ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC)— Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced Friday that the government will honour national triple jumper, Thea Lafond, whether or not she wins Sunday’s final of the event at the Olympics in Japan.

Lafond set a national record in qualifying for the finals of the event with a leap of 14.60 meters to top her group on Friday in Tokyo.

Skerrit interrupted the ongoing debate on the EC$993.6 million national budget to extend congratulations to the athlete, who is just one of two competitors from the island at the Olympics.

Skerrit said that the entire nation will be rooting for Lafond on Sunday and whether or not she is victorious, she is already a winner.

“Mr Speaker, I would like to interrupt for one, two minutes to congratulate Thea Lafond, our Olympic athlete. She earned herself a sport having qualified for the finals of the triple jump. She did a record of 14.60 meters which is a new national record. The qualifying mark was 14.40, “Skerrit said to much applause by legislators.

“I want to say to her that we are rooting for her. The entire nation will be following on Sunday giving her support and hoping and ensuring that she is on the podium to receive her medal.

“I will say to her that if she gets a medal that will be fantastic. If she doesn’t get a medal that is also fantastic and in the next few days the Cabinet will announce a special recognition to be bestowed upon our Olympic athlete, Thea Lafond,” Skerrit said, adding “whether she wins a medal or not as far as we are concerned in Dominica and this government she won the triple jump”.

Dominica has never qualified for the finals of any event at the Olympics and Lafond said she is “confident in myself …and we need to do a few adjustments.

“The name of the game right now is 100 per cent recovery …make sure I am not overthinking too much…and get ready to come out there and execute again,” she added.