By Stephen Wright in Toronto

Judy Simons, the Bermuda Olympic Association president, expects Toronto 2015 to be highly competitive with many athletes using the Pan Am Games as an event for Olympic qualification.

Several members of Bermuda’s 18-strong squad will be striving to produce top performances in Toronto and reach next year’s Rio Games.

Tyrone Smith, the two-times Olympic long jumper, and sprinter Tre Houston are the only Bermuda athletes to have already booked their tickets to Rio.

Athletes from 41 nations will be seeking Olympic qualification in ten sports, including equestrian, triathlon, canoe/kayaking, diving, field hockey, pentathlon, shooting, synchronised swimming, table tennis and water polo.

In addition, athletes competing in badminton, sailing, taekwondo, tennis and weightlifting can receive ranking points towards qualification, while track and field athletes and swimmers can earn minimum qualification points for Olympic Trials.

“I think a lot of countries will be looking at those athletes who have not already qualified for the Olympics to do so at the Pan Am Games,” said Simons, who arrived in Toronto along with Phillip Guishard, the secretary general, and Carlos Lee, the chef de mission, on Monday.

“I think it could be a really competitive Games. There definitely feels like there’s a buzz going around.”

Canada, the host nation, have named a squad of more than 700 athletes — almost three times the size of the 2012 London Olympics team — who will compete in 36 sports in Toronto.

Included in the squad are Rosie MacLennan, Canada’s lone gold medallist in London, in the trampoline, Mark Oldershaw, who won an Olympic bronze in canoeing, and Patricia Bezzoubenko, who claimed six gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics at last summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The United States have announced a 623-member team featuring 111 Olympians, with 38 medallists and 20 champions. Headlining the squad is swimmer Natalie Coughlin, who is one of the most decorated women in US Olympic history with 12 medals. Also highlighting the list is Allison Schmitt, a six-times Olympic medallist in swimming, and Kim Rhode, a five-times Olympic medallist in shooting.

Meanwhile, Jamaica will send a squad of 65 athletes led by O’Dayne Richards, who became the first Jamaican to win a gold medal in a throwing event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last summer.

Simons played down Bermuda’s hopes of bringing home a medal from Toronto, but believes the squad will achieve plenty of personal bests.

“If we could medal that would absolutely fantastic,” she said. “I’ll be looking for all our athletes regardless of their discipline to finish strongly for Bermuda.”

Media coverage in Toronto during the build-up to the Games has been flavoured with negative stories on traffic problems, empty hotel rooms, and tepid ticket sales, but Simons is adamant the “feel-good factor” will take hold of the city as soon as the competition gets underway.

“There’s always little niggly things and tension leading up to any big competition,” she said. “That’s not unusual whether it’s an Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games or Pan Am Games. The pressure is on and I think the athletes just want to get here, compete and give there all.

“For a small nation like Bermuda we have athletes in six disciplines and I’m so proud of everyone who will compete here.”

For the first time, the entire Olympic programme will be contested at the Pan American Games, which will be the most expensive in history at a cost of about $2.5 billion. For first time the event will feature golf, canoe slalom, women’s baseball and women’s rugby, while men’s softball returns after a 12-year absence.

The 17-day Games start tomorrow with the opening ceremony at the Rogers Centre.