Mrs Tahesia Harrigan-Scott is the Chef de Mission for the 32nd edition of the Summer Olympic Games. Photo: Provided

Tahesia Harrigan-Scott (Center), who recently retired from her career as a professional athlete, was appointed by the BVI Olympic Committee to manage all aspects of the VI athletes’ participation in Tokyo 2020. Photo: Provided

Harrigan-Scott, who recently retired from her career as a professional athlete, was appointed by the BVI Olympic Committee to manage all aspects of the VI athletes’ participation in Tokyo 2020.

“The role of Chef de Mission will be well-suited to Mrs Harrigan-Scott who was the first female to represent the Virgin Islands at the Summer Olympic Games at Beijing 2008 and who since then also competed in the subsequent London 2012 and Rio 2016 Summer Olympics,” said Ephraim Penn, President of the BVIOC. “She has a wealth of experience in major international competitions that is unmatched by any other of our national athletes and we are fortunate that she accepted the role for what we anticipate will be an exciting Olympic Games for our roster of elite athletes who qualify to compete at Tokyo 2020.”

Undertaking her first official duty, Harrigan-Scott attended a three-day Chef de Mission Seminar in Japan from August 20 - 22. She joined representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) for progress updates and venue tours a year ahead of the Games which takes place in Tokyo from July 24to August 9, 2020.  

“The seminar has been very informative and I have received a lot of information which will assist in structuring my plans going forward as Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020,” said Harrigan-Scott. “I was a bit disappointed not to be able to go into the Olympic stadium as the venue is still under construction. While some venues - like the field hockey venue - are completed, most of the others are in their test event phase so in term of venue tours, it’s just seeing the progression of the stadiums and the different areas being developed.

“The atmosphere in Tokyo is great, the environment is good with the only thing of concern to most people and the Tokyo 2020 organizers is the heat and humidity around the period of the Olympic Games. A lot of counter-heat measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of the athletes and the spectators coming out to visit. 

They are taking safety, along with everything else, into consideration so I think it’s going to be a great event.”

Harrigan-Scott’s athletic career

A long-serving athlete who represented the VI in athletics at various levels between 1998 through 2018, Harrigan-Scott made her debut competing regionally in the U17 division at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Championships in the Cayman Islands and ended her international career as a finalist in the 100 meter dash at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Open Championships in Toronto, Canada.      

She was the VI’s first female athlete to win a gold medal at an international Games with her victory in the 100 meters at the 2006 CAC Games a feat she repeated at the same Games 4 years later. Harrigan-Scott’s most significant accomplishment, however, was winning a bronze medal at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 60-meter dash in 2008. She has also been a finalist at the Pan American and Commonwealth Games and a silver medalist in the 100m at the CAC Championships. 

She currently holds the national athletics records in the 100m and 200m dashes as well as the 4x100m relay. She was also a national record holder in the long and triple jumps.                                                      

Harrigan-Scott was an outstanding student during her collegiate career and has provided leadership to many of her younger colleagues. On two occasions she and her husband, Joey Scott, himself a former athlete, conducted brief athletics camps in the Virgin Islands.

Committed to using her training and experiences as a professional athlete, Harrigan-Scott will be working with the BVI Olympic Committee on projects which will serve to advance the Long Term Athlete Development programme in the territory as well as providing input towards the elite athlete programme.