Bermuda’s Dara Alizadeh produced yet another strong performance in the men’s Single Sculls final E, but it was only good enough for fourth at Nautical St.-Flat Water on Friday.

Alizadeh stopped the clock at 7:03.12.

He was among the fastest starters, and even held top spot at the 500m mark before being relegated to second place at the 1000m mark. Though Alizadeh maintained his position up to the 1500m, his lack of endurance eventually came to the fore, and he ultimately slipped to fourth at the end.

Despite the challenging race, Alizadeh, 30, again paraded his skills with much gusto, but more importantly, represented Bermuda on the global stage with distinction. He made a significant impression in his discipline, establishing himself as one to look out for at future events.

Dara Alizadeh Wins Men’s Single Sculls Semifinals E/F

Bermuda’s Dara Alizadeh has qualified for the Final E in the men’s single sculls after a remarkable win in the semifinals. Alizadeh finished first with a time of 7:33.38, maintaining his first-place rank throughout the race. He was a force to be reckoned with as he sailed to victory lapping his opponents with Zimbabwean Stephen Cox coming in second with a time of 7:36.59. He will compete in the men’s single sculls Final E on August 2nd.

 USVI Kruz Schembri Outmatched in Fencing

U.S. Virgin Islander Kruz Schembri loses men's foil individual table of 64 bout 2 to Canadian Blake Broszus 15-8. The 17-year-old, ended the first period 13-8 falling behind and in period 2 15-8 unable to redeem himself against the Canadian.

Schembri is the first fencer to represent the US Virgin Islands at the Olympic Games since Los Angeles 1984 making this an historic feat despite his loss. He is the 2024 Junior Pan American champion in foil and bronze medallist in epee.

 Sören Opti Retires in Men’s Single Badminton Match

Surinamese Sören Opti retired in his second match today against Italy's Giovanni Toti at the La Chapelle Arena Court 1. The match finished at 1 nil with Opti retiring in the second game. Toti won game one 21-8 and was leading game two 4-1 when Opti conceded.

While Opti's time in Paris has come to a close, the athlete played passionately and represented his country on the world stage, leaving his mark.

 Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago Will Not Advance in the Women's 100m Backstroke

Zuri Ferguson of Trinidad and Tobago and Emma Harvey of Bermuda both performed exceptionally in the women's 100m backstroke heats held today at the Paris La Defence Arena.

Ferguson was third in her heat with a time of 1:02.75, 0.45 seconds behind first-place Israeli Aviv Barzelay. Harvey was eighth in her heats with a time of 1:01.78, 3.30 seconds behind first-place Australian Kaylee McKeown. In spite of their valiant performances, neither will make it to the semifinals. Ferguson and Harvey placed 27th and 23rd, respectively, and failed to qualify with the USA, Katharine Berkoff leading the qualifying round with a time of 57.99.

Cuba's Reidy Cardano Blanco progressed to the quarterfinal of the Men's Single Scull, while Bermuda's Dara Alizadeh will contest the Repechage round after placing third and fifth in their respective heats of the rowing competition, which got the Paris Olympic Games under way at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Saturday.

Though quick at the start, Blanco couldn’t match the pace of his more fancied rivals and settled for third in seven minutes and six seconds (7:06.45) to book his spot in the next round. Germany’s Oliver Zeidler (6:54.72) and Uruguay’s Bruno Cetraro (7:04.04) were the top two finishers in that heat.

Prior to the 28-year-old Spanish-speaking Caribbean representative’s feat in heat five, Alizadeh was the first Caribbean athlete in action at this edition of the global multi-sport showpiece. He crossed the line in seven minutes and 23 seconds (7:23.70) as he just missed out on a top-three automatic qualifying spot to the quarterfinal from heat four.

However, the Bermudan will have another chance to qualify for a spot through the repechage round to be contested on Sunday.

Alizadeh, 30, who switched from team to individual competition in 2019, after a few medal-winning feats, also represented Bermuda at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he placed 18th in the single sculls.