PM Skerrit announces huge celebration for Thea Lafond’s return after Olympic victory

Dominica: The 30-year-old Dominican Olympic athlete Thea Lafond is all set to return home on Sunday after achieving a historic feat at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit announced that she would be welcomed with a huge celebration marked by a motorcade and celebration rally.

He shared the information on his official Facebook page while inviting everyone to come together and celebrate the historic win of the nation’s first Olympic gold medalist.

Thea Lafond who is a Dominican track athlete won her first gold medal in the Women’s triple jump at the Paris Olympics 2024. She defeated Jamaica’s Shanieka Rickets and Jasmine Moore of the USA with a jump of 15.02 meters at the event.

PM Skerrit noted that the athlete, upon arrival, will be honored with a motorcade that will begin at 1:30 pm from Borough’s Square, Portsmouth to Roseau. Following this, a Celebration Rally will take place at Windsor Park Sports Stadium Forecourt at 5:00 pm.

Following her Olympic success, PM Skerrit contacted the athlete over a phone call to congratulate her for the huge achievement. He thanked Lafond for representing the nation with dignity and grace and noted her achievement as the proudest moment for the nation.

On the other hand, Thea Lafond upon her victory said, “For us to be so tiny, but end up so mighty is the most phenomenal feeling”. She highlighted the nation’s population being small but her performance had made a huge impact at the international event.

Citizens are celebrating this victory of the athlete and showcasing their enthusiasm through social media.

Laza Norma Mary, a Facebook user, said, “Congratulations to you, hon. I am so proud of you and make your country on the map.”

“What a wonderful champion! Very happy for Dominica. Celebrate the legend,” wrote another user Pauline Montauban.

This year the Paris Olympics came out to be a major success and a moment to celebrate for the Caribbean as apart from Thea, Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia also brought the first gold for her nation.