A three-member rowing team from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is in Chile competing in the Americas qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The team is composed of rowers Kevin Gibson and Daron Shallow, along with coach Jason Gibson.
They are in Santiago, Chile for a one-week training session after which they will go to Valparaiso Chile for Olympic Qualifiers from March 22 to 24.
The has been training at Jackson Bay in Layou as well as doing indoor rowing runs at Fitness Quest gym and are confident that they will make a good showing for SVG.
After a good showing in El Salvador last year, the rowers are confident that they will put SVG on the rowing map and hope to take one of the available spots for the sport in the 2016 Rio Games.
Technical Director of the SVG Rowing Federation, Raffique Browne, said he is excited at the chance for competing for an Olympic spot and has confidence in the athletes.
“Our athletes have been exposed to international training and competition in El Salvador and are ready to put SVG on the Olympic map.”
He noted that non-traditional sports such as rowing are helping to shape new athletes and open avenues for SVG.
He also thanked the many entities who helped to cover the expenses of the athletes especially Olympic Solidarity through the National Olympic Committee and the International Rowing Federation.
The team will return to SVG on March 25.