The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) has named the 2015 Pan American Games team that will be heading to Toronto, Canada this month to represent Barbados.
At a press conference held this week at the BOA Headquarters in Wildey, BOA Secretary General Erskine Simmons, Team Manager Glyne Clarke, BOA President Steve Stoute, and Chef de Mission Esther Maynard announced the 29 athletes who will be taking part in the Games from July 10 to 26.
Maynard explained that the original full list of athletes had to be cut from 32 to 29 due to a new qualification system put in place last month to manage athlete numbers and costs associated with the Games, which is why the public announcement of the team had been delayed until now.
BOA President Steve Stoute said Barbados still has a strong Pan Am team, especially in track and field and that the BOA was looking forward to good performances in Toronto this year.
Maynard echoed these sentiments. “It’s to our credit that even with such stringent qualifying mechanisms, we have been able to still field athletes in 10 disciplines”, she said.
Among those representing Barbados at this year’s Games is 100m track and field athlete Ramon Gittens, high jump and heptathlon competitor Akela Jones, dressage jumping equestrian Emily Kinch, and golfer James Johnson, who will compete in the first ever golf competition in Pan American Games’ history.
This year, Barbados will be represented at the Games in the sports of athletics, swimming, boxing, badminton, triathlon, tennis, equestrian, shooting, weightlifting, and golf.
The Barbados athletes will also be accompanied by a medical team of Dr Carl Ward, physiotherapist Marita Marshall, and massage therapist Sharon Coppin, alongside Team Manager Glyne Clarke and Chef de Mission Esther Maynard.
2015 Pan Am Games team
Lani Cabrera – Swimming
Christopher Courtis – Swimming
Alex Sobers – Swimming
Levi Cadogan – Athletics
Ramon Gittens – Athletics
Shane Brathwaite – Athletics
Greggmar Swift – Athletics
Burkheart Ellis – Athletics
Mario Burke – Athletics
Nicholas Deshong – Athletics
Nadia Cummins – Athletics
Sade Sealy – Athletics
Sada Williams – Athletics
Sonia Gaskin – Athletics
Tia-Adana Belle – Athletics
Kierre Beckles – Athletics
Akela Jones – Athletics
Sabrina Scott – Badminton
Dakeil Thorpe – Badminton
Adrian Biscette – Boxing
Emily Kinch – Equestrian
James Johnson – Golf
Michelle Elliot – Shooting
Michael Maskell – Shooting
Darian King – Tennis
Haydn Lewis – Tennis
Seanon Williams – Tennis
Jason Wilson – Triathlon
Brien Best – Weightlifting