Team Virgin Islands is preparing to compete in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5. Team ISV will have 11 athletes representing the Virgin Islands in six sports: swimming, sailing, athletics, fencing, golf, and archery, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Virgin Islands Olympic Committee announced in a press release Tuesday.
Team ISV athletes include Natalia Kuipers (swimming), Maximillian Wilson (swimming), Adriel Sanes (swimming), Steven Hardee and Taylor Fairbanks Hasson in the (Skiff, sailing), Mathieu Dale (Dinghy, sailing), Malique Smith (athletics), Michelle Smith (athletics), Kruz Schembri (fencing), Alexandra Swayne (golf), Julianne Abernathy (archery), Nicholas D’Amour (archery), according to the press release.
The 2023 Pan-American Games will kick off with the opening ceremony on Oct. 20. The Virgin Islands delegation at the games will be among 8,000 athletes from 41 countries. The Pan American Games are held every four years, and Chile is hosting the event for the first time in its history, the press release stated.
The Pan American Games also serves as a qualifier for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, for some sports. Past Virgin Islands Olympians from the 2020 Tokoyo Olympics who are looking to qualify include Natalia Kuipers, Adriel Sanes, and Nicholas D’Amour. The journey of Team ISV is not merely about medals but the embodiment of the Virgin Islands’ resilience, zest, and unity, the release stated.
Stay in the heat of the action by following the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee on social media and on the official website.
