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UPDATE: Welcoming ceremony being planned for athletics team -Greenaway
![The [British] Virgin Islands medley relay team members in Donetsk, Ukraine have etched their names in the athletics history books after claiming silver at the IAAF World Youth Championships today, July 14, 2013. Photo: BVIAA](https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/cache/images/800x_w_WYC_Silver_medal1_copy.jpg)
The welcoming ceremony is expected to be a collaborative effort organised between the BVIAA and the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports under the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Taylor Hill, Nelda Huggins, Jonel Lacey and Tarika ‘Tinker Bell’ Moses etched their names in the athletics history books after claiming silver in the Medley Relay at the IAAF World Youth Championships on July 14, 2013. The [British] Virgin Islands came in second to the United States in a time of 2:07.40 as against 2:05.15 by the US.
The Virgin Islands had entered the finals as the 4th fastest Medley Relay time behind the USA, Japan and Canada, after Jamaica and Nigeria were disqualified in the heat races on Saturday July 13, 2013. It was also the first time in athletics history that the [British] Virgin Islands were team finalists at an IAAF World Championships Series event.
According to the BVIAA, the team departs the Ukraine today for Turkey and then to London. The team will be welcomed in London by the BVI London Office on Wednesday and given a grand tour of the city. The athletes are scheduled to arrive in the Territory on Thursday afternoon.
President of the BVIAA Dean ‘The Sportsman’ Greenaway told Virgin Islands News Online that information regarding a welcoming event could not be disclosed at this time as the Association is still to decide on what form it would take. He said this depended on whether there may be able to have the athletes over from St Thomas shortly after their arrival around noon.
“So we are working out the details before an announcement is made but something will be done,” Mr Greenaway said.
Winning a medal in Ukraine is in keeping with 5-year plan
According to Mr Greenaway, it was on November 28 and December 1, 2012 during a meeting with parents, athletes and coaches on Tortola and Virgin Gorda that he stated that he wanted to see the Territory’s athletes advancing in championships where they had never reached before, reaching the final and even podium finishes.
“Several of the other Caribbean countries that perform well at Carifta have converted it into finalists and medals at these events. That was a goal within five years and so while it isn’t an individual medal it is still a medal nevertheless because only Jamaica, Barbados and us of the English Speaking Caribbean have won medals [at the recent meet in the Ukraine].”
Mr Greenaway added that the feat reached in the Ukraine is a major one “and it is part of our goal of winning medals in areas where we have not won any before and I think this will inspire those athletes as well as the ones in the pipeline.”
See previous article posted July 14, 2013
VI wins medley relay silver at IAAF World Youth C/Ships
-1st VI team to reach an IAAF World Championships Relay Final at any level
The [British] Virgin Islands Medley Relay team members in Donetsk, Ukraine have etched their names in the athletics history books after claiming silver at the IAAF World Youth Championships on July 14, 2013.
The team of Taylor Hill, Nelda Huggins, Jonel Lacey and Tarika ‘Tinker Bell’ Moses came in second to the United States in a time of 2:07.40 as against 2:05.15. by the US. Japan edged out the Czech Republic for the bronze in a time of 2:07.61.
The Virgin Islands had entered the finals as the 4th fastest Medley Relay time behind the USA, Japan and Canada, after Jamaica and Nigeria were disqualified in the heat races on Saturday July 13, 2013. It was also the first time in athletics history that the [British] Virgin Islands were team finalists at an IAAF World Championships Series event.
The cheers and support of the Caribbean were on the Virgin Islands team in the final since it was the only Caribbean country represented and the girls gave their supporters and those back home in the Virgin Islands much to cheer about after the race after grabbing silver.
The other countries in the final were Hungary, Italy and Republic of China.
There was none more excited that President of the BVI Athletics Association (BVIAA) Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway who extended congratulations to the team on their historic performance.
“I would like to congratulate all the members of the team including Lakisha Warner who got us to the final when she ran the 800 [heats] when Jonel [Lacey] was out sick...When we had the fourth best time going in [the final] it was just a matter of the team running,” Mr Greenaway told Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview.
Virgin Islands News Online also extends congratulations to the Virgin Islands Medley Relay team for taking silver at the World Youth Championships.
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40 Responses to “UPDATE: Welcoming ceremony being planned for athletics team -Greenaway”
Congratulations to the athletes and to those who have provided the infrastructure that enable this talented group to shine.
Good job girls! Hopefully we can build on this performance and we will see more podium finishes in the future. We need to engage the boys more in the sport, in the past athletics was the outlet for the non-academic boy to possibly get higher education or develop character. It does not seem like officials in the sport are doing enough to get them involved.
Actually that is none of your business, this is merely a general observation that is quite alarming for the future and growth of males in track and field! The fact is that the boys are being ignored or left out for some reason and it is the official's responsibility to ensure that there is a balance in opportunities for both genders (male and female).