Bahamas at the 2008 Summer Olympics
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The
Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
sent a delegation of athletes to compete in the
2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
, which were held in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, People's Republic of China from 8 to 24 August 2008. Its Beijing appearance marked its fourteenth time at the Olympics since its début at the
1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...
in Helsinki. The delegation included 25 athletes across four sports (track and field, boxing, swimming and tennis) and nineteen distinct events. Its athletes advanced to semifinals in eight events and finals in five events, medaling in two of them (a silver in men's 4x400 meters relay by Andretti Bain,
Michael Mathieu Michael Mathieu (born 24 June 1984) is a retired Bahamian sprinter from Freeport, Grand Bahama who specialized in the 200 metres and 400 metres. He was part of the Bahamian silver medal-winning team in the men's 4×400 metres relay at the 20 ...
, Andrae Williams,
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
,
Avard Moncur Avard Moncur (born November 2, 1978) is a Bahamian track and field athlete competing in the 400 metres. He was born in Nassau. Career Under the guidance of coach Henry Rolle, Moncur's most successful year came in 2001 when he won the gold med ...
and
Ramon Miller Ramon Miller (born 17 February 1987, Nassau) is a Bahamian sprinter. He was inducted into the Dickinson State University Hall of Fame class of 2020. Career He was part of the Bahamas' silver medal-winning team in the men's 4 × 400 m relay ...
, and a bronze in men's triple jump by
Leevan Sands Leevan Sands (born August 16, 1981 Nassau) is a Bahamian triple jumper. His personal best jump is 17.59 metres, achieved in 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This is the current Bahamian record and won a bronze medal. He also won bronze medals ...
). The Bahamian delegation was one of the largest sent between its début and 2008. The country's flag bearer was
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (born 16 January 1976) is a former Bahamian sprint athlete who specialised in the 100 and 200 metres. Ferguson-McKenzie participated in five Olympic ...
.


Background

Before Beijing, the Bahamas had participated in the Summer Olympics thirteen times. This included every single Summer Olympics starting from the
1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...
in Helsinki, Finland, but excluding the
1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...
in Moscow, the Soviet Union. The Bahamas had, as of 2008, never had an appearance in any Winter Olympics. The Bahamian delegation in Beijing included twenty-five athletes, one of its largest delegations in its history up to that point. Prior to Beijing, Bahamian athletes had won four gold medals, one silver and four bronze; a total of nine medals. Bahama's delegation in Beijing added one silver and one bronze medal to the tally, increasing the total number of Bahamian medals to eleven. The flag bearer at ceremonies was
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (born 16 January 1976) is a former Bahamian sprint athlete who specialised in the 100 and 200 metres. Ferguson-McKenzie participated in five Olympic ...
. The Bahamian delegation was 41st in line during the flagbearing ceremonies. Bahamian Olympic coach Keith Parker, prior to the start of the Olympic track events, said that Derrick Atkins held a strong chance of medaling in his events, having considered Atkin's unexpected medaling at the 2007 World Championships, tying Jamaica's
Asafa Powell Asafa Powell, CD (born 23 November 1982) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres. He set the 100 metres world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Powell has consiste ...
and the United States'
Tyson Gay Tyson Gay (born August 9, 1982) is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 and 200 meters. His 100 m personal best of 9.69 seconds is the American record and makes him tied for the second fastest athlete over 100 m ...
for second place. Similar expectations were held for Chris Brown.
Henry Rolle Sir Henry Rolle (1589–1656), of Shapwick, Somerset, Shapwick in Somerset, was Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Chief Justice of the King's Bench and served as Member of parliament, MP for Callington (UK Parliament constituency), Call ...
, the track coach at Auburn University, traveled to Beijing to train former athletes at Tianjin University. Several Bahamians were included in this group.


Medalists


Athletics


Men's competition

Eleven male athletes competed in track and field events on behalf of the Bahamas. Of those athletes, three participated in the 4 × 400 meters relay only (Williams, Moncur, Miller); five participated only in events other than the 4 × 400 meters relay (Atkins, Rolle, L. Sands, S. Sands, and Thomas), and three participated in both an individual event and the 4 × 400 meters relay. Of the individual events, Bahamian athletes were involved in six distinct events (100 meters, 40 meters, 200 meters, triple jump, 110 meters hurdles, and high jump). The two Bahamian medals won at Beijing were won by men in track and field events (4 × 400 meters relay and triple jump).


