Cayman’s swimmers told to ‘march or go home’ by local Olympic Committee

(l-r) Shaun Fraser, Heather Roffey and Andrew Mackay	Mike Barrowman

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Cayman Islands Olympic Swimmers Shaune Fraser, Andrew Mackay and Heather Roffey have been instructed to either participate in the opening ceremony in Athens on Friday or not participate in the Games at all, angering the parents of the athletes.

One of Cayman’s swimmers, Andrew Mackay, is scheduled to swim at 10 am the morning after the event, and faces a night with less than five hours of sleep if he attends the opening ceremony.

Jim Fraser, father of Olympic swimmer Shaune Fraser, expressed disappointment and anger at the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee’s (CIOC) decision to force the country’s swimmers to attend the opening ceremony in Athens on Friday evening 13 August.

“The gauntlet has been held over the kids’ heads,” he said, “Attend the ceremony or go home is what the kids have been told. This is very unjust and needs to be brought out,”

The critical issue revolves around the fact that Olympic swimming events begin the morning after the opening ceremony. Andrew Mackay’s first event, the 400-metre Individual Medley is scheduled to take place the morning after this Friday’s opening ceremony. Shaune Fraser’s sole event, the 200-metre freestyle, is scheduled for Sunday morning at 10:20 am Athens time.

“Shaune is troubled by the fact that swimmers faster than him from other countries do not have to attend,” Mr Fraser continued. “The United States swimmers are highly encouraged not to attend and the British swimmers have been told straight out that they will not be attending the opening. In fact, the British Swimmers have been told straight out that the closing ceremony will be their opening ceremony.”

Bill Sweetenham, British Swimming’s National Performance Director, has directly stated that his swimmers will be nowhere near the opening ceremony. “It has been my finding that at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, it has been impossible for swimmers to recover from the various stresses of attending an opening ceremony along with the challenge of just being in the Olympic Village as well, for approximately four days,” he has said.

Mr Sweetenham further mentioned that since swimming follows immediately after the opening ceremony, this issue becomes a problem for the psychological and physiological preparation of the whole team. “In this regard, understanding the importance of a high quality start to the competition, we find it beneficial not to march in the opening ceremony,” he stated.

There is no written policy in the United States, for USA Swimming does not require that an athlete attend the ceremonies. It is the athletes’ choice. USA Swimming does recommend that that they do not attend if they are competing within the first four days.

Mike Barrowman, an Olympic hero from the United States who won the gold medal in 1992 in the 200m breaststroke and now makes his home in Grand Cayman, has had the experience of both attending and not attending the opening ceremony.

“Here are the facts,” he said. “In 1988, I marched in the opening ceremony. From that experience, I can tell you an athlete is looking at between five and seven hours of standing. You line up beforehand and remain standing, for there are no seats in the stadium for the 10,000 Olympians. There’s a one-hour march and then forty-minutes for the show,” he added.

After participating in the opening ceremony in 1988, Mr Barrowman chose not to participate in 1992, and not only won a gold medal in the 200m breaststroke, but also set a world record that lasted for thirteen years. The longevity of that record became a record in itself.

“But in 1992, I was able to recall the experience of the opening ceremony,” he said, “It was an incredible experience to be part of. That and the fact that almost the whole world watches it makes it an incredible event. At the end of the day, an athlete must decide what is best for herself or himself,” he concluded.

Minister of Sports, Dr the Hon Frank McField, expressed his views: “These kids are there as a result of the Olympic Committee; they didn’t get there by themselves. The Committee should have the right to make a decision. If it turns out they’re wrong, they’ll have to pay for that decision.”

Not willing to concede that the harm could be irreparable, Dr McField stated: “As far as I’m concerned, these kids are going to do their best. Let them march and show the Cayman Islands’ flag. That’s what I think.”

Mr Fraser mentioned that the athletes from the Cayman Islands arrive with many handicaps against them. “They come from a nation of 40,000. They train in 25-metre pools instead of 50-metre pools. Our athletes deserve every opportunity that helps them to compete and win. This decision is surely not for the sake of the athletes.”

Swimmers are not the only ones who have been instructed to attend the opening ceremony as it has also been confirmed to Cayman Net News that Kareem Streete-Thompson was told, “The Opening Ceremony is more important than any medal.”

Contacted for by telephone before he left for Athens, President of the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee Jerris Miller said he had no comment on the matter.

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