ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, April 17th, 2012   –  Wednesday, April 18 marks one hundred days to go until the Olympics when the eyes of the world will turn to London, as the BVI joins nations from around the world to parade into the Olympic Stadium for a spectacular opening ceremony.

The Olympic Anthem will be played. The Olympic Flag will be raised and finally, after its 70 day journey around the United Kingdom (UK), the Olympic Torch will light the cauldron and the Games of the 30th Olympiad will officially begin.

The BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC) has coordinated with the BVI Athletics Association and chief coach, Mr Dag Samuels, to mark the 100 days to London 2012 timeline with a 100m dash during the territory’s young athletes’ training session on Wednesday, April 18. Individual athletes and those from track and field clubs in the Virgin Islands (VI) aged 10-24 will participate in a 100m sprint at 17:30 at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground.

“We are engaged in a very exciting period,” said Ephraim Penn, President, BVIOC. “National Olympic Committees around the world are preparing for the participation of their national athletes in the London 2012 Olympic Games and here in the Virgin Islands, the BVIOC is working with a network of people to support the participation of Tahesia Harrigan in the 100m dash. It seems quite appropriate to highlight a hundred days to go with a hundred metre race which also happens to be the distance, which we know the VI will be represented in during London 2012.”

Karene King, Chantel Malone and Ashley Kelly are three additional hopefuls who are currently competing in qualifying competitions that take place April 1- July 8. If all three athletes succeed in their field, they have the potential to compete in team qualifiers to represent the Virgin Islands in the Women’s 4 x 100m Relay. This would have an historic significance for the Virgin Islands as the first time whereby the nation is represented by an all female team at the Olympic Games.

The BVIOC launched its Time for London 2012 campaign at the end of February with upcoming community oriented activities to be rolled out during the countdown period to London 2012. The first of these activities was marked on March 8 at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds when the Royal Duke of Gloucester met with the VI’s past Olympians, primary school students and young athletes from national sports federations. The BVIOC is responsible for the accreditation, attendance and accommodation of the athletes, coaches and support team of physiotherapists, nutritionists and BVIOC delegates.

The Chef de Mission is Mr Dag Samuels who will be based at Aston, Hertfordshire where accommodation and training facilities have been assigned for athletes from the Virgin Islands. Following the London 2012 official flag raising ceremony on July 17, the BVIOC and athletic delegation will be presented at a special reception hosted by the BVI London Office and the Friends of the BVI at BVI London House.

London has seen big changes in the run up to the Games. A once neglected industrialised area of the city has been transformed into an urban Park for the 21st century, creating a new ecology of wildlife, plants and woodlands.

Designed to ensure its landscaping looks stunning in a 100 days from now, it will look even better in 100 years and is set to draw visitors for decades to come. From reducing urban heat to combating the effects of climate change, the Park will provide a powerful environmental legacy for the capital, as well turning London 2012 into the first truly green Games.

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