Men's high jump

Donald Thomas was the sole Bahamian athlete participating in the men's high jump event of the Beijing Olympics. During the event's qualification round on 17 August, Thomas was placed in the first heat versus competitors that included the Czech Republic's Jaroslav Baba and Great Britain's
Germaine Mason Germaine Mason (20 January 1983 – 20 April 2017) was a Jamaican-born track and field athlete competing in high jump. In 2006, he switched sporting allegiance, and then represented Great Britain. As a Great Britain competitor, he won the Silv ...
. Thomas' best height cleared during this preliminary round was 2.20 meters, the same height as Israeli
Nikita Palli Nikita ("Niki") Palli ( he, ניקיטה (ניקי) פאלי, born 28 May 1987 in Moldova) is an Israeli athlete competing in the high jump. Biography At the age of 8, Niki Palli moved with his family from Moldova to Israel. In 2005 Palli became ...
; Pole
Michal Bieniek Michal (; he, מיכל , gr, Μιχάλ) was, according to the first Book of Samuel, a princess of the United Kingdom of Israel; the younger daughter of King Saul, she was the first wife of David (), who later became king, first of Judah, ...
; Syrian
Majed Aldin Gazal Majd Eddin Ghazal ( ar, مجد الدين غزال; born 21 April 1987) is a Syrian high jumper. He utilizes the Fosbury Flop style, jumping off his left leg. He was the national flag bearer at the 2012 Summer Olympics and at the 2016 Summer Olym ...
; and American
Dusty Jonas __NOTOC__ Dusty Jonas (born 19 April 1986) is an American high jumper. Career Jonas was the NCAA National Champion in the high jump at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Jonas finished 26th overall with a ju ...
. However, Thomas tied Palli for twelfth place and scored ahead of Bieniek, Gazal and Jonas because Palli and Thomas had no misses at the high jump bar; the other three athletes did. Overall, Thomas tied Ukrainian
Dmytro Dem'yanyuk Dmytro Dem'yanyuk (born 30 June 1983) is a male high jumper from Ukraine. He competed at the 2007 World Championships, the 2008 World Indoor Championships, the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2012 Summer Olympics without reaching the final. At the ...
and also Palli for twenty-first place out of the forty competing athletes. Thomas did not advance to the final round.


Men's 200 meters

Jamaal Rolle (or Jamial Rolle) competed on behalf of the Bahamas in the men's 200 meters. Rolle was placed in the seventh heat of eight heats during the 17 August qualification round. Facing competitors that included the Dutch Antillean Churandy Martina, Azerbaijani
Ramil Guliyev Ramil Guliyev ( az, Ramil Eldar oğlu Quliyev; born 29 May 1990) is an Azerbaijani-born Turkish sprinter. He competes in the 100 metres and 200 metres. At the 2017 World Championships, Guliyev became the World Champion in the 200 metres ...
, and Nigerian
Obinna Metu Joseph Obinna Metu (born 12 July 1988, Ogidi) is a Nigerian sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. His personal best time is 10.11 seconds, achieved in June 2012 in Calabar. He finished eighth at the 2006 World Junior Championships. At ...
, Rolle ranked fifth out of eight athletes in his heat after completing his event in 20.93 seconds. Rolle scored ahead of sixth-place finalist Shingo Suetsugu of Japan, and behind fourth-place finalist Sandro Viana of Brazil, falling 0.09 seconds behind the latter. Overall, Rolle ranked thirty-fourth out of the sixty-six athletes who participated in the first round. He did not progress to further rounds.


Men's 110 meters hurdles

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
graduate
Shamar Sands Shamar Sands (born 30 April 1985) is a Bahamian track and field athlete who specialises in the 110 metres hurdles. He is the Bahamian national record holder in the event with 13.40 seconds.Nakamura, Ken (2009-05-09)‘07 World champs Warin ...
reached the quarterfinals in the 110 meter hurdles. During the qualification round on 17 August, Sands was placed in the second heat, facing competitors that included America's David Oliver and Spain's
Jackson Quiñónez Jackson Quiñónez Vernaza (born 12 June 1980 in Esmeraldas, Ecuador) is a Spanish hurdler of Afro-Ecuadorian descent. He represented his birth country Ecuador until October 2005. Career He won the bronze medal in 60 metres hurdles for his n ...
. Sands ranked third out of seven athletes, completing his event in 13.45 seconds. He placed 0.04 seconds behind second-place heat finalist Quiñónez, and 0.15  seconds behind heat leader Oliver. Overall, Sands ranked eighth out of the forty-three athletes who participated in the qualification round. Sands progressed to quarterfinals, where he was again placed in the second heat. Completing the event with a time of 13.55 seconds, Sands ranked seventh in the heat of eight athletes behind South Korea's Lee Jeong-Jun and ahead of Georgia's
David Ilariani David Ilariani ( ka, დავით ილარიანი; born 20 January 1981 in Tbilisi) is a Georgian sprinter. He competed in the 110 m hurdles event at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officiall ...
. Sands fell behind heat leader
Dayron Robles Dayron Robles (born 19 November 1986) is a Cuban track and field athlete who specialises in the 110 metre hurdles. He won his first major medal (a silver) in the 60 metres hurdles at the 2006 World Indoor Championships. He finished the 2006 se ...
of Cuba by 0.36 seconds and did not progress further.


