Competition continues to lurch from the sublime to the ridiculous, with Ian Black breaking another RBC Island record on his way to 50m butterfly gold, a medal colour also achieved by fellow swimmers Dan Halksworth, Sarah Jane Smith and Simon Le Couilliard, while our cyclists still wait for a decision over the road racing farce in Lindos in the south of the Island.
And we’ll also have to wait on a decision on a possible second gold medal for thrower Lauren Thérin, as the Saaremaa shot putter who beat her on countback is alleged to have had her coach in the competition area, which usually results in a disqualification.
The farce that was the men’s cycling road race sadly overshadowed a great effort from Jemima ‘Jim’ Davis in the ladies’ event, where she finished fourth, although even that is not confirmed officially.
A meeting is being held today to discuss the chaos that reigned in the men’s event, which had to be restarted at one point and had many crazy incidents.
For the second night running the pool provided ten medals for Jersey, this time four gold, four silver and two bronze, while at the athletics track there were, depending on the result of the shot putt appeal, either one gold, two silvers and a bronze, or three silvers and a bronze.
Silvers came from swimmers Black, Le Couilliard, Katie Speller and Andrew Blake with Jo Gorrord gaining her second second place with a good run in the 5,000m and 15-year-old Jenna Murphy getting her gong in the high jump.
Claire Lidster earned a battling bronze after a stumble at the start ruined her chances of retaining her 100m hurdles title.
Another two silvers were awarded on the shooting ranges, Richard Bouchard and Jonathan Billot coming second in the 50m prone rifle and Bob Blake and Mike Quénault doing likewise in the team raid fire event.
But the award of team gold to Jersey in the women’s air rifle, when they were effectively the only team entered, has raised a storm of protests from other islands and members of the executive, which could lead to a revision of the shooting medal table.
Today is likely to be a quieter day, but you never quite know in the Rhodes Games.
l The Jersey men’s football team beat Aland 1-0 this morning to qualify for the fifth place play-off match.
Paul Aitken scored the goal.
