Island Games

Isle of Man Athletics team named for 2023 NatWest Island Games in Guernsey

Posted on 02/05/202305/06/2023 By Anthony Brand

Isle of Man Athletics has announced the selection of the following squad of athletes to represent the Isle of Man at this summer’s NatWest Island Games, to be held in Guernsey from 8th to 14th July:

Men
Alex Bell
Daniel Clague
Alan Corlett
Regan Corrin
Ryan Corrin
Will Draper
Joe Harris
Sam Jones
Corrin Leeming
Ollie Lockley
James Margrave
Gethin Owen
Anand Patel
Samuel Perry
Kazu Senior
Sebastien Sgouraditis
Ben Sinclair
Nathan Teece

Women
Aimee Christian
Imogen Cook
Andrea Ecolango
Tazmin Fayle
Rachael Franklin
Macy Hillier
Megan Lockwood
Lydia Morris
Lucy Ormsby
Rebekah Pate
Catherine Perry
Meghan Pilley
Carla Teece
Tegan Thompson
Sarah Webster

The team is a mixture of experience and youth, headlined by four of the Isle of Man’s Commonwealth Games athletes who competed in Birmingham last year. They are middle to long distance runner Rachael Franklin (four time an individual gold medallist at the Island Games), distance runner Sarah Webster, javelin thrower Joe Harris and distance runner Ollie Lockley (twice an individual gold medallist). In addition, Alan Corlett is an Island Games gold medallist in steeplechase and 10,000 metres, and James Margrave won the bronze medal in the high jump in the last Games in Gibraltar in 2019.

No fewer than 20 of the 33-strong squad will be Island Games debutants in Guernsey. With the extra two-year gap since Gibraltar 2019 because of the Covid-related postponement, it is likely that the majority of the islands will field similarly inexperienced teams this time. The Isle of Man’s relay squads in particular are very much at the development stage at present, with the aim being to gain experience in Guernsey and to challenge for medals in the next Games in two years’ time.

The team will be under the management of Petra Atchison for the first time, with management support being provided by Steve Partington and Kelly Hillier. Steve was part of the support team in 2019 and brings invaluable experience of international competition as manager of the Isle of Man’s Commonwealth Games athletics team.

Best wishes go to the team for a successful and enjoyable week in Guernsey in July.

Island Games Guernsey 8 – 14 July 2023

Posted on 15/07/202205/06/2023 By Anthony Brand

After a two year delay the Island Games is being held in Guernsey from 8^thto 14^th July 2023. We are now well into the qualification period which started on 1^st Jan 2022 and will run until early April 2023. The exact date will be confirmed later and will be based on when our entries have to be added to the Island Games system. The Island Games Association of Mann (IGAM) have always been very generous to IOM Athletics, allowing us to push the deadline as far back as possible to allow the outdoor athletics season to start so our athletes have the maximum opportunity to gain the qualification standards. Selection will take place in April 23.

The entry standards are published here: http://www.iomathletics.com/competitions/island-games/

I have as usual indicated that we will be taking a team of 30 – made up of a Team Manager, 2 Assistants, a Sports Therapist and 26 athletes.

Whilst nothing has yet been finalised by IGAM, the plan is to fly direct from the Island to Guernsey on Friday 7^th July, returning on Saturday 15^th July. I have put our accommodation preferences into IGAM and we wait to hear from Guernsey , who do the allocation, as to where they allocate us. Following a report from IGAM, which highlighted some serious issues with the tented village, I have decided to move away from that and into a hotel.

Unfortunately, all this comes at a cost with estimates currently coming in at about £2000 per person. This will be reduced by the Government grant (approx. £180 per person based on IOM Team size) and by any funds IOM Athletics can raise. I estimate the final cost to the athletes to be around £1200-1400!! IGAM have confirmed they will have received all the quotes by our next meeting (next month) so I will have a clearer picture then.

I am acutely aware of how expensive the Island Games has become but please be assured that I am doing everything I can to reduce these costs and still provide our athletes with the very best opportunity to perform at the highest level and have a positive experience that will stay with them for many years ahead. If anyone has any contacts that would be interested in sponsoring the team, please let me know. Petra has kindly agreed to lead a fund-raising committee, so please get in touch with her if you’re willing to get involved. Funds will be required immediately on selection (Apr 2023) so you have a little time to start saving!

