HOSTS Guernsey made a fantastic start to the NatWest Island Games yesterday but there was still plenty for Jersey fans to cheer about.
Two gold medals – secured by triple jumper Lucy Woodward and the men’s triathlon team – combined with five silvers and a bronze have left Team Jersey in second place in the medal table after the first day of competition.
The first Caesarean medal of the 2023 Games came through shooters Ben and Keith Videgrain, who claimed silver in the NPA police pistol 1 event.
And shortly after, the silver-medal flurry continued through triathletes Ollie Turner and Kim Garrett.
Turner may have had to settle for individual silver behind Guernsey’s Josh Lewis, who was roared on by a raucous home crowd, but he did get his hands on Jersey’s first gold of the Games alongside Tom Atkinson, Dave Holmes, Jack Kennedy and Richard Tanguy in the team event.
The women’s team of Garrett, Claire Forbes and Sam Lee won silver.
The star solo turn for Team Jersey on day one came at Footes Lane in the athletics.
Woodward jumped 11.01 to secure gold ahead of Bára Jógvansdóttir Glerfoss, from the Faroe Islands, and Gotland’s Hilda Östergren.
She said: ‘I wanted to get on the podium and then when I jumped at 11 – I’d wanted that all season – I suddenly got a bit greedy and I was like, “Oh, gosh, now I want the gold”.’
Back at the shooting range, Paige Fryer and Libby Hart won Jersey’s fourth silver medal of the day in the ISSF 10m air rifle.
Jersey will have a shot at two gold medals this morning in the men’s and women’s team tennis events after each overcame their opponents in yesterday’s semi-final.
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