
Island Games 'stepping stone' to Olympics for cancer diagnosis sailor
Farley added it had been a "good week so far" after winning all his races, and that it had been "great to represent the island".The win comes after he had to put his successful sailing career on hold because of a blood cancer diagnosis.
There are 99 athletes from the Isle of Wight competing at the games.Talking to BBC Radio Solent, he explained: "I started sailing on the island, near where I live, at the Royal Victoria when I was about 10 and then moved through all the ranks as you do in any sport."Eventually I moved up to Team GB and the Olympic team, which is where I am now and looking towards going to the Olympics - so this is a great stepping stone to do that."
Farley said he felt "lucky" to have had support from his parents and sponsors to reach the level of sailing he's now at.He said: "When you rise through the ranks there's a period of time where you need support - like sponsors or family - luckily I had all of that, so that's very important to get anywhere near winning medals."It's been great to represent the island - I'm used to racing for myself, so it's been great experience to see all the other sport. I'm really proud of the team."The island team has won five other gold medals - two in golf, for the ladies' team event and for Sophie Beardsall for ladies individual, and two others in sailing, for Oliver Mayo and the sailing team event, as well as one for swimmer George Hayward in the men's 100m backstroke.
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
44 minutes ago
- Reuters
Biathlete Dahlmeier missing after mountaineering fall in Pakistan, reports say
BERLIN, July 29 (Reuters) - German biathlete and double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier has been at least seriously injured in a mountaineering accident in Pakistan, with emergency responders so far unable to reach her, according to media reports on Tuesday citing her management. The accident occurred on Monday when Dahlmeier was hit by a falling rock in the Karakoram, a mountain range in the Kashmir region, the ZDF broadcaster reported. Her management did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from Reuters. ZDF said that a helicopter overflight on Tuesday had found no signs of life. Dahlmeier retired from the sport in 2019, aged 25, a year after becoming the first female biathlete to achieve a sprint and pursuit double at the same Olympics.


Reuters
44 minutes ago
- Reuters
The water calls Ledecky to 1,500 gold, backstroke queen McKeown reigns supreme
July 29 (Reuters) - Katie Ledecky claimed a sixth 1,500 metres freestyle title and a record-extending 22nd world championships gold medal in Singapore on Tuesday as Romanian rocket David Popovici added the men's 200 crown to his Paris Olympic triumph. There was also gold for Australia's backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown, who foiled American rival Regan Smith once again to claim the 100 title in a thriller, while South Africa's Pieter Coetze clinched the men's race. Unbeaten in the 1,500 since the age of 13, world record holder Ledecky came home ahead of Italian Simona Quadarella with Australian Lani Pallister winning bronze at the World Aquatics Championships Arena. The American great was under world record pace (15:20.48) for all but a few laps before fading in the last lengths to finish at 15:26.44, more than five seconds ahead of Quadarella. Wrapped in an American flag, Ledecky beamed as she exited the pool, having clinched a 28th world championships medal, moving past Ryan Lochte in the all-time list. Only Michael Phelps, with 33, has more. At 28 and with the Los Angeles Games on the horizon, Ledecky said she had no desire to take a breather. "I really hate taking breaks so I start dreading the impending break that's coming after this meet," she said. "The water always calls me back, the team mates always call me back, and I'm just going to keep enjoying it." Ledecky's 22nd world title is the most by any female swimmer and second only to Phelps's overall record of 26. Quadarella, who won the 1,500 at the world championships in Doha last year in Ledecky's absence, punched the water in delight after shaving nearly 10 seconds off her personal best and setting the European record. Europeans have become a force in men's swimming, with Popovici among those leading the way. The 20-year-old was the strong favourite to win the 200 and duly delivered with a brilliant finish. Half a body length behind Luke Hobson at the turn of the last lap, Popovici roared to the wall in 1:43.53, 0.31 ahead of the American, with Japan's Tatsuya Murasa taking bronze. "I think (this feels) even better than the Olympics, to be honest," said Popovici. "You know why? I trained a lot for