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CommonWealth Games
BVI Wrap up Games With Series of Firsts
By Dean Greenaway
Mar 27, 2006, 21:08

BVI delegation with Members of the Murrindindi Shire Council at Bruno's Sculpture Garden

MELBOURNE, Australia—After having lunch with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday, the British Virgin Islands delegation wrapped the 18^th Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia with a colorful and dynamic closing ceremonies and a series of firsts. The team departs Melbourne at 12:55 p.m. today and will arrive in the BVI at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

The delegation walks away from the event with a series of firsts in BVI sports history at the games.

Joe Chapman and Neil Thomas made the debuts for Squash and Cycling respectively, as both sports became the first sports besides track and field to compete in the games, in which the BVI has been participating since 1990.

Sprinter Tahesia Harrigan became the first female athlete to advance to the semifinals in successive Commonwealth Games, then became the first athlete of either sex to reach the 100 meter finals, where she placed fifth overall.

Dion Crabbe became the first male to qualify for the 200 meter quarter finals in successive games, but was hampered by a hamstring injury.

Keita Cline became the first athlete to participate in four successive Commonwealth Games. Thomas became the first athlete to have lunch with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on successive days, and the first to have lunch with the Queen and his brother. Thomas also became the first to dine with the Queen and the British Prime Minister at the same games.

Murrindindi Mayor Lyn Gunter, presents Chef de Mission Dean 'Sportsman' Greenaway with an official proclimation welcoming the BVI to the Shire, as Dag Samuels looks on

“For the BVI, especially track and field, it shows what we are making giant steps forward. Now that we have Tahesia (Harrigan) in the 100 meter finals, and Dion (Crabbe) advancing again in the 200 meters, it shows that the Commonwealth Games means something to us, like the Central American and Caribbean Games meant something to us a few years ago,” said Coach Dag Samuels. “We are now beginning to take our place with the rest of the world. It was also good to see the other sports participating. I know if they continue, they themselves will improve from Commonwealth Games to Commonwealth Games.

Cycling Coach David Thomas said the games were good. “I think the team did well, despite what a lot of people at home might seem to think. It’s really good for our athletes to get out here and compete against the world’s best and do as well as they did and bodes well for the future,” Thomas said.

Mayor Gunter presents a copy of Bruno's book to the Chef de Mission

“The people in Melbourne were so friendly, that you felt as if you were back in the Caribbean. The facilities were excellent but, the village was boring. I think they missed the mark on that one, because there was nothing for athletes to do and did not create any social interaction between all the different people here. I think that’s the only bad thing that I would say that happened with the games. Overall, it was a great experience and a great move for cycling.”

On Friday, the delegation visited the Murrindindi Shire—which adopted the BVI, Antigua and the Turks and Caicos Islands—during the games. The delegation was hosted by the Murrindindi City Council in Maryesville then toured Brunos Sculpture Garden. Later in the day, they visited the Healesville Sanctuary where they saw Australian wildlife.