Men's 100 meters

Jamaican-born runner
Derrick Atkins Derrick Atkins (born 5 January 1984) is a Bahamian sprinter. Atkins specializes in the 100 metres event and also holds the national record, with a time of 9.91 seconds. He is the second cousin of former world record holder Asafa Powell. Atkin ...
was the only Bahamian to participate in the men's 100 meters race at the Beijing Olympics. Atkins was placed in the eighth heat during the 14 August qualification round, facing athletes that included Russia's Andrey Epishin and Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure. Atkins ranked first in his heat of eight athletes with a time of 10.28 seconds, defeating second-place heat finalist Epishin by 0.06 seconds. Of the 80 athletes who participated in the qualification round of the event, Atkins tied Cuban Jenris Vizcaino for eighteenth place. He advanced to quarterfinals on 15 August. At quarterfinals, Atkins participated in the fifth heat against athletes that included Walter Dix of the United States and
Asafa Powell Asafa Powell, CD (born 23 November 1982) is a retired Jamaican sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres. He set the 100 metres world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Powell has consiste ...
of Jamaica. Atkins finished in third place in his heat with a time of 10.14 seconds, falling behind Walter Dix, who ranked second with a time of 10.08 seconds; and placing ahead of Antigua and Barbuda's Daniel Bailey, who ranked fourth with a time of 10.23 seconds. Of the four quarterfinalists, Atkins tied Ndure for fourteenth place, and advanced to the 16 August semifinals. Atkins competed in the first heat against, among other athletes, Dix and
Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight- ...
. With a time of 10.13 seconds, Atkins finished in sixth place in his heat, behind Saint Kitts and Nevis'
Kim Collins Kim Collins (born 5 April 1976) is a former track and field sprinter from Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 2003, he became the World Champion in the 100 metres. He represented his country at the Summer Olympics on five occasions, from 1996 to 2016, a ...
(who earned a time of 10.05 seconds) and ahead of Great Britain's
Tyrone Edgar Tyrone Damien Edgar (born 29 March 1982 in Greenwich) is a sprinter from Great Britain who specializes in the 100 metres.
(who earned a time of 10.18 seconds). Overall, Atkins ranked twelfth out of sixteen athletes in semifinals, and did not advance to the final round.


Men's triple jump

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
graduate and two-time Olympian
Leevan Sands Leevan Sands (born August 16, 1981 Nassau) is a Bahamian triple jumper. His personal best jump is 17.59 metres, achieved in 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This is the current Bahamian record and won a bronze medal. He also won bronze medals ...
, the cousin of Shamar Sands, was the sole Bahamian participant in the men's triple jump event. During the qualification round on 17 August, Sands was placed in the second heat against competitors that included
Li Yanxi Li Yanxi (; born June 26, 1984, in Shijiazhuang, Hebei) is a Chinese triple jumper. He won the silver medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships, finished fourth at the 2006 IAAF World Cup and won the 2006 Asian Games 6 (six) is the natur ...
of China,
Onochie Achike Onochie Lawrence ("Larry") Achike (born 31 January 1975) is an English retired track and field athlete. He was born in Islington, London, and educated at Worth School in Sussex. Athletics career A former rugby player, Achike eventually special ...
of Great Britain, and
Hector Fuentes In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
of Cuba. Sands ranked second in his heat of twenty athletes, jumping a distance of 17.25 meters. Li, the heat leader, beat Sands by 0.05 meters, while Achike del behind Sands by 0.07 meters. Overall, Sands ranked fifth out of the thirty-nine participating athletes. He progressed to the final round on 21 August. During that round, Sands jumped a distance of 17.59 meters, medaling bronze behind silver medalist
Phillips Idowu Phillips Olaosebikan Idowu, (born 30 December 1978) is a British athlete who specialises in the triple jump. He is a former World Outdoor and Indoor, European Outdoor and Indoor, and Commonwealth triple jump champion. He was also a silver meda ...
of Great Britain (who jumped 17.62 meters) and gold medalist
Nelson Évora Nelson Évora GCIH (born 20 April 1984) is an Ivory Coast-born Portuguese track and field athlete who specializes in the triple jump. Évora is a former outdoor Olympic, World, and European triple jump champion. He has also won a European ind ...
of Portugal (who jumped 17.67 meters).


