Stadium, hill to be renamed after Duffy
BERMUDA’S FIRST Olympic Games gold medal winner, Flora Duffy, will have two landmarks on the outskirts of the capital named after her, the government announced.
The National Sports Centre’s South Field Stadium will become the Flora Duffy Stadium, while a short, twisting road used in previous World Triathlon Series events is to be changed from Corkscrew Hill to Flora Duffy Hill.
The name changes – under the Public Lands Act 1984 – were posted in the Official Gazette on Monday.
The government earlier announced plans to honour 34-year-old Duffy with a one-off national holiday on October 18 in recognition of her gold medal success at this year’s delayed Tokyo Olympics and her record-equalling feat in becoming women’s world triathlon champion for the third time.
Her Olympic success came 45 years after heavyweight boxer Clarence Hill, now 70, won Bermuda’s only other medal at the Games – a bronze in Montreal.
Duffy divides her time between Bermuda, South Africa, her husband Dan Hugo’s home country, and her training camp in the United States in Boulder, Colorado.
WELCOME MOTORCADE
Duffy will be welcomed back to the island on October 11 with a motorcade from L.F. Wade International Airport to the Cabinet Office.
Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport Ernest Peets said there would also be a special recognition of Duffy by the Bermuda Post Office, an open-air tribute concert will be held, and there will be both a statue of Duffy commissioned and a mural created in her honour.
“We will share more details shortly on how the community can participate,” Peets said.
“During such a challenging time [from COVID-19], seeing our own on the world stage performing like no one before, had the effect of bringing us together as a community and as a people.”
He said: “That same unity and togetherness is needed now more than ever.
“We very much look forward to welcoming Flora back home, so that we can celebrate with her and share in our national pride for her achievement.”
An international triathlon weekend ahead of the national holiday, in which Duffy was expected to participate, was cancelled because of a surge in novel coronavirus COVID-19 cases on the island.
To date, there have been more than 5,000 confirmed cases and 75 deaths.
Peets said the government also planned to pay tribute to former boxer Hill, who won bronze at the 1976 Games.
“In that regard, the government will also commission a bronze bust of Mr Hill to celebrate his achievement as part of Bermuda’s Olympic success,” Peets said.