A competitive team of 12 swimmers will head aim to make a splash at the 2023 Island Games in Guernsey next week.
Team Isle of Wight will be made up of the following athletes; Will Davidson, Rossen Martin, Ben Van der Helstraete, Joe Carter, George Hayward, Harry Poynter, Abi Lacey, Mia Stillwell, Isobel Muncaster, Nell O’Brien, Lucy Isaacson and Grace Poynter.
There is a total of 45 different swimming disciplines, these are;
Men’s 1500m Freestyle, Women’s 400m Individual Medley, Men’s 200m Butterfly, Women’s 100m Butterfly, Men’s 100m Breaststroke, Women’s 50m Breaststroke, Men’s 50m Backstroke, Women’s 200m Freestyle, Men’s 200m Individual Medley, Women’s 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay, Men’s 4 x 50m Medley Relay, Women’s 1500m Freestyle, Men’s 400m Individual Medley, Women’s 200m Breaststroke, Men’s 100m Butterfly, Women’s 100m Backstroke, Men’s 50m Breaststroke, Women’s 50m Butterfly, Men’s 200m Freestyle, Women’s 200m Individual Medley, Men’s 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay, Women’s 4 x 50m Medley Relay, Men’s 100m Individual Medley, Women’s 400m Freestyle, Men’s 200m Backstroke, Women’s 100m Breaststroke, Men’s 100m Freestyle, Women’s 50m Freestyle, Men’s 50m Butterfly, Women’s 200m Backstroke, Men’s 800m Freestyle, Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay, Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay, Women’s 100m Individual Medley, Men’s 400m Freestyle, Women’s 200m Butterfly, Men’s 100m Backstroke, Women’s 100m Freestyle, Men’s 50m Freestyle, Women’s 50m Backstroke, Men’s 200m Breaststroke, Women’s 800m Freestyle, Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay, Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay and Mixed 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay.
Back in Gibraltar in 2019 it was the women who shone for team Isle of Wight with Abigail Lacey bagging 3 individual medals (2 silver and 1 bronze) and Meghan King getting a bronze. Both were part of the successful 4x100m medley relay bronze team too.
Abi – who swims for the University of Birmingham swim team – looks to be the best bet for a medal in Guernsey.
The last gold success for the Isle of Wight was back in 2011 when Darren Mew – swimming at Medina Leisure Centre – won gold in both the 50m and 100m Breaststroke.
As has been the case since the first games back in 1985, Jersey tend to dominate in the pool in most disciplines especially Men’s 100m, 200m and 400m and the Women’s 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m. They have also had huge success in the Men’s and Women’s relay with a total of 39 gold medals.
Event hosts Guernsey also have have strong aquatic traditions so they are ones to look out for this time around.
The action in the pool kicks off at Beau Sejour from 10:15 on Monday 10th July with medals on offer everyday from then until Thursday 13th July.
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