Men's 400 meters

Oral Roberts University Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, evangelist Oral Roberts. Sitting on a campus, ORU offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs ...
athlete Andretti "Dretti" Bain, two-time medalist and three-time Olympian
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
, and
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
-sponsored athlete
Michael Mathieu Michael Mathieu (born 24 June 1984) is a retired Bahamian sprinter from Freeport, Grand Bahama who specialized in the 200 metres and 400 metres. He was part of the Bahamian silver medal-winning team in the men's 4×400 metres relay at the 20 ...
participated in the men's 400 meters dash. Brown was placed in the second heat, and finished first with a time of 44.79 seconds, ahead of second-place finalist Australian
Joel Milburn Joel Milburn (born 17 March 1986) is an Australian Dual Olympic 400m sprinter. His Personal Best time for the 400m is 44.80 seconds which he achieved in at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Joel is currently the 5th all time fastest Austral ...
. Bain was placed in the third heat, and placed third out of eight athletes after gaining a time of 45.96 seconds, placing behind Nigeria's
Godday James James Godday (born 9 January 1984) is a Nigerian athlete who specializes in 400 metres. He was born in Kaduna. Godday was a part of the Nigerian team that won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics 4 x 400 metres relay. In the 2005 World ...
(who finished with 45.49 seconds) and ahead of Fiji's
Niko Verekauta Niko Verekauta (born February 16, 1987, in Kadavu Island, Kadavu) is a Fiji, Fiji Islands Sprint (running), sprinter. Biography He represented Fiji in the Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games - Men's 400 metres, 400m sprint at 2006 Commonw ...
(who finished with 46.32 seconds). Mathieu participated in the sixth heat and ranked third out of eight athletes, earning a time of 45.17 seconds. He placed ahead of Jamaica's Michael Blackwood (who earned 45.56 seconds) and behind Trinidad and Tobago's
Renny Quow Renny Quow (born 25 August 1987) is a Trinidadian male track and field sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres and has made it to both the Olympic and World Finals in the event, a rare feat for athletes from the Caribbean in the 400m. He compe ...
(who earned 45.13 seconds). Out of all fifty-six athletes participating in the event, Chris Brown ranked first; Michael Mathieu tied Australia's
Sean Wroe Sean Wroe (born 19 March 1985) is an Australian sprinter. He was born in Melbourne to a Japanese Australian mother and is a fluent Japanese speaker. Wroe competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay. He placed 21st in ...
for tenth; and Bain ranked thirty-first. All three advanced to semifinals, which took place on 19 August. During the course of semifinals, Brown was placed in the first heat; Bain was placed in the second; and Mathieu was placed in the third. Chris Brown finished the event in 44.59 seconds, ranking second in the heat behind American
Jeremy Wariner Jeremy Matthew Wariner (born January 31, 1984) is a retired American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals (three gold, one silver) and six World Championships medals. He is the fourth fastest competitor in ...
and ahead of Belgian
Kevin Borlée Kevin Borlée (; born 22 February 1988) is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. He is a member of the Borlée family. Borlée won bronze at the 2011 World Championships in the 400m. He qualified for the finals of the 400 me ...
. Bain completed the event in 45.42 seconds, placing seventh in his heat, ahead of Briton
Andrew Steele Andrew Steele (born 19 September 1984 in Didsbury, Manchester) is a British 400 metres and 4x400 m relay runner. He was educated at St Bede's College, Manchester. He is the son of Dr Chris Steele, the resident health expert on ITV's Thi ...
and Nigerian Godday James. Mathieu completed the race in 45.56 seconds, placing sixth in his heat out of eight competitors. Mathieu ranked ahead of seventh-place finisher Wroe and behind Congolese competitor Senga Gary Kikaya. Out of the 24 competitors who advanced to semifinals, Brown finished third; Bain finished nineteenth; and Mathieu finished twentieth. Only Brown advanced to the final round on 21 August. Brown finished the event in 44.84 seconds, placing fourth behind the three American medalists (
LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt (born June 27, 1986) is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. He is a former Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.65 seconds makes him th ...
, Jeremy Wariner and David Neville).


Men's 4 × 400 meters relay

The men's 4×400 meters relay included a Bahamian team that, in total, included six Bahamian athletes. Of those athletes,
Avard Moncur Avard Moncur (born November 2, 1978) is a Bahamian track and field athlete competing in the 400 metres. He was born in Nassau. Career Under the guidance of coach Henry Rolle, Moncur's most successful year came in 2001 when he won the gold med ...
and
Ramon Miller Ramon Miller (born 17 February 1987, Nassau) is a Bahamian sprinter. He was inducted into the Dickinson State University Hall of Fame class of 2020. Career He was part of the Bahamas' silver medal-winning team in the men's 4 × 400 m relay ...
participated only in the qualification round alongside Michael Mathieu and Andrae Williams. In the qualification round, which took place on 22 August, the Bahamian team participated on the second heat against the British, Jamaican, Trinidadian, Japanese, Greek and Dominican teams. Overall, the Bahamian team ranked second in the heat with a time of 2:59.88 behind the British team (which earned a time of 2:59.33) and ahead of the Jamaican team (which earned a time of 3:00.09). Out of all sixteen teams participating in the event, the Bahamian team ranked second. The Bahamas' relay proceeded to the final round on 23 August. During the final round, the Bahamian relay replaced Avard Moncur and Ramon Miller with Chris Brown and Andretti Bain. Chris Brown started the relay, followed by Mathieu; Bain; and Williams. With a time of 2:58.03, the relay medaled silver behind the American relay (which earned 2:55.39 and set an Olympic record) and ahead of the Russian relay (which earned 2:58.06).


Summary

;Men ;Track & road events * Runners who participated in the heats only and received medals. ;Field events


Women's competition


Women's 400 meters

Southeastern Louisiana University alumnus and three-time Olympian Christine Amertil was the only Bahamian athlete participating in the women's 400 meters dash during the 2008 Summer Olympics. During the qualification round, which took place on 16 August, Amertil was placed in the first heat, which included seven athletes. Among them were Jamaica's
Rosemarie Whyte Rosemarie Whyte (born 8 September 1986) is the 2008 Jamaican national 400m champion. She represented Jamaica at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's ...
and Nigeria's Ajoke Odumosu. Amertil ranked second in her heat, with a time of 51.25 seconds, between Whyte (first place at 51.00 seconds) and Odumosu (third place at 51.39 seconds). Overall, Amertil ranked tenth out of fifty athletes. She advanced to the semifinal round. During the 17 August semifinal round, Amertil was placed in the second heat, which included American Sanya Richards and Russian Anastasia Kapachinskaya. Amertil ranked fourth in the heat of eight athletes, completing her event in 51.51 seconds. Jamaica's
Novelene Williams Novlene Hilaire Williams-Mills (''née'', Williams; born 26 April 1982), is a retired Jamaican track and field athlete. She won the bronze medal in the 400 metres at the 2007 World Championships. She is also a three-time Olympic silver medalli ...
ranked ahead of her (third place at 51.06 seconds), and Nigeria's Joy Amechi Eze ranked behind her (at 51.87 seconds). Out of the 24 athletes that progressed to semifinals, Amertil ranked 15th. She did not progress to the final round.


