Caribbean athletes arrive in Paris, sharing early experiences on social media
The anticipation for the 2024 Paris Olympics is building as Caribbean athletes have arrived in the French capital, sharing their experiences and activities on social media. Ahead of Friday's highly anticipated Opening Ceremony, these athletes are giving fans a glimpse into their Olympic journey.
Dominican triple jumper Thea Lafond was among the first to share her arrival in Paris. In an Instagram post captioned "We Made It," she stands proudly with her husband and coach in front of a Paris 2024 banner, capturing the excitement of reaching this milestone. Her coach and husband, Aaron Gadson, has been documenting their stay in Paris on his Instagram page, showcasing their arrival, the layout of the Olympic Village, and various facilities, including the training center, cafeteria, and entertainment center.
Team Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also in Paris ahead of the games. The SVG Olympic Committee shared images on Instagram of their team, which includes swimmers Alexander Joachim and Kennice Greene, poolside and in training for the Olympics. Joachim and Greene are set to compete in the 50m freestyle events. Track and field athletes Shafiqua Maloney and Handal Roban, competing in the women's and men's 800m events respectively, have also been spotted training on the track.
Jamaica's athletes have started to arrive in Paris as well. Navasky Anderson, who will run in the 800m, posted on Instagram about his arrival and shared videos from the Olympic Village, showing his teammates in high spirits. Jaydon Hibbert, set to compete in the men's triple jump, detailed his journey to Paris in a vlog on his X and Instagram accounts, capturing the excitement of arriving with teammates and settling into the Olympic Village.
Long jumper Chanice Porter took to Instagram to share photos of herself and other athletes in Paris. She reposted a photo with Cejhae Green, an Antiguan and Barbudan sprinter competing in the men's 100m. In an Instagram story, Porter can be seen sitting in the Olympic rings beside teammate Jehlani Gordon, who will compete in the 4x100m relay.
Barbadian athlete Sada Williams, who will compete in the women’s 400m, announced her arrival in Paris with a picture captioned "Paris, I've arrived!" on Instagram, adding to the growing excitement among fans.
Fans have been flooding the athletes' posts with positive comments, offering words of encouragement and praise. The vibrant social media updates have not only provided a behind-the-scenes look at the Olympic preparations but have also heightened the anticipation and excitement for the upcoming games.
As more Caribbean athletes continue to arrive in Paris, their enthusiasm and high spirits are palpable. They are eager to represent their countries and showcase their talents on the world stage, bringing pride to their nations and inspiring fans back home.
Related items
-
David, King demand more from Soca Warriors in October window as League A survival on the line
Trinidad and Tobago’s interim head coach Derek King and captain Aubrey David were left ruing the Soca Warriors’s sub-par performances in the September window, which has their Concacaf Nations League, League A survival in the balance.
The Soca Warriors, who lost their opening contest 0-4 away to Honduras, were heavily favoured to take three points off French Guiana in the following encounter at home, but they were instead held to a goalless stalemate.
This was much to the disappointment of King, David, and the many spectators that flocked the Dwight Yorke Stadium, as that result left the Twin Island Republic sitting at the foot of Group B on a point. Jamaica (four points), Nicaragua (four points), Honduras (three points), Cuba (two points), and French Guiana (one point) complete the group.
The Soca Warriors now face a must-win scenario in their next two fixtures against Cuba on October 10 and 14 to have a slim chance at making the top two for a quarterfinal berth, but more importantly to avoid relegation to League B.
Having made the quarterfinal in the previous edition of the Concacaf Nations League, David believes there is a need for individual and collective introspection as they need to raise the standard of their game.
"It was a sad result for us. It's a draw, but it feels like a loss for us because three points would have put us in a good position in the group once again. Unfortunately, we didn't get going. We need to reset again because we have two important games coming up,” David said as he reflected on the outcome of their contest against French Guiana.
"I think we as a team have to look at ourselves in the mirror and go back to the drawing board and look at the things that brought us success in the last campaign. I think we need to be humble and have that hunger to get good results,” he added.
Alvin Jones echoed similar sentiments.
"I think each and everyone has to look in the mirror and decide what they want—whether we want to play big football or we just want to compete. I think we have a lot of work to do mentally and physically. Each and every player,” he noted.
Meanwhile, King, who was appointed ahead of the tournament following the dismissal of Angus Eve, felt his team could have done more to secure the three points against French Guiana.