Flora Duffy, the reigning ITU World Triathlon Series women’s champion, is among five local elite athletes who have been granted funding to go towards their bids for 2020 Olympic qualification.

Duffy will receive an Olympic Scholarship through the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity programme.

Sailor Cecilia Wollmann, long jumper Tyrone Smith and sprinter Tre Houston — who all competed along with Duffy at the 2016 Rio Olympics — and high jumper Jah-Nhai Perinchief are the other beneficiaries of the Olympic Scholarship.

Each of the athletes will receive $1,000 per month up until 2020 — to be paid on a quarterly basis — to support them as they train for the Games at approved training facilities, as well as up to an additional $5,000 in funding to cover their transportation costs for participation in Olympic qualification competitions.

“To perform at the elite level requires an athlete to commit himself or herself to almost full-time training, which requires a substantial financial commitment,” Judy Simons, the Bermuda Olympic Association president, said.

“The BOA is pleased to be able to assist Flora, Ceci, Tyrone, Tre and Jah-Nhai as they train and compete to earn the right to represent Bermuda on the world stage at the Tokyo Games.”

Olympic Solidarity is the IOC commission responsible for administering and managing the National Olympic Committees’ share of the broadcast rights from the Olympic Games. It redistributes these funds through programmes according to the needs and priorities of the NOCs and their Continental Associations.

Programmes are divided into four areas: athletes; coaches; NOC management; and promotion of the Olympic values. Athletes’ programmes are structured to enable the NOCs to provide technical and financial assistance to athletes at all levels who are preparing for international competitions.

Scholarship awards are prioritised to assist athletes from countries that have traditionally sent smaller delegations to Olympic Games. Scholarships are tenable until such time as an athlete fails to qualify for the Tokyo Games, at which point funding would be discontinued.