Women's javelin throw

Five-time Olympian and former
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
athlete
Laverne Eve Laverne Eve (born 16 June 1965, in Nassau) is a female track and field athlete from the Bahamas, who competes in the javelin throw. Her personal best throw (new javelin) is 63.73 metres, achieved in April 2000 in Nashville. In her early career s ...
, the oldest Bahamian athlete in the Beijing delegation, was the sole Bahamian participant in women's javelin throw. The event's qualification round, which took place on 18 August, included Eve in its second heat. During qualifications, Eve participated in three rounds. She threw the javelin 55.22 meters during the first round (placing thirteenth), and improved to 57.36 meters in her second round (placing fourth). She threw 55.15 meters the third round, but did not place. Out of the twenty-seven participants in the heat, Eve's best time placed her ninth in the event between Cuba's Yanet Cruz (58.06 meters on her best attempt) and the Czech Republic's Jarmila Klimesova (57.25 meters on her best attempt). Out of all 54 competitors in the qualification round, Eve ranked twentieth. She did not progress to the final round.


Women's 100 meters

Two-time Olympian Tamicka Clarke (or Tamica Clarke) two-time medalist and three-time Olympian
Chandra Sturrup Chandra Sturrup (born September 12, 1971) is a Bahamian track and field sprint athlete. Career She is a 100m specialist and the Bahamian record holder for the women's 100m with a personal best ...
, and three-time medalist and four-time Olympian
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (born 16 January 1976) is a former Bahamian sprint athlete who specialised in the 100 and 200 metres. Ferguson-McKenzie participated in five Olympic ...
participated in the women's 100 meters race. Clarke was placed in the sixth heat, where she competed against athletes like Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Frazer. Clarke ranked sixth of eight athletes in the heat when she ran the event in 12.16 seconds. Clarke ranked 56th out of 85 athletes, and did not progress. Sturrup, who competed in the fourth heat, defeated Trinidad and Tobago's
Kelly Ann Baptiste Kelly-Ann Kaylene Baptiste (born 14 October 1986) is a Tobagonian track and field sprint athlete. Junior Competing at the international level for the first time, Kelly-Ann bowed out in the semi-finals of the World Junior Championships in Athlet ...
and took first with a time of 11.30 seconds. Overall, Sturrup tied Great Britain's Jeanette Kwakye for seventh place. Ferguson participated in the eighth heat and completed the event in 11.17 seconds, ranking second behind Nigeria's Damola Osayomi (who earned first in 11.13 seconds). Ferguson placed second overall out of all combined heats. Both Sturrup and Ferguson progressed to quarterfinals, which took place later that day. Sturrup was placed in the second heat and completed the event in 11.16 seconds. Out of the eight heat competitors, Sturrup ranked third behind Jamaica's
Sherone Simpson Sherone Simpson (born 12 August 1984) is a Jamaican track and field sprint athlete.
(11.02 seconds) and the United States' Muna Lee (11.18 seconds). Out of the forty quarterfinalists, Sturrup ranked ninth. Ferguson competed in the third heat and finished in 11.21 seconds and ranked first, defeating Osayomi (11.28 seconds) and Ghana's Vida Anim (11.32 seconds). Overall, Ferguson placed eleventh. Both progressed to semifinals on 17 August. Chandra Sturrup competed in the first heat of the semifinal round and finished the event in 11.22 seconds. She placed fifth behind Simpson (11.11 seconds), Lauryn Williams (11.10 seconds), Muna Lee (11.06 seconds), and Frazer (11.00 seconds). Debbie Ferguson competed in the second heat of the semifinal round. She also finished the event in 11.22 seconds and took fourth place immediately behind Kwakye (11.19 seconds) and also behind the United States'
Torri Edwards Torri Edwards (born January 31, 1977) is an American sprinter. She competes in 100 and 200 meters, winning an Olympic medal in 4×100-meter relay in Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2000. In 2003, she won six medals in major international ...
(11.18 seconds) and heat leader Kerron Stewart of Jamaica (11.05 seconds). The two athletes tied each other for eighth place out of sixteen athletes, although Ferguson progressed to finals. At finals, which took place later on 17 August, Ferguson finished in 11.19 seconds and placed seventh in the event ahead of the United States'
Torri Edwards Torri Edwards (born January 31, 1977) is an American sprinter. She competes in 100 and 200 meters, winning an Olympic medal in 4×100-meter relay in Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2000. In 2003, she won six medals in major international ...
(11.20 seconds) and behind Kwakye (11.14 seconds).


