News
2019 Pan American Games - And, that's a wrap!
The XVIII Pan American Games Lima 2019 has drawn to a close, as thousands of athletes and spectators witnessed a magical night of pure ‘Peruvianness’.
Held at Lima’s National Stadium, the two-hour-long ceremony called “Dance of Diversity” took the crowd on a trip along Peru’s coast, over its mountains and deep into the dense forests and jungles of the Amazon.
As the closing ceremony got underway, Peru was already basking in the success of hosting over 6,000 athletes from 41 nations in the 17-day multi-sport event.
All remaining athletes, including Cayman Islands delegation Lauren Hew, Swimmer; John Bodden, Swimmer; Bailey Weathers, Swimming Technical Director; Susan Weathers, Swimming Manager; Jesse Jackson, Sailor; Kemar Hyman, Athletics; Eilidh Bridgeman, Chef de Mission; and Jade Webster, Press Attaché, marched into the stadium headed by the Peruvian delegation proudly wearing their medals. At the same time, all the flags of the 41 nations of America were presented. Lauren Hew was named the Cayman Islands flag-bearer for the evening ceremony.
“Lauren is a fantastic role model for all athletes in the Cayman Islands, especially young female athletes. Lauren’s mindset throughout these Games has been incredibly positive, even when she came down with the cold - this is why we decided to name her the flag-bearer for the Pan American Games closing ceremony,” says Bridgeman, Cayman Islands Chef de Mission.
Although no medals were won for the Cayman Islands at the 2019 Pan American Games, the athletes achieved remarkable goals during the multiple week long. Bodden earned a personal best time in all of his events, 200-metre butterfly, 400-metre freestyle and the 1500-metre freestyle. Fraser, who has made a return to competitive swimming after a break of more than four years, earned an Olympic selection B-standard time in the men’s 100m freestyle.
“For most of our young athletes, competing at the Pan American Games is a feat in itself”, says Bridgeman. “It has been such an incredible experience watching all of our athletes compete at these Games, especially since I have been involved in their athletic journey’s for the past three years.”
At the end of Sunday’s ceremony, the Lima 2019 flame was extinguished with two dancers performing a modern interpretation of La Marinera, a Peruvian dance that symbolises romance. The flame will reignite in 2023 when the Games will be hosted in the Chilean capital of Santiago.
The remaining Cayman Islands delegation says goodbye to Lima in the upcoming days. Lauren Hew and John Bodden will be flying back to the Cayman Islands, while Kemar Hyman and Brett Fraser will fly to Florida and New York, respectively. Jesse Jackson will be travelling to Canada to compete in the 2019 Olympic Classes Regatta. Raegan Rutty returned to the Cayman Islands shortly after her competition ended.