Once again it has been indicated that Anti-Doping testing WILL take place. Compulsory Anti-doping training will be provided at a later date by IGAM but please take the time to make yourself aware of the latest rules and regulations and start your diaries now (if you aren’t already doing it) covering what medicines you’re taking and confirmation that you have checked that they are suitable. You can check here: https://www.globaldro.com/uk/search

If you are looking to put yourself forward for selection (even if you haven’t yet achieved the standards), please let me know initially by messaging me and then following up by providing the Declaration of Intent form as soon as possible. Please detail the events you are looking to compete in and any standards you have already achieved. If I would be expecting you to be going and you’re not then please also let me know so I can get an accurate picture of numbers and exclude you from the plans.

Full details of the Selection Policy & Declaration of Intent are published here: http://www.iomathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IG_Selection_Policy-Guernsey.pdf

I am planning to have a meeting for all interested parties once the full details are known but If you need any further information at this stage, please get in touch.

28 athletes chosen for Island Games – Gibraltar 2019

Posted on 18/04/201905/06/2023 By Anthony Brand

Isle of Man Athletics is pleased to announce a team of twenty eight athletes for the 2019 Natwest Island Games, which will be held in Gibraltar from 6-12 July.

Oliver Lockley who won the 10000m title in Gotland two years ago will seek to improve on his individual Silver medal in the Half Marathon whilst attempting to retain his Island Games Half Marathon Team title with new Half Marathon team mates Alan Corlett and Max Costly, both medal winners at previous games. Max Costley will also be competing in the 3000m Steeplechase and will be looking to improve on his previous bronze medal. Hannah Howard and Elissa Morris return to seek to retain their Half Marathon Team title, with the Isle of Man Team also defending the womens 4x100m and 4x400m relay titles.

Gotland medalists Rachael Franklin and Bethan Pilley return to improve on their Silvers in the 1500m and Long Jump respectively whilst Hannah Riley, competing in her 9th games, will look to improve on the Bronze she won in the 100mh in Gotland.

The team is a blend of previous medal winning and established senior athletes who have competed at the games on many occasions along with a number of development athletes who will be competing at an Island Games for the first time. This approach has been the successful model from previous games.

Team Manager Anthony Brand said: “I am delighted to announce a very strong Isle of Man team to compete at the 2019 Natwest Island Games in Gibraltar. Already this year we have seen some extremely promising performances from our athletes and we look forward to seeing what they can do in Gibraltar in a couple of months. This is the largest team we have taken to an Island Games in recent years and is reflection of the quality and the strength and depth of athletes the Isle of Man is producing. It is always a great opportunity to compete against the best islands from Europe and beyond and we expect to be competitive across the board.”

The Isle of Man team selected for the Natwest Island Games Gibraltar 2019:

Women:

Bethan Pilley – 100m / Long Jump / 4x100m
Meghan Pilley – 100m / 4x100m
Ashleigh Lachenicht – 200m / 400m / 4x100m / 4x400m
Bethany Carridge – 200m / 4x100m
Lydia Morris – 400m / 4x400m
Rachael Franklin – 800m / 1500m / 4x400m
Phoebe Coates – 800m / 1500m / 4x400m
Hannah Riley – 100mh / 4x100m / 4x400m
Aimee Cringle – 400mh / Long Jump / 4x400m
Elissa Morris – 10000m / Half Marathon
Hannah Howard – 10000m / Half Marathon
Megan Lockwood – Discus / High Jump
Tazmin Fayle – Discus

Men:

Brandon Atchison – 100m / 200m / 4x100m / 4x400m
Thomas Riley – 100m / 4x100m
Jack Lemaire – 200m / 4x100m
Elliott Callow – 4x100m
Rhys Owen – 400m / 800m / 4x400m
David Mullarkey – 800m / 1500m
Stephen Garrett – 1500m / 5000m
Max Costley – 3000m Steeplechase / Half Marathon
Alan Corlett – 10000m / Half Marathon
Ollie Lockley – Half Marathon
Michael Haslett – 400mh / 4x400m
Daniel Clague – 400mh / High Jump / 4x400m
Keoghan Taylor – Long Jump / 4x100m
Anand Patel – Triple Jump
James Margrave – High Jump

Management and Support Team:

Anthony Brand – Team Manager
Danaa Callow – Assistant Team Manager
Steve Partington – Assistant Team Manager
Matt Harrison – Sports Therapist

The Isle of Man Island Games Athletics Team is kindly supported by Full Factory Winnerswear.

Isle of Man Athletics team named for 2023 NatWest Island Games in Guernsey

Island Games Guernsey 8 – 14 July 2023

28 athletes chosen for Island Games – Gibraltar 2019

Newfield

Group Eleven

The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation

Full Factory Winnerswear

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