Top Caymanian sailor Charlotte Webster is set to represent the Cayman Islands at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Webster recently competed against the world’s elite sailors at the French Olympic Week regatta in Hyères, where she finished 59th with 490 points in the Qualified Nations fleet, besting 10 others.
After the regatta, Webster posted to her Facebook page that she was proud of her performance and thanked the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee for helping her follow her dreams to the Olympic Games in Paris.
Webster’s busy competitive schedule over the past year enabled the Cayman Islands to be a qualified nation at the Olympic Games, with her hard work leading her to the world’s biggest sporting event.
Once she competes, Webster will become the third female sailor ever from the Cayman Islands to participate in the Olympics – Tomeaka McTaggart was the first in 2002, followed by Florence Allan in 2016.
The honour of representing the 345 is one that Webster will share with countryman Jordan Crooks, who is also set for his Olympic debut.
Crooks qualified for Paris with A-cut times in both the 50 metre and 100m free at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka.
With just over a month left before the Paris Games, with qualifying competitions still taking place for specific sporting disciplines, the CIOC has yet to announce the official 2024 Cayman Olympic team, but there are a few contenders chomping at the bit to represent their home in the ‘city of love.’
At the 51st CARIFTA Games in Grenada, 18-year-old Davonte Howell finished .15 seconds off an automatic Olympic qualifying mark in the 100 metres. With the qualifying window for track and field closing on 9 June, though, Howell still has time.
Jillian Crooks could very well join her brother Jordan in Paris. The 17-year-old is the fastest female swimmer in Cayman’s history and already an Olympian, having competed at the Tokyo Games.
She went on a roll last year, notably posting a time of 25.66 seconds during the World Championships – .84 seconds off a B-cut Olympic time (24.82), and will no doubt be looking to cut her time further in her long course to secure a qualifying mark.
Although athletes will try earn their place on team Cayman through qualification, if they are unsuccessful, their chances to compete at the Olympics won’t be completely ruled out.
In the past, athletes have received invitations from the Olympic Games Tripartite Commission, offered to national Olympic committees which have traditionally sent small delegations to the Games. Three athletes – Shalysa Wray, Jillian Crooks and Raegan Rutty – were given spots at the Tokyo Games through that path.
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In ousting all the best 100 meter sprinters in the Caribbean at Carifta, in devastating fashion, surely Davonte Howell has done enough to be offered a place in Paris. Hopefully our local Olympic Committee will support his inclusion in our team through the Olympic Tripartite Commission.