Medal tally rises to 27 ahead of final day of Island Games

Five medals including two golds were presented to Orkney athletes on the penultimate day of the Orkney Island Games.

Taking the top podium places and bringing Orkney’s gold tally to nine were the county’s triple bowls team and high jumper Amy Davis.

Orkney remains sixth in the overall medal table with 27 medals — nine golds, nine silvers and nine bronzes — ahead of the final day of competition on Friday.

The addition of lawn bowls has been an undoubted highlight of the games, with large crowds flocking to the Brandyquoy green.

For the latest vast number of spectators on Thursday, they witnessed Barrie Bruce, Greg Rendall and Kevin Watters claim gold in the round-robin competition.

Amy Davis won Orkney’s second gold of the day when she won the high jump on countback.

A seven-strong field came down to two, Davis and Faroese Teresa Fríðriksdóttir Bláhamar.

Both cleared 1.61m but both also failed to clear 1.64m, with Davis taking the gold on the account that she had cleared 1.61m at the first time of asking.

Swimmer Eve Wood took her personal medal tally to four. Already a double gold medallist with a bronze under her belt, the 17-year-old swimmer closed the competition in the pool with a silver in the 100m individual medley.

Orkney’s male golfers also took silver in the team event as the fourth and final rounds were played.

Steven Rendall, Steven Walls, Michael Schinkel and Lee Findlay’s combined total of 830 was enough for Orkney to finish behind the Isle of Man and ahead of the Isle of Wight.

Not to be outdone, the county’s lady golfers were also in the medals with bronzes in the team event.

With a 962 for the four rounds, Michelle Clouston, Shona Croy, Nicola Sutherland and Shona Slater finished behind the Isle of Wight and Gotland.

There were to be no individual medals however as Schinkel came closest, finishing one shot behind the bronze medal place.

The mountain bike cross country also took place at Binscarth Farm in Finstown.

George Leonard and Bob Gunn finished in 20th and 21st followed by Danny Bain 24th.

Orkney’s male footballers ended their campaign on a positive note, beating Shetland 3-2 to clinch fifth place.

Jason Scott and a brace from Owen Young sealed the victory, ahead of the Milne Cup match next Saturday.

The county’s women’s side suffered a heavy 1-7 defeat against the Isle of Wight in the ninth/tenth place playoff.

Gymnastics was back in Stromness Academy, and Orkney’s sailors finished their campaigns on the water.