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A star Jersey heptathlete was left in "shock" yesterday after she scooped a "greedy" gold in the triple jump yesterday – all the more so because she originally only picked up the discipline as a 'Plan B'.
Here's a round-up of all the action from Day 1 of the Island Games 2023 in Guernsey...
Jersey’s Ben and Keith Videgrain took silver in NPA police pistol 1.
The pair each scored 289 for a total of 578 and had been sat in first place with just four competitors left to shoot.
But Guernsey’s James Straughan also shot a 289 to take the gold medal for the hosts with his teammate Andrew Torode.
Pictured - left to right: Jersey's Paige Fryer and Elizabeth Hart, Guernsey's Paul Guillou and Luke Malcic, and Guernsey's Andrea Guillou and Amy Woodland.
Ben Videgrain just missed out on an individual medal, coming in fourth place while Keith came sixth.
Meanwhile, Jersey’s Paige Fryer and Libby Hart took silver in the team 10m air rifle category.
After a hard-fought battle with the Isle of Man’s Will Draper for second place, Jersey’s Ollie Turner claimed a hard-fought silver medal in the men’s triathlon behind Guernsey favourite Josh Lewis, who took the gold in a time of 1:52:52.
Massive win for @GuernseyTri Josh Lewis at Rocquaine, time to soak it all up on the finish line! Jersey’s Ollie Turner holds off IoM’s Will Draper for second. Huge reception!!@Guernsey_2023. The team medals are still up for grabs here. pic.twitter.com/a1YCySiadV
— Bailiwick Express Guernsey (@BailiwickGsy) July 9, 2023
Jersey’s Tom Atkinson finished fourth.
Turner returned for the team round, securing Jersey’s first gold alongside Tom Atkinson, Dave Holmes, Jack Kennedy, and Richard Tanguy.
In the women’s race, Jerseys’ Kim Garrett – who had suggested that Guernsey 2023 would be her last Games after two decades in the sport – took the individual silver behind Guernsey’s Megan Chapple.
In the team round, her performance helped Jersey secure a silver alongside Claire Forbes and Sam Lee. Guernsey’s team of Chloe Truffitt, Emily Squire, Megan Chapple and Amy Critchlow took the gold.
Jersey’s Lucy Woodward took the gold with a jump of just over 11.01m – despite triple jump having been her ‘Plan B’.
She narrowly beat the Faroe Islands athlete Bára Jógvansdóttir Glerfoss to the top prize, who scored 10.97 to take silver.
Jersey’s Eva Raine Clark also competed in the triple jump, finishing sixth with 10.06.
Speaking afterwards, gold medallist Woodward told Express that she was “in shock” at the result.
“I wanted to get on the podium and then when I jumped at 11, I wanted that all season, and I suddenly got a bit greedy and I was like, ‘Oh, gosh, now I want the gold!’
“It was such a close competition, like everyone jumped really, really well.”
Jersey Athletics Team get their first gold medal on the first day with Lucy Woodward winning the triple jump! Great pb to win! Awesome pic.twitter.com/CSx3lrJcxo
— Ben Silva (@benbladesilva) July 9, 2023
She continued: “I’m a heptathlete, so last time [the Gibraltar Games in 2019] I think I did 200m, high and long, and I only took triple up during the indoor season because I was having problems with my hip, and my coach, Mike Homes, loves triple jump. He said to try it as a ‘Plan B’.
“I was obviously very nervous but as we jumped everyone was jumping better by the last three jumps.”
Woodward will also be competing in both relays, the 200m, 100m hurdles, long jump, shot put and javelin this week.
Jersey won 1-0 against Gozo, who only joined the Island Games family for the first time this year, thanks to Sol Solomon assisted by Lorne Bickley.
It was a tense match – with Gozo captain Ferdinando Apap sent off deep into the second half – but Jersey manager Elliott Powell credited team for not rising to provocation.
It was less positive news for the women’s team, however, with Bermuda winning 4-0.
In the ILCA 6 contest, Oliver Boyle finished in 11th in the opening race, which he followed with an improvement into tenth for race two, leaving him in tenth overall in the early stages of the event.
Dylan Griffiths was also in the same race, finishing 22nd in the first, before improving to 17th in the second, leaving him in 20th overall.
Meanwhile in the ILCA 7 competition James Tilly came fourth in the opening race and fifth in the second race, leaving him in sixth position in the overall standings.
Keeping him company in seventh is William Dengate, who finished sixth in the opening race and eighth in the second.
Women’s Basketball were defeated 80- 34 to the Cayman Islands in their Group B opener.
The basketball squad lays claim to Team Jersey’s youngest member in 13-year-old Vanessa Szajkowska, who is sure to gain valuable experience during the international competition.
Jersey men’s indoor bowls trio of Luke Le Sueur, Cyril Renouf and Michael Rive got their campaign up and running with a 15-7 win over Western Isles last night. They had lost earlier in the day to Guernsey ladies 21-7 and by the end of the day were sitting in third place in Group B.
The Jersey ladies trio of Sally Black, Ann Cross and Jean Holmes lost 19-3 to Falkland Islands, however.
Everything you need to know about Day 1 of the Games in five minutes...
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