Junior swimming sensation Izaak Bastian will be the first Bahamian competitor in action at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Tokyo Japan. Bastian and Joanna Evans are the only swimmers participating for The Bahamas and are up first beginning tomorrow. That race starts at 7.30 a.m. local time in The Bahamas.
Bastian kicks off the action in the 100 meters (m) breaststroke tomorrow. He will be swimming out of lane eight in the third heat. The 19-year-old has the national record in that event with a time of 1:00.87. He spoke about being the first Bahamian to be in action in this edition of the Olympic Games.
“All I can do is be positive and no matter the outcome of the race, people will look towards your attitude rather than just the time. Whether it is what I want it to be or not, I think just being positive and bringing a good energy for everybody else. I don’t want to bring anybody down especially at a big meet like this. The team is much bigger than myself and setting the tone will be no matter what happens I will try my best and be positive about it. Whatever happens is a great experience regardless,” Bastian said.
He added: “I am looking forward to the 100m the most. I started favoring the 100m more than the 200m, but I am still decent in the 200m. I favor it more because I am a little afraid of the 200m a little more. It is also more exciting because you have to be more on it than the 200m because you have time to come back in the 200m. In the 100m you have to be out there with everybody and just hold on.”
They both arrived in Tokyo on Sunday and are now settled in. They have been practicing and fixing last minute aspects of their races before tomorrow.
“It took us a couple days to adjust to the time change but we seem to have a handle on it now,” Evans said.
For Bastian, the biggest adjustment was the sun rising at 4.30 a.m. but he has learnt to handle it now.
“I think I am settling in pretty well since then. It is a little bit challenging with the sun. It rises at 4.30 a.m. here so if your blinds aren’t closed all the way properly then the sun sneaks in at like 4.30/4.45 a.m. and lights up the whole room. I have been trying to adjust to that a little bit more but other than that I think I am settling in well,” Bastian said.
Evans who is swimming in her second Olympic Games – her first was 2016 Rio Olympic Games, will jump in the pool on Sunday in her favorite race, the 400m freestyle. The 23-year-old has the national record in this event of 4:07.33. She will swim out of lane five in heat two that starts at 7.12 a.m.
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