"Orkney's streets buzzing" after 'Fab Thursday' medal haul for Team Isle of Wight

Yahoo

3 days ago

TEAM Isle of Wight delivered a day to remember at the International Island Games in Orkney yesterday (Thursday), with outstanding performances across golf, sailing, athletics and swimming.
Excitement had been building all week, and it reached fever pitch yesterday as medal hopes turned into triumphant realities.
The calm weather proved a blessing for golf — but it proved to be a nerve-wracking delay for sailors, as light winds stalled the start of the day's racing.
Tensions were high in the ILCA 6 class, where Harry White needed to race to remain in contention for bronze.
Relief swept through the team when racing was confirmed to begin at 11am.
Oliver Mayo, a member of the British Youth Sailing Team and a seasoned competitor after six years in the sport, had a blistering start — winning the first race of the day to edge ever closer to gold.
His dominance throughout saw him win seven of his ten races, to secure him a deserved gold medal in the ILCA 6 class.
In the ILCA 7 class, Arthur Farley had maintained an unshakable lead throughout the week.
He finished first in every race but one — the only exception being a race won by team-mate Harry White, which proved to be a pivotal victory.
That win became the tie-breaker for the bronze medal, placing Harry on the podium beside Arthur, who comfortably claimed gold, while the Team IOW sailing squad as a whole celebrated 'team gold' as well.
Arthur's podium appearance was briefly delayed mid-interview on live TV — a testament to the rising media interest in the young star's bright future.
At the breathtaking Stromness golf course, the Isle of Wight ladies' golf team "demonstrated poise and precision".
Led by team manager, Lucy Burke, the team remained focused and steady all week.
Sophie Beardsall, a nine-time Island Games medallist, led into the final hole, with a narrow advantage.
Unaware of just how tight the scores were, she sunk a birdie on the 18th to clinch individual gold by a single point.
Cheers erupted as Sophie asked: 'Who won?'
The answer came in roars from supporters.
Together with Lucy, Caroline Johnson and Sammi Keen, the team also claimed gold in the team event, earning the quartet a well-deserved podium celebration.
Moments later, jubilation spread again as news broke that the men's golf team had secured 'team bronze', with Nat Riddett clinching individual bronze after a remarkable round of 274.
There were emotional scenes as George Foreman, Christopher Hayward, Conner Knight, and Nat stepped up to the podium — "overwhelmed by pride and the support pouring in from home".
Just as the sailing and golf medals were being awarded, more great news arrived from the track.
Sprinter, Sophie Hogton, stormed to a time of 15.04 seconds in the 100m hurdles final, earning a silver medal after narrowly missing out on a podium in the 200m earlier in the week.
"Her beaming smile lit up the stadium" as she received her medal, marking a stand-out performance in a competitive field.
In the pool, the momentum continued.
George Hayward, one of Team IOW's most prolific swimmers this week, entered the 200m backstroke final ranked second, after a tight morning heat.
In a thrilling final length, George surged ahead to secure gold, adding to his silver from earlier in the week.
Later in the evening, Will Davidson surprised spectators and rivals alike in the 200m breaststroke final.
Ranked fifth heading in, he knocked three seconds off his heat time with a powerful swim, capturing bronze in spectacular fashion.
It was Team IOW's 11th medal of the day.
As the medals piled up, so did the celebrations.
"Streets across Orkney were buzzing with Island Games spirit, as Team Isle of Wight supporters marked a sensational Thursday of triumphs," a spokesperson for Team IOW said.
The team now sits seventh in the overall medal table — "a phenomenal achievement".