WATCH: Double figures for Team Shetland on day five of the games

Team Shetland is into double figures after more swimming success and a bronze for Faye Cox on the track.

The sun cream didn’t need to make an apperance today with rain and winds replacing the warmer weather earlier in the week.

The athletes were again at the athletics stadium in Visby for the penultimate day of competitions.

A busy schedule in the morning saw Cox and Molly Morgan reach the final of the women’s 400m – both running strongly in the heats and Morgan up against a very tough field.

Cox pushed right to the finish line in a dramtic dash infront the Shetland supporters and fellow athletes.

She secured third spot with 25.17, with Morgan finishing sixth in 26 seconds.

 

“It was a lot harder than I thought but it’s helped having this wind behind us,” said Cox after the race.

“It’s a bit like running at home, just without the rain.

“It was two Shetlanders and an Orkney athlete against the rest of the world. It just shows that even the small islands can compete on such a big scale.”

Hannah Lesbirel of Guernsey won gold with 24.69.

Elsewhere Lucy Holden grabbed a PB in the triple jump final with 9.90.

With the uprights bending in the strong winds, Kirsty Laurenson and Leigh Nicolson battled against the elements in the discus. Nicholson finished sixth with 25.41 and Laurenson 8th with 23.36.

In the pool, Gifford took his fourth medal in the games with silver in the 400m freestyle.

“I was happy with medal,” he said.

“I was hoping the swim would be faster… I got up there for most of the time though I was hoping the last 100m would be quicker. Like Jersey it was mental fast.”

Gifford had injured his hand earlier in the week though pulled out one of his best swims in the event.

“Considering I’m the marching wounded I’m very happy with that.”

The swimming has now wrapped up for the games with six medals overall.

Team Shetland went out in fine style with a scintillating mixed 4x50m freestyle relay. Gifford, Emmie Hutchison, Calum MacColl and Jasmin Smith plunged into the pool for the final event, with an impressive swim and finishing in fourth place in 1.42.11

Lucy Holden got a new PB in the triple jump with 9.90m. Photo: Kevin Jones.

MacColl was happy to be returning to the games, having missed out on Jersey two years ago.

Gifford hailed the spirit of the team and said the swimmers gave it everything.

“We’re really proud of what we accomplished in the pool, especially with that relay, we did all we could.”

MacColl said they knew it was going to be tough going into the relay, though the team made a good two-second improvement in their qualifying time in the heat.

He also 23.80 in his leg, down from 23.98 in the previous round.

Orkney was triumphant in the football, winning 3-1 over Shetland in the play-off match. Shetland went down to 10 men on 72 minutes after John Allan was sent off.

The blues took the lead through Sam Maver on 65 minutes, followed by two Orkney penalties on 66 and 72 minutes.

Orkney made it three with 90 minutes on the clock and Shetland have ended the games in 10th place.

The mixed 4x50m freestyle relay team after the final swim of the games. Photo: Kevin Jones.

Meanwhile the shooters could be in with a medal hope with  John Magnus Laurenson sitting in third place overnight in the Olympic Skeet.

Much like the golfers and the archers the wind has made things difficult. Laurenson has 50 left to shoot tomorrow before the top six go into a play-off for medals.

 

 

 

 

 

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