Log In

Reset Password
BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

Flora Duffy swaps triathlon for tennis on US Open show

First Prev 1 2 Next Last

Bermuda’s first Olympic gold medal-winner returned to the spotlight last night at the US Open tennis championships as part of efforts to promote the island.

Triathlon superstar Flora Duffy was a guest on the US Open Facebook Live show The Changeover alongside tennis star Andy Roddick as the New York City event celebrated Bermuda Night.

Ms Duffy showed off her gold medal on the show – and said it got her stopped by security officials she flew into New York.

She explained: “They pulled my backpack aside and I was thinking that it was strange because there was nothing in there.

“They were digging through and then they pulled out the box that it was in. They couldn’t believe it.”

Ms Duffy said she was once a ball girl for the XL Open at the Coral Beach and Tennis Club in Paget, but that she had only watched tennis on TV since.

She also discussed her Olympic victory and the wave of support she had received since her July triumph in Tokyo.

Ms Duffy said: “No one warns you or prepares you for it. I suppose your mind doesn’t want to go there. It has been crazy in the best sense.”

“In Bermuda it has been crazy. Everyone has been really excited and gotten behind me.”

She added that the delay in the Olympics because of the Covid-19 crisis had increased the pressure she was under.

Ms Duffy said: “There was not a day I was not asked about if the Olympics were happening or being a favourite.”

The programme – which was watched live by hundreds of people on the US Open Facebook Page – also highlighted that Bermuda was a 90 minute flight from New York.

Viewers and the crowds at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre were also given a glimpse of the island through commercials, on-site video messages, courtside branding and promotional giveaways.

Flora Duffy, Bermuda’s Olympic gold medal winner, appears on The Changeover (Image from Facebook)

You must be Registered or to post comment or to vote.

Published September 09, 2021 at 9:38 am (Updated September 09, 2021 at 9:38 am)

Flora Duffy swaps triathlon for tennis on US Open show

What you
Need to
Know
1. For a smooth experience with our commenting system we recommend that you use Internet Explorer 10 or higher, Firefox or Chrome Browsers. Additionally please clear both your browser's cache and cookies - How do I clear my cache and cookies?
2. Please respect the use of this community forum and its users.
3. Any poster that insults, threatens or verbally abuses another member, uses defamatory language, or deliberately disrupts discussions will be banned.
4. Users who violate the Terms of Service or any commenting rules will be banned.
5. Please stay on topic. "Trolling" to incite emotional responses and disrupt conversations will be deleted.
6. To understand further what is and isn't allowed and the actions we may take, please read our Terms of Service
7. To report breaches of the Terms of Service use the flag icon