Cayman team heads to London as major contenders
(CNS): The team maybe one of the smallest to head to London for the 2012 Olympics but the Cayman athletes are serious contenders. The Fraser brothers, Ronald Forbes, Cydonie Mothersille and Kemar Hyman are all competitors that athletes from some of the biggest countries in the world will be watching when the contest begins next week. The athletes, who make up what some say is one of the best teams ever fielded by the Cayman Islands, are all now headed for the UK and Ireland to start training for the big event and getting ready to do Cayman proud.
This will be Shaune Fraser’s third Olympic Games and on the eve of the team’s departure for the UK based games he said it is the strongest team that the Cayman Islands have ever sent.
“All the athletes are qualified at the Olympic ‘A’ standard for the Games, and should have good performances in their events,’ he said, adding that he and the other athletes will do their very best to make Cayman proud especially as many family members, friends and Cayman residents will be in London for the games.
Track & Field athletes Ronald Forbes and Kemar Hyman are participating in a pre-games training camp in Surrey, England prior to the Games along with their personal coaches, while Swimmers Shaune and Brett Fraser in Dublin, Ireland to prepare with their coach and fellow university swimmers leading into the competition.
The Chef de Mission Lori Powell who is in charge of the team and here assistant attaché, Bruce Blake are expected to arrive at the Games Village this weekend and the athletes and officials will arrive there on 24 and 25 July.
The delegation includes physiotherapists Ashley Stern and Al Bartice-Smith who will attend to the needs of team which consists of swimmers Shaune and Brett Fraser, with Dr. Sook Lee Yin as their team manager and coach Anthony Nesty, Track & Field athletes Cydonie Mothersille, Ronald Forbes and Kemar Hyman, managed by Dalton Watler with Cayman National Coach Kenrick Williams as Head Coach and personal coaches Ian Weakly Joey Scott and Kenneth Harnden.
At the opening ceremony team members will wear outfits that have had considerable local contribution. The white trousers/skirts with white shirts/blouses, and a blue jacket with white piping and a green tie or bow tie were designed by young Caymanian Rory and the jackets and ties have been manufactured locally by Super Stitch Sewing and Fabric Centre with the CIOC logo applied to the jacket lapels by Island Embroidery. The outfits will be accessorized by a trilby style hat made from local thatch by Caymanian crafter Annie Joy Ebanks, while the blue canvas shoes are sponsored by CROCS shoes, and sunglasses sponsored by Oakley.
The Cayman team will come in the opening ceremony right behind Canada and Cape Verde, and just before the commercials.
The Cayman Islands pins which continue to be a huge draw for collectors at sporting events have been designed this time by Jaime Doak. Inspired by true Caymanian heritage the pins are in the shape of the Cayman turtle. There is a set of five pins, representing the five colours of the Olympic rings – blue, yellow, black, green and red. The department of tourism in London and Tortuga Rum have provided giveaways and rum cakes to be distributed in London to each of the 205 countries at the Games; along with a copy of the Cayman Team Booklet which has been produced by the CIOC through local company Tower Marketing.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on 27 July and the participation schedule for the Cayman athletes in their events for Swimming and Track & Field is posted below.
Category: Sports
I cant help to notice that the Fraser brother on the right looks like Lewis Hamilton.
Anyways Good luck gentlemen, I hope you come back with plenty metal, Gold, Silver or Bronze, you all will do Cayman proud no matter what.
Who is Lewis Hamilton?
The F1 star that races for McClaren and 2008 champion.
The outfit looks like it was designed by a 5 year old as a school project.
As a past Olympian myself I send my best to the team and wish them every sucess.It was and is an honour to be able to represent ones country and all we can ask is that you all do your best which I think will turn out to be pretty good in the long run.God speed to you all and do us proud.Above all enjoy the moment.
Good luck Ronald from your number one Brac fan.
This is a much more sensible number to send and I wish them all the best. Past teams were large just to justify the many freeloaders (I would love to name names but it does not take an er – rocket scientist) who went to far flung places all over the world free of charge. One of the many little corrupt things that went on here in the recent past.
5 athletes with a “support” team of 11. Still think this is a sensible number? With those kind of ratios these athletes better be getting daily sponge baths. Just one more reason none of my hard earned dollars will ever go to the Olympic Committee again. They are in truth no different or better than the UDP, the ties are perfect.
