JERSEY win the first gold medal of the Games through triathlete Thomas Atkinson who took home the gold medal in the Men’s Individual Triathlon. An emphatic time of 1:52:47 saw Atkinson win the race by a comfortable seven minutes.
Atkinson topped a field of 53 participants to take home top spot in Orkney. The race around Stromness Harbour brought Jersey their first medal of the games.
The 21-year-old athlete showed promise after finishing fourth in the 2023 Guernsey Island Games and after two years of training managed to earn his first medal at the Island Games.
Atkinson pipped Gotland’s Albert Askengren who finished in second place, with Orkney’s Bobby Oag filling the remainder of the podium spots in third place.
Atkinson’s pole position alongside stellar performances from Jersey teammates meant that the Jersey team retained their team gold medal from two years ago in Guernsey. Peter Holmes (16th), Dale Quenault (15th), Mark Syvret (11th), Wayne Quenault (9th), and Dirk Swart (8th) made up the winning team.
Jersey’s two gold medals put them into the lead of the overall medal table very early on in the week.
Watch the interview with Atkinson here:
