Jersey's swimmers brought back a big medal haul

JERSEY took a record breaking haul of medals at this year’s Jeux des Iles finishing with a total of 25 and sixth place overall.

They added another ten medals on the last day, to secure Jersey’s best finish in their seven years of competing, with five coming from the athletics track.

Kathryn Rothwell won gold in the shot with 12.46m and was joined once again on the podium by team-mate Shadine Duquemin who won silver with a big personal best of 11.20m.

Danielle Leerson won a second silver medal on the track with 11.02.80 min in the 3,000 m and in the same distance there was silver for Elliott Dorey in 9.04.76 min.

Silver went to javelin thrower Joshua McGovern with a distance of 43.20m and Molly Jehan placed fifth in the final of the 100m hurdles with 16.15 sec.

The swimmers won four more medals with another gold going to Emily Bashforth this time in the 100m freestyle in 1.00.25 min. Ella Dias won two more bronze, in the 200m individual medley (2.28.63 min) and 100m backstroke (1.09.67 min).

The relay team of Bashforth, Dias, Beth Cumming, and Maria Kocot in the 4 x 100m took bronze in 4.41.57 min and Kocot was twice fourth in her individual races, the 50m butterfly (32.92 sec) and the 100m freestyle (1.02.10 min).

Jersey took the girls’ third place swimming trophy and without a boys team placed fifth overall.

There was bronze for the tennis girls with Audrey Bois and Eva Hurst both winning their singles against the Azores. They lost the doubles but won the medal 2-1. The boys lost their bronze medal game against the Azores 3-0.

In the table tennis Hugo Tupper went furthest in the individual event eventually losing out at the last 16 knockout stage to Madeira by three close sets to nil.

Jersey’s sailors placed sixth overall and the girls’ team finished fourth overall in the team event – the best ever sailing result.

In gymnastics, the team finished fourth and the best individual result for Jersey came from Charlotte Sweeney who placed eighth out of 19, including two seventh positions in vault and floor. The gymnasts faced tough opposition especially from Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica who next week compete as a team in the French National finals.

In total the Jersey team returned home with seven gold medals, ten silver, and eight bronze – 13 of these coming from swimming, 11 from athletics and one from the girls’ tennis team. The other three sports all came back with credit, raising the bar on their own previous results.

Jersey team manager Hugh Raymond said: ‘It was probably one of the best games we’ve ever been to. Everybody worked together and they were a delight to take away.

‘The medal success is the best ever, it seems that we have some talented young ladies out there, and we’re looking forward to Sicily next year.’

The largest team at the games, and next year’s hosts, Sicily won the overall team trophy with Sardinia, probable 2012 hosts, second and Corsica third.

The closing ceremony was vibrant with live bands on a huge stage by the harbour side and the presentations were followed by an impressive firework display which lit up the Sao Miguel capital of Ponta Delgada.