400m Intermediate Hurdles on August 22; and Akeem Bradshaw, Men’s Triple Jump on August 22.

“At the last Youth Olympic Games in 2011 we were represented just in Athletics and it is very pleasing to have athletes from three sports representing the Virgin Islands for the second edition of the Games,” said Ephraim Penn, President of the BVI Olympic Committee. “The athletes qualified for Nanjing 2014, hitting the required marks through hard work and dedication. Despite acclimating to a new culture, weather and most importantly, overcoming jet lag bearing in mind that Nanjing is 12 hours ahead of the BVI, we know that they are in good hands with Chef de Mission, Mrs. Stephanie Russ-Penn and we look forward to their performances in the upcoming competitions.”

The full schedule can be found on http://www.nanjing2014.org/en/en_sports/GamestimeResults.htm