Team Bermuda received a heroes’ welcome as they returned to the island last night after a phenomenal showing at the Special Olympics in Berlin, Germany.

More than 100 people waited at the LF Wade International Airport for their arrival waving Bermuda flags, and holding balloons and signs celebrating their success.

While one athlete, Kemari Dill, was controversially denied a gold medal at the event despite outpacing his competitors in the 100 metres final, father Kirk Dill said all of the athletes who competed deserved recognition.

“Every single athlete that participated in the Special Olympics in Germany should have got a gold medal,” he told The Royal Gazette. “They are all winners, all types from every part of the world.

“Everybody deserves it. We can’t single out anyone.”

Nathalie Dill, his mother, added: “Kemari went and did the job. He trained hard, he had surgery in between training and still went back at it and did his stuff.

“That’s what athletes do. They go, they train and he exceeded expectations, and this is what happened.”

Kemari won all his heats and then the final, setting a personal-best time, but Special Olympics rules deemed his improvement was too great for his category with organisers refusing to recognise his achievements or to reclassify him.

He was instead awarded a participation medal.

At the Special Olympics, contests are separated into divisions based on previous times, with a maximum improvement rate of only 20 per cent allowed in each event. The organisers say the purpose of this is to promote honesty of effort at all stages of qualifying.

The situation was the low point in an otherwise fantastic Games for Team Bermuda, with their total of 11 medals beating the eight they won in Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Micah Lambert and Alshauntae Symons both won gold for the island, competing in tennis and bowling respectively.

Patrick Thomas won silver in the men’s singles bowling, with Wayne Smith securing bronze and Tiannai Lowe claiming bronze in the women’s singles.

Solay Thomas picked up bronze in the shot put, with Kris Trott and Laura Repose also claiming bronze for their efforts in the level B 200 and 800 metres respectively.

Meanwhile, Bridget Marshall captured bronze in the women’s tennis singles and Zafar O’Loughlin got bronze in the men’s tennis singles.

Mr Lambert and Ms Marshall also won bronze in the mixed doubles.

Owen Darrell, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, said he was overjoyed by Team Bermuda’s performance and that it was important for the island to recognise their accomplishments.

He also highlighted Mr Dill as an “amazing athlete”, adding: “We are all very proud of how he did.

“It is disappointing what happened, but seeing him here today, supported by Bermuda, supported by his family, and he’s happy not just for himself to be recognised, but his team-mates as well.”

David Burt, the Premier, joined in the celebration of the returning athletes, saying he was proud of their performances and pleased to see so many friends, family and supporters out to welcome them home.

Photo gallery