News / Hopes high for Island Games
HOPES ARE high in Shetland that the islands’ top athletes can build on the success of the last NatWest Islands Games when they returned with seven gold, four silver and four bronze medals.
A 45 strong team of local competitors and officials have reached Bermuda, where this year’s island games will officially be opened on Saturday.
Shetland, which hosted the games back in 2005, is competing in eight of the 17 sports, including athletics, cycling, golf, sailing, clay shooting, squash, swimming and triathlon.
Expectations are particularly high in the swimming pool where the isles’ young swimmers did exceptionally well during the games in the Isle of Wight, two years ago.
Five of the seven gold medals were won in the pool, four of which were won by Andrea Strachan alone.
Gulberwick lass Amy Harper, at 21 the oldest in the 12 strong swimming squad, won five freestyle medals, one gold, two silver and two bronze.
Harper said she is relaxed about the pressure which weighs on her shoulders.
“It is always hard going into another competition when you have done so well a couple of years ago.
“I will do the best I can and see if I can win any medals, but if not – then I have done my best!”
Assistant coach Petur Petursson added: “Something similar would be nice, but we don’t place all emphasis on necessarily winning medals. If that happens – great!
“The guys have put in an awful lot of work over the last years. Andrea Strachan is training at Edinburgh University, Amy Harper trains with us here, she has just been to the British Championships, Felix Gifford swims with the City of Aberdeen swims team and is doing exceptionally well at the moment, and we have also Donnie Price, a great distance swimmer.
“If we are looking at potential podiums, it probably has to come from them.
“However, the rest of the team are working really hard. The team is very young and this will be a great experience for them.”
Meanwhile on the road, Shetland cyclist Christine Maclean said she is ready to defend the gold medal she won in the women’s individual time trial two years ago.
Having come second in the recent Scottish Cycling National 50 miles time trial championships, the veteran athlete said she was well prepared.
“It has been a gradual build-up. I started competing in Scotland in time trials in April, I competed in the Scottish national 10, 25 and 50 miles time trial championships and won a bronze and two silver medals.
“So it has been a gradual build-up and I feel relatively confident competing in the games and defending my gold medal,” she said.
Due to the high cost of travelling to Bermuda and the logistical challenges of getting there Shetland is sending a significantly smaller team to the games.
Team manager Andrew Inkster said some serious challenges had to be overcome in the preparation, but is confident that everything should run smoothly.
“We knew Bermuda would be a challenge; it is the furthest we have travelled, the first time that we had to cross the pond,” he said.
“It has meant a lot of early planning and we have had to be much more organised than normal. We knew our team much sooner than we normally would, and flights, travel and accommodation all had to booked sooner.
“We have now put ouselves in a good position with a strong team and we are looking forward to the games.”
The bulk of the team left Shetland on board the NorthLink ferry on Monday evening to catch a flight from London to Bermuda on Wednesday.
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