Women's 200 meters

The women's 200 meters freestyle had two competitors:
Sheniqua Ferguson Sheniqua Ferguson (born 24 November 1989) is a Bahamian sprinter who specializes in the 100 and 200 metres. She was born in Nassau. She was part of the Bahamian team that won silver in the women's 4 x 100 m at the 2009 World Championships. ...
and Debbie Ferguson. Sheniqua Ferguson competed in the fifth heat of the 18 August qualification round, where she competed against athletes like Jamaica's
Veronica Campbell Veronica Campbell-Brown CD ( Campbell; born 15 May 1982) is a retired Jamaican track and field sprinter, who specialized in the 100 and 200 meters.
(23.04 seconds), Mali's
Kadiatou Camara Kadiatou Camara (born 4 May 1981 in Ségou) is a retired Malian sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres. She formerly competed in the long jump. Competition record Personal bests *60 metres – 7.35 s (2003, indoor) *100 metres – 11.48 s ...
(23.06 seconds), and Russia's
Natalia Rusakova Nataliya Mikhaylovna Kresova-Rusakova (russian: Наталья Михайловна Кресова; born 12 December 1979 in Saint Petersburg) is a Russian track and field sprint athlete. Career She won the bronze medal in the 200 metre ...
(23.21 seconds). Sheniqua Ferguson ranked fourth in her heat, behind the aforementioned athletes. Overall, she tied Colombia's Darlenys Obregón for 24th place out of the qualification round's 48 competitors. Debbie Ferguson, who was in the third heat, completed her race in 23.22 seconds and placed second in her heat behind the United States'
Marshevet Hooker Marshevet Hooker (born September 25, 1984) is a professional sprinter, competing internationally for the United States and sponsored by adidas. Hooker participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing, China, finishing 5th in the 200 metres ...
(23.07 seconds) and ahead of Nigeria's Damola Osayomi. Out of all qualification round competitors, Debbie Ferguson placed twentieth. Both Sheniqua and Debbie Ferguson progressed to the quarterfinal round, which took place on 19 August. Sheniqua Ferguson competed in the third heat. She finished last with a time of 23.61 seconds, falling behind seventh-place finalist Vincenza Cali of Italy (23.56 seconds). The leader of her heat was Russian Yulia Chermoshanskaya (at 22.63 seconds). Sheniqua Ferguson ranked 29th out of the 32 athletes who progressed to quarterfinals. Debbie Ferguson was placed in the first heat, and finished her event in 22.77 seconds behind American
Allyson Felix Allyson Michelle Felix (born November 18, 1985) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters. She specialized in the 200 meters from 2003 to 2013, then gradually shifted to the 400 me ...
(22.74 seconds) and Jamaican
Veronica Campbell Veronica Campbell-Brown CD ( Campbell; born 15 May 1982) is a retired Jamaican track and field sprinter, who specialized in the 100 and 200 meters.
(22.64 seconds). She ranked ninth overall. Although Sheniqua Ferguson did not, Debbie Ferguson progressed to semifinals. Debbie Ferguson competed in the first heat during the 20 August semifinal round. She finished the dash in 22.51 seconds, ranking fourth behind American Muna Lee (22.29 seconds, 3rd place), Jamaican Kerron Stewart (22.29 seconds, 2nd place) and Jamaican
Veronica Campbell Veronica Campbell-Brown CD ( Campbell; born 15 May 1982) is a retired Jamaican track and field sprinter, who specialized in the 100 and 200 meters.
(22.19 seconds, 1st place). Out of the sixteen semifinalists, Ferguson ranked seventh, and progressed to finals. At the final round, which took place on 21 August, Ferguson ran her event in 22.61 seconds. She ranked seventh in her event overall ahead of the Cayman Islands'
Cydonie Mothersille Cydonie Camille Mothersille (born 19 March 1978) is a female former track and field sprinter from the Cayman Islands. Her speciality at the beginning of her career was the 100 metres, while the 200 metres gradually became her main event. She r ...
and behind Jamaica's
Sherone Simpson Sherone Simpson (born 12 August 1984) is a Jamaican track and field sprint athlete.
.


Women's long jump

Former
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
athlete and five-time Olympian (the first four times for the United States) Jackie Edwards participated in the Olympics on behalf of the Bahamas in women's long jump. On 18 August, Edwards was placed in the second qualifying heat with 20 other people, including American
Brittney Reese Brittney Davon Reese (born September 9, 1986) is a retired American long jumper, Olympic gold medalist, and a seven-time world champion. Reese is the indoor American record holder in the long jump with a distance of 7.23 meters. Personal Born in ...
and Russian and eventual silver medalist
Tatyana Lebedeva Tatyana Romanovna Lebedeva (russian: Татьяна Романовна Лебедева, born 21 July 1976) is a Russian track and field athlete who competes in both the long jump and triple jump events. She is one of the most successful athle ...
, who were the heat's leaders. However, Edwards did not receive a mark and, thus, did not score or rank in her heat. She was one of three athletes to receive no mark during the qualification round (the others were Slovakia's
Jana Velďáková Jana Velďáková (born 3 June 1981) is a former/ Slovak long jumper. She was born in Rožnava and has a twin sister named Dana, who is a triple jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jum ...
and India's
Anju Bobby George Anju Bobby George (born 19 April 1977) is a retired Indian athlete. Anju Bobby George made history when she won the bronze medal in long jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. With this achievement, she became the first In ...
).