the Olympics but this year (is) a more relaxed year, more easy-going after the Olympics. I'm very proud of myself." McKeown had not even wanted to race in the 100 backstroke in Singapore initially but took her place in lane five to leave world record holder Smith heartbroken again. The Australian produced a sizzling burst of pace in the last 25 metres to overtake Smith and touch in a personal best of 57.16, only 0.03 off the American's world record. The ultimate big-stage performer, McKeown came from behind to deny Smith twice for the 100 and 200 golds at the Paris Olympics. "It's just really emotional because of the low I came back off from the Olympics," said the 24-year-old Queenslander. "To come out there tonight and just forget about all the pressure, forget about all the nerves and just swim really goes to show what I can do when I am relaxed." The men's 100 backstroke final was also a belter, as Coetze set an African record of 51.85 to deny Italian Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon by 0.05 seconds. France's bronze winner, Yohan Ndoye-Brouard, was only 0.02 further adrift in a furious finish. Wrapping up the medal events, Germany's Anna Elendt upstaged major contenders with a stunning swim from lane one to claim the women's 100 breaststroke gold in 1:05.19, 0.08 seconds ahead of American Kate Douglass, with China's Tang Qianting taking bronze. Day four on Wednesday will feature another bumper programme of five medal events, with Australian Olympic champion Mollie O'Callaghan bidding for a second 200 freestyle title. New Zealand's Erika Fairweather joined O'Callaghan in the final, bouncing back from her shock disqualification in the 400 heats. The men's 800 freestyle final also promises to be a highlight as Ireland's Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen battles a stacked field including Australian Sam Short and Tunisia's Ahmed Jaouadi.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Ben Askren returns to hospital in concerning update after double lung transplant at 41
Former MMA star Ben Askren has returned to the hospital with a concerning update after undergoing a double lung transplant last month. The UFC cult hero, 41, was rushed to the hospital with 'severe pneumonia ' on June 7, and has been documenting his difficult road to recovery since. Askren was able to return home on July 22, but later shared with fans that he was struggling to lift a five-pound weight due to the amount of strength he had lost. He also shared a video of him using a stationary bike at hom e on Sunday in an encouraging update. On Monday, however, Askren shared a sobering development with fans from a hospital bed. 'Well, as you guys can probably tell, I'm not home anymore, unfortunately' he began a video. 'I had my first check up this morning - they didn't like the way the last chest tube looked, thought it was infected.' Askren added that he had been put on antibiotics and taken for X-rays. 'Hopefully we get this solved, fast... it wasn't always gonna be smooth, it wasn't always gonna be easy, it wasn't always gonna be all the way up,' he said. 'So hopefully this is a small hiccup and then I'm back home, getting stronger again.' Askren, who previously revealed he 'died four times' before his double lung transplant, said last week that it was 'awesome' to be back at home with his family amid his health struggles. As he spoke about the strength he had lost, Askren struggled to speak at certain points of video and had to catch his breath. The former lightweight fighter told fans he was 'feeling strong' before his recent ordeal, as he was curling 45 pounds and doing hill sprints. Last month, Askren's wife, Amy, shared that Askren had undergone the life-saving double lung transplant. 'We are forever thankful to the donor and his family,' she announced. 'This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. Update #6- not all sunshine and rainbows. — Funky 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@Benaskren) July 28, 2025 'It still doesn't feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly. Askren first made a name for himself in the college ranks, as he became a two-time D1 champion with the University of Missouri. He also participated in the 2008 Olympics and put together an impressive decade-long undefeated streak, winning world titles in Bellator and ONE before making the jump to UFC in 2019. He defeated Robbie Lawler in his UFC debut but then suffered losses to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia before announcing his retirement from MMA. He briefly returned to fighting briefly in 2021 when he boxed against Jake Paul, losing to the social media star via TKO. Askren married his wife in 2010 and they share three children, two daughters and a son.