Seven heaven for sensational Orkney

Orkney athletes excelled on the Island Games stage on Tuesday, winning seven medals to sit fifth in the medal table, with 14 medals.

Faroe Islands lead the way with 21 golds then followed by Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and then Orkney.

There was euphoria at the squash courts as Finlay Scott won gold, beating Taylor Carrick from Bermuda, to claim Orkney’s first-ever games medal in the sport.

Seventeen-year-old Eve Wood won a thrilling 50m butterfly race, hitting the wall first to clinch a sensational gold.

Completing the golden trio were bowlers George Rendall and Mark Rendall who claimed the top podium spot in the men’s pairs.

A hat-trick of silvers on the bowling green in Kirkwall were also claimed on a remarkable day for the sport.

Isla Rendall’s morning silver in the singles was the first time Orkney had medalled in bowls; Neil Anderson replicated Isla’s feat by taking silver in the men’s singles; and the pairing of Elizabeth McConnachie and Ruth Rendall clinched silver also.

Following on from these successes, the icing on the cake came in the athletics and in the 1,500m.

Anna Tait — Gotland 2017 champion and former record holder — marked her return to the Island Games by claiming a bronze.

Elsewhere, there will be a Northern Isles clash.

Orkney’s 3-1 defeat this evening against the Isle of Man, coupled with Shetland’s comeback 2-2 draw against Jersey mean the two rivals will play-off for fifth and sixth spot.

That match will kick off on Thursday at 7pm at Stromness Academy.

Orkney women’s will face the Isle of Wight in a ninth and tenth place playoff.

That game takes place in Holm on Thursday at 12pm.

On the golf courses, Isle of Man’s Daryl Callister has a seven-shot lead after round two of the men’s competition at Orkney Golf Club.

He followed up his opening round of 65 with another 65 today.

Michael Schinkel is in fifth spot on 140 after a second round of 71, two shots off the medal places, with Steven Rendall one shot further back after 70 and 71.

Lee Findlay is on 142 after rounds of 72 and 70, while Steven Walls is sitting on a two-round total of 147.

The ladies played in Stromness today and Shona Croy is tied fifth on 155 after her two rounds of 77 and 78, seven off the medal spots.

Nicola Sutherland is on 159 after rounds of 85 and 74, and Michelle Clouston and Shona Slater are on 168 and 170 respectively.

Elsewhere, Orkney’s archers were in action in the 720 recurve and compound finals.

In the compound, Stewart Stanger leads the way for Orkney, seventh after 72 arrows with a score of 658, while in the women’s, Helen Corsie sits fourth with a total of 620.

Stanger and Corsie also paired up for a bronze medal match in the mixed compound, losing out by four points, 146-142 to a pairing from the Isle of Man.

Jim Middlemas is top marksman for Orkney in recurve, in 16th, and Charlotte Savage is 12th.

On the athletics track, William Macdonald and Jamie Sutherland finished in fourth and fifth in the men’s javelin; Taylah Paterson and Abi Coltherd secured berths in the 200m final; and Charlotte Hume finished in fourth in the 400m hurdles.

Ava Luke ran a brilliant run in the 1,500m women to finish in fifth.

In badminton, Matthew Reid and Andrew Reid have made it to the last 16 stage after coming through two matches each.

Sam Groundwater lost out to Josep Martinez Carreras from Menorca 2-1 in the round of 32.

Three Orkney ladies will compete in the last 16, with Jody Groundwater, Gemma Foulis and Shannon Leslie all successfully navigating their way through.

Rebecca Reid lost out to the might of second seed Jessica Li from the Isle of Man.

There are no Orkney representation in the men’s doubles after Andrew and Matthew Reid, and Gary Nicolson and Sam Rendall exited the competition.

Jody Groundwater and Rebecca Reid are in the quarter-finals however where they will take on a pairing they know well, Shetland’s Chloe Hitchin and Shona Mackay.

Gemma Foulis and Shannon Leslie lost out to the top seeds, Kimberley Clague and Jessica Li from the Isle of Man.

George Leonard, James (Bob) Gunn, Brian Garriock and Danny Bain were in action in the mountain bike criterium at the Market Stance.

Kyle Harcus and Andrew Leslie continued their campaigns on the water in the ILCA 7 classes, as did Kavan Kynoch and Joshua Brown in the ILCA 6.

Swimmer Alfie Price was narrowly pipped to a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly final.