Facts: The Olympic Committee does not pay for the support team to attend, the Games organisers do. The "support" team includes government officials who insist on attending, as does every other country in the world and their way is paid for by C.I. government. Any money raised by the CIOC goes directly to the athletes and/or Sporting associations island-wide.
Congratulations the Bodden Towner Roots! I am so proud of you the Fraser Brothers
and Ronald Forbes! GREEN represents our Silver Thatch Palm tree! God maketh me to lie down in GREEN PASTURES..Psalm 23:2. GREEN PASTURES lead you to success aheading. Wishing you all the BEST and God be with you! Cheryl G.
Congratulations and best of luck at the Games. I know you will all do us proud. All of us back here in Cayman will be cheering for you. (sorry about the ties, LOL)
i think the outfits are fun! most athletes look so misplaced in a stuffy, boring sea of khaki, navy and reds during the ceremony. i would like to see someone try out the bow tie, though!
good luck all. you'll do amazing!
These Islands should be very proud to be sending 5 athletes to the Games. 5 out of a population od 50,000. Amazing! My county in the US is sending one out a population of 300,000 and we are very proud. Hold you heads high, Caymanians!
Good luck! Try your best! The country is proud of you!
The ties are awful.
The ties are awful because they are UDP ties LLLLOOOOOLLLL. Not a sign of red in the uniform, last time I checked our flag was red, white and blue. I'm glad to see a lot of local work in the uniforms, but really, lime green ties? Mac is wearing exactly the same colour when he signed the Shetty deal.
Are they UDP ties?
The choice for UDP colours are like the objection to red christmas lights in the Brac. Disgusting. However console yourself it was done by our Premier a renound christian and JuJu another world renound christian with very high moral's. With these two you can expect the highest moral behaivour. We as a country have so much to thank these upright and God Fearing leaders.
XXXXX
All the more reason to support these young people, stalwart in their resolve to accomplish their physical best. I don't understand why their Country would try to clown them. It doesn't seempuposeful, just in…er… "cutting edge" taste. It happens to many atheletes. Thankfully, the uniform is the last thing they care about…
We had four years to come up with uniforms that would make our athletes excited about being in the opening parade and make us proud to say there goes our athletes, but instead we give them clown suits that will be remembered by these kids for the rest of their lives. Sorry Kids! But thats what you get when you let the Premier dictate what colors to use for the uniforms. Those black & white jackets are bad enough, but that stupid "indescribable green tie" what can I say! Any way I am very proud of you kids for making it to the Games, and I am very confident that you will make us proud. We love you guys!
LET'S HEAR A VERY BIG HURRAH FOR THEM.
Holy cow! Nice ties. Did they lose a bet? Or are they hoping to gain an advantage when they deafen Canada and Cape Verde with them during the opening ceremony?
Awful outfits! Please let a proper designer do this next time. This is almost as embarassing as Big MAC wearing a tuxedo instead of a morning suit (and his wife wearing white!!!) to the Royal Wedding.
Once again, I'm just a novice middle-aged mom and not a fashion follower, but even I know what to wear and what is decent protocol.
Sorry, Fire the entire Protocol Office is this is the BEST THEY CAN DO….
This is the second time we are sending representatives from Cayman to look foolish in the global eye. OMG?
All the best to everyone, hold your heads high and win.
Question!!
Whare in the Cayman flag or Union Jack do you see the colour GREEN?
The turtle, ediot.
Not that shade!
If you ever see a turtle that colour green, leave it alone because it is sick and probably dying.
And the stars. But to be fair they're not radioactive vomit green.
What's up with the colors they are wearing???
…hmph. Maybe it's just me *shrug*
Nope. Not just you.
If Mac is there in the same outfit we know why…
Good luck team, mash dem up like potato!!!!!!!!!
I suppose the UDP got their colours into the olympic uniform too! SMH.
Different shade of green. LOL
Good luck and skill! We're all very proud of you. Just getting to the Olympics is a victory, and you all will be a part of history; that can never be taken from you.
In these charged times with so much strife and grief on our collective plates, don't be discouraged if you don't garner the attention you have earned.
God bless you all and keep you safe.