‘Guernsey 2023 effect’ on display in track and field opener

Up-and-coming athletes made up most of the numbers and impressed across the board at Footes Lane, including Emil Friedrich smashing the Island U15 record in the 300m.

The versatile 13-year-old looked strong from start to finish as he sped around in 38.52sec. and brought the mark under 39sec. for the first time.

It was a relatively cold evening at Footes Lane, and early in the season, meaning the more established performers scarcely beat their personal bests.

Abi Galpin still came near a Guernsey record of her own possession as she covered the senior 400m in 55.70, with only Jersey decathlon star Evan Campbell to chase or compete against. Campbell lowered his PB to 51.40.

Guernsey’s fastest woman had earlier produced an 11.89 run over 100m – within 0.12sec. of her own record – which again put her runner-up overall to a Campbell PB.

Both of Galpin’s runs were comfortable Island Games A standards under the freshly-released criteria for Orkney 2025.

Fellow Island Games girls Emily Pike, Tilly Beddow and Edie Dorrian had all dipped under 13sec. over 100m and so achieved B standards for Orkney.

Games steeplechaser Jack Le Tissier made an early breakaway to win the men’s 1,500m, posting 4-15.57, as U20 rivals Nic Ackermann (4-22.98) and Jack Rees (4-24.80) both came away with PBs.

Darcey Hodgson, the Games 800m silver-medallist, was the only woman in that 1500m A race due to Nix Petit’s unfortunate injury and ran 4-53.70. She came within a second of a B standard.

Steven Marley threw 10.60m in the senior shot put, finishing second and just over 3m behind Jersey’s Campbell.

In the triple jump, Jordan Kelly took the outright win at 11.90m, while Amelie Carpentier covered 9.77m to edge Island Games athlete Holly Drake by 9cm.

Athletics development officer Tom Druce admitted it was ‘not easy’ for these established athletes so early in the season and credited them for getting out and competing.

But he was also quite pleased to see so many U13 and U15 athletes competing.

‘From my perspective, it’s a bit of a new season,’ he said.

‘We’ve released the [Orkney 2025] criteria as well, and you can see a few people who went for Guernsey 2023 as a pinnacle have stepped away from the sport or dialled back their commitment.

‘It’s the 2023 effect in terms of inspiring the next generation – it’s a nice thing to see.’

The 1500m B race produced a cracking duel between U15s Grace King and Orla Montgomery.

Hampshire U13s cross-country champion King played the long game, leading narrowly throughout, only for Montgomery to charge ahead with just under 300m remaining.

But King managed to edge her on the home straight and also beat the 5min. barrier – in 4-59.88 – as Montgomery was driven to her own PB at 5-00.71.

An U13 1,200m race won by Toby Blake featured 17 competitors, bringing the overall middle-distance turnout to 41.

Meanwhile, 47 athletes in total went across the seven 100m heats, half of those were U13s.

Probably the biggest surprise influx of entries came in the shot put, which attracted 27 competitors – many of them very young.

‘Twenty of those were in the U13 age group, and I did not think we would have that many people do a throws event in Guernsey,’ Druce added.

‘It’s very good.’