The Bahamas' Olympic movement observes 62 years of existence this year, 2014, which is also the year of the 50th anniversary of the country's historic first Olympic gold medal, won in sailing in 1964 by Cecil Cooke under the captaincy of Sir Durward Knowles.
"Far from resting on our past success, Team Bahamas has won at least one Olympic medal in every single summer Olympic Games since Frank Rutherford's bronze medal in the triple jump in Barcelona, Spain in 1992, and we fully intend to continue that trend," Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) Secretary General Romell 'Fish' Knowles noted proudly.
This year, 2014, the BOC and its member federations are planning to field competitive teams at the Commonwealth Games in July in Glasgow, Scotland; the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China in August; and the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Veracruz, Mexico in November.
Since its inception on May 7, 1952 as the Bahamas Olympic Association (BOA), the body has had five presidents, starting with Sir George Roberts (1952 to 1957). There was also R.H. 'Bobby' Symonette, who led the Olympic movement in The Bahamas until 1972. The third president, former Minister of Health Dr. Norman Gay, served from 1972 to 1973 and he was succeeded by Sir Arlington Butler who led the Olympic movement in The Bahamas between 1973 and 2008.
The organization is now known as the Bahamas Olympic Committee. The name was changed on April 11, 2013, so as to conform with a request from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The new era of olympics in The Bahamas is being led by Wellington Miller.
Miller, who was the last president of the BOA and the first of the BOC, aims to carry the movement from strength to strength through a strong focus on athletes' well-being and high level preparation.
In its 62 years, Bahamian olympics has progressed from incorporating just the core Bahamian sports of sailing and athletics to now comprising 18 federations and associations representing the relevant olympic sports and several more associate members representing other established or fast growing new sports in The Bahamas.
The Bahamas first participated in the Olympic Games in 1952, and has sent athletes to compete in every summer Olympic Games since then, except when they participated in the boycott of the 1980 summer Olympics. The Bahamas has not yet participated in any winter Olympic Games; however, the country narrowly missed qualifying to compete in the 2010 and 2014 winter Olympics.
Bahamian athletes have won a total of 11 Olympic medals, all in athletics and sailing.
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