St John USVI Olympian races today at noon (actually 12:10 PM!)

Mimi Roller giving the VI sign at the London Olympics

After years of practice and sailing today is THE day!  St Johnian Mayumi 'Mimi' Roller raises her sail today at 12:10 PM to compete in the Summer Olympics.  No matter the outcome of the race today, she is our winner for sure.  Keep up to date with schedule... and - almost real time - results...

More on Mimi:

Virgin Islands Daily News reports:

Experienced Roller steps into Olympic spotlight

BY AARON GRAY (DAILY NEWS STAFF), Published: July 21, 2012

Photo by GLENNON STRATTON St. John native Mimi Roller, front right, will represent the U.S. Virgin Islands in laser radial sailing at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Mimi Roller, 21, a St. John native, took a year off from St. Mary's College of Maryland to focus on her Olympic sailing quest. She punched her ticket for London after she finished sixth among 66 sailors at the 2012 Laser World Championships in Boltenhagen, Germany, in May. Roller finished eighth overall among 13 sailors at the 2011 Pan American Games, and led St. Mary's to a third-place showing at the ICSA Women's National Championship two years ago. This will be her first appearance at the Olympics.

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GO MIMI, GO! SAIL YOUR HEART OUT!

It sure is nice seeing 'USVI' on boats at the London Olympics

Virgin Islanders & Olympians Cy Thompson and Mimi Roller in the Olympic Village in Weymouth

Both Mimi Roller, from St John, and Cy Thompson, from St Thomas, are competing in Lasers this summer. The first races start on July 30th with medal races taking place on August 6th.  The Olympic website details the race guidelines as:

Fleet races competition format

All the Sailing events on the Olympic programme apart from the women's Elliot 6m event are fleet races and follow the same competition format.

In fleet racing, each event has a series of races. Points are awarded in each race: first scores one point, second scores two points, etc.

After 10 races (15 races in the Skiff event), points from the worst race are discarded. The remaining points are added together.

The 10 best athletes/crews then advance to the medal race. Points are doubled, so first place gets two points, second gets four, etc. The points total after the medal race determines the placings.

The athlete/crew with the lowest number of points is the winner.

Whatever the results over the next couple of weeks we are really proud of both Cy and Mimi and happy to have them flying the USVI flag for us!

USVI Olympic athletes head to London while all are being honored at home

VI Daily News reports -- USVI Olympic exhibit opens on St. Thomas

BY AARON GRAY, Published: July 16, 2012

USVI University Sports Federation president Ron Harrigan looks over the USVI Olympic Committe exhibit in Royal Dane Mall on St. Thomas on Saturday. The exhibit, which depicts the history of the Olympic Games and the territory's involvement in the Games, will opened this week to the public and will remain open during the London Games from July 27 through Aug. 12.

U.S. Virgin Islands Olympic Committee members attend the grand opening of the USVI Olympic Committee Daily News Photos by AARON GRAY

ST. THOMAS - U.S. Virgin Islands Olympic Committee executive board members Hans Lawaetz, Angel Morales and Leonard Bonelli Sr. walked into the USVI Olympic Committee Exhibit in downtown St. Thomas on Saturday, and it was like a walk down memory lane.

The two-room exhibit in Royal Dane Mall depicts the history of the Olympics, the territory's involvement in the Games and features several information panels, pieces of artwork and memorabilia. Admission is free.

"Our initial goal was to promote the Olympic movement in the Virgin Islands," said exhibit organizer Yuri Gaspar, who is also the USVI Winter Sports general secretary. "You would be surprised. A lot of people we talk to don't even know we're sending athletes to London."

The USVI is sending track and field athletes Tabarie Henry, LaVerne Jones-Ferrette, Allison Peter, and Muhammad Halim; laser sailors Mimi Roller and Cy Thompson; and freestyle swimmer Branden Whitehurst to the Games.

The territory has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since 1968, except for the 1980 Games, which were held in Russia and boycotted by the United States.

Gaspar described the exhibit as a lounge area for local residents and tourists walking around downtown. There are two 42-inch flat screen televisions inside air-conditioned rooms that will be playing live coverage of the Olympics, starting with the opening ceremonies on July 27.

"One main thing we will feature is the schedule for when each of our USVI athletes will be competing at the upcoming Games," said Gaspar, whose 17-year-old daughter, Veronica, represents the USVI in alpine skiing. "Of course, if there is a final or something, we will stay open later or earlier so Virgin Islanders can take in all the action at the exhibit."

There are also preliminary plans to move the exhibit to St. Croix and St. John in the coming weeks but those plans are pending office space and security, Gaspar said.

The complete article can be read...