Summary

;Women ;Track & road events ;Field events


Boxing

The Bahamas qualified one boxer for the Olympic boxing tournament. Johnson qualified for the welterweight class at the 2nd American qualifying event.2nd AIBA American Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament
Toureano Johnson was the only boxer to participate on behalf of the Bahamas during the Beijing Olympics. He participated in the
welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...
class, which includes competitors of a weight below 69 kilograms. Boxing preliminaries in Beijing took place on 10 August. Johnson was matched with Rolande Moses of Grenada in the second bout of the round. Johnson scored 18 punches on Moses, while Moses only scored three in return. Johnson advanced to the Round of 16, which was staggered across several days. Toureano Johnson challenged the Ukraine's Olexandr Strets'kyy during the third bout on 16 August, scoring nine punches on him and receiving four in return and defeating him. He advanced to quarterfinals on 17 August, where he challenged and was defeated by China's
Hanati Silamu Kanat Islam ( kk, Қанат Ислам, Qanat İslam; zh, s=哈那提 斯拉木, p=Hanati Silamu; born 13 September 1984) is a Chinese-born Kazakhstani professional boxer who currently lives and trains in Miami. As an amateur, he represented C ...
during the second bout. Johnson scored four punches on his opponent, who scored 14 in return.


Swimming


Men's competition


Men's 50 meters freestyle

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
student Elvis Burrows was the only Bahamian swimmer to participate in the 50 meters freestyle event during the Beijing Olympics. Burrows participated in the eighth heat of the event during the 14 August preliminary rounds. Other swimmers in his heat included
Flori Lang Flori Lang (born 30 January 1983) is a Swiss sprinter swimmer who won three medals at the European Championships of 2003, 2008 and 2011. He also competed in two freestyle events at the 2008 Summer Olympics, but did not reach the finals. By 2011 he ...
of Switzerland and Jacinto de Jesus Ayala Benjamin of the Dominican Republic, who respectively took first and second in the heat. Burrows ranked seventh, completing his event in 23.19 seconds. Burrows ranked ahead of eighth-place heat finisher
Rolandas Gimbutis Rolandas Gimbutis (born 11 February 1981 in Vilnius, Lithuania) is a swimmer from Lithuania. He participated in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympics. National records A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection ...
of Lithuania by 0.83 seconds and behind sixth-place heat finisher
Francisco Picasso Francisco Picasso Risso (born 19 June 1982) is an Olympic and national-record holding swimmer from Uruguay. He swam for Uruguay at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics. He has swum for Uruguay at: *Olympics: 2000 and 2008 *World Championships: 2003, 20 ...
of Uruguay by 0.18 seconds. Overall, Burrows ranked 52nd out of 97 event participants. He did not progress to the semifinal rounds.


Men's 100 meters butterfly

Former Auburn University athlete and three-time Olympian Jeremy Knowles competed in three events at the Beijing Olympics: The 100 meters butterfly, the 200 meters butterfly, and the 200 meters individual medley. In the 100 meters butterfly, Knowles participated in the third heat of the 14 August preliminary round, competing against athletes that included Israel's Alon Mandel and Lithuania's Rimvydas Salcius. Knowles ranked third in his heat after completing the event in 53.72 seconds, falling behind Mandel by 0.27 seconds but beating Hungarian Adam Madrassy by 0.21 seconds. Overall, Knowles ranked 49th out of 66th participating athletes, and did not advance.


Men's 200 meters butterfly

Jeremy Knowles' participation in the 200 meters butterfly took place during the 11 August preliminary round. He was placed in the third heat, which was led by
Hsu Chi-Chieh Hsu Chi-chieh (born 27 April 1988 in San Francisco) is a Taiwanese swimmer. Hsu represented Chinese Taipei at the Summer Olympics in 2008 and 2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Conc ...
of Taiwan and Pedro Oliveira of Portugal. Knowles completed the event in 2:01.08, placing sixth in the event. He fell behind Omar Pinzón of Columbia (who finished in 2:01.08) and ahead of Malaysia's
Daniel Bego Daniel William Henry Bego (born 18 September 1989) is a Malaysian swimmer, who specialises in freestyle and butterfly events. He emerged as one of Malaysia's most promising and outstanding swimmers, winning a total of fifteen medals (nine gold, ...
(who finished in 2:01.28). Out of the 44 competitors in the preliminary round, Knowles ranked 35th. He did not advance to further rounds.


Men's 200 meters individual medley

Knowles competed on behalf of the Bahamas in the 200 meters individual medley, an event that combines all the competitive swimming strokes. The event's preliminary round took place on 13 August. Knowles competed in the third heat, which was led by Israel's
Gal Nevo Gal Nevo ( he, גל נבו; born 29 June 1987) is a record-holding Israeli swimmer. Biography Gal Nevo was born in Kibbutz Hamadia in the Beit She'an Valley. When the local swimming pool closed, Nevo would practice at Gan HaShlosha National Par ...
; Bulgaria's
Mihail Alexandrov Mihail Alexandrov ( bg, Михаил Александров) (born April 9, 1985) is an Olympic swimmer from Bulgaria. He swam for Bulgaria at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Alexandrov has been swimming for the USA since 2009. Alexandrov, who has ...
' and Greece's
Ioannis Kokkodis Ioannis Kokkodis ( gr, Ιωάννης Κοκκώδης; born 8 January 1981) is a retired Greek swimmer who won a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 2002 European Aquatics Championships. He also competed in the 2000, 2004 and 20 ...
. Knowles ranked fourth in the heat with a time of 2:01.35, falling behind Kokkodis (who completed the event in 2:01.22) but placing ahead of Croatia's Sasa Impric (who completed the event in 2:01.83). Out of the 47 competing athletes, Knowles placed 24th. He did not advance.


Women's competition


Women's 100 meters backstroke

Canada-born
Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
alumnus
Alana Dillette Alana Kathryn Dillette (born December 2, 1987) is an academic and Olympic swimmer from The Bahamas. Dillette swam for the Bahamas at the 2008 Summer Olympics, as well as at the 2007 Pan American Games. She attended and swam for the USA's Auburn ...
was the only swimmer to participate in the women's 100 meters backstroke while representing the Bahamas at the Beijing Olympics. Dillette participated in the preliminary rounds of her event on 10 August, when she swam in the third heat versus swimmers that included Columbia's
Carolina Colorado Carolina Colorado Henao (born September 7, 1987 in Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia) is an Olympic and national record-holding swimmer from Colombia. She swam for Colombia at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially t ...
and Israel's
Anna Gostomelsky Anna Gostomelsky (; , he, אניה גוסטומלסקי; born 9 June 1981) is an Israeli swimmer who represented Israel at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. Biography Gostomelsky was born to a Jewish family in Kiev, Soviet Union (now Ukraine). ...
, who ranked, respectively, first and second in that heat. Dillette ranked fourth in the heat with a time of 1:02.56 behind Sweden's
Sarah Sjöström Sarah Fredrika Sjöström (; born 17 August 1993) is a Swedish competitive swimmer specialising in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events. She is the current world record holder in the 50 metre freestyle (long course), the 100 metre freestyle ...
by 0.24 seconds, and ahead of Hong Kong's Hiu Wai Sherry Tsai by 0.12 seconds. Out of the total of 49 swimmers that took part in the preliminary rounds, Dillette ranked 32nd. She did not advance to semifinals later that day.


Women's 50 meters freestyle

Auburn University student Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace participated in two events at Beijing: the 50 meters freestyle, and the 100 meters freestyle. In the 50 meters freestyle, preliminary rounds took place on 15 August. Vanderpool-Wallace was placed in the eighth heat, which was led by Israel's
Anna Gostomelsky Anna Gostomelsky (; , he, אניה גוסטומלסקי; born 9 June 1981) is an Israeli swimmer who represented Israel at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. Biography Gostomelsky was born to a Jewish family in Kiev, Soviet Union (now Ukraine). ...
, Vanderpool-Wallace, and the Czech Republic's Sandra Kazikova. She ranked second with a time of 25.40 seconds, whereas heat leader Gostomelsky finished at 25.23 seconds, and third-place finalist Kazikova finished at 25.54 seconds. Overall, out of the 92 participating athletes, Vanderpool-Wallace ranked 24th. She did not advance to later rounds.


Women's 100 meters freestyle

Vanderpool-Wallace's performance in the 100 meters freestyle took place during the preliminary round on 13 August. She was placed in the third heat, which included athletes like Hong Kong's Hannah Jane Arnett Wilson and Austria's
Birgit Koschischek Birgit Koschischek (born 22 May 1987 in Vienna) is an Austrian swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. She is a two-time Olympian, a four-time Austrian long and short course record holder, and a member of Schwechat Swim ...
. With a time of 55.61 seconds, Vanderpool-Wallace placed second, behind heat leader Wilson (who finished at 55.32 seconds) and ahead of third-place finalist Koschischek (who finished at 55.62 seconds). Of the 49 participants, Vanderpool-Wallace ranked 28th. She did not advance past preliminaries.


Summary

;Men Qualifiers for the latter rounds of all events were decided on a time only basis, therefore positions shown are overall results versus competitors in all heats. ;Women Qualifiers for the latter rounds of all events were decided on a time only basis, therefore positions shown are overall results versus competitors in all heats.


Tennis

Mark Knowles (a five-time Olympian) and Devin Mullings participated in men's doubles tennis on behalf of the Bahamas. Their entrance constituted the only Bahamian participation in any tennis event, and the only tennis entry by any nation in the Caribbean. The pair participated in the first match of the event's first round on 11 August, where they faced a team from the United States that included
Bob Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) ...
and Mike Bryan. The Bryan brothers won two sets against the Bahamian team and defeated them, eventually winning the bronze medal in the event.


See also

*
Bahamas at the 2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, 15th Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from July 13 to July 29, 2007. Medals Gold *Men's 400 metres: Chris Brown (athlete), Chris Brown *Men's 4x400 metres Relay: Andrae Williams, ...
*
Bahamas at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games (Spanish: ''XXI Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe, Mayagüez 2010'') took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from 18 July 2010 to 1 August 2010. Bid It was understood that Mayagüez was going to b ...


References


{{Good article Nations at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...