Merrien, Perrio in golden finale
LEE MERRIEN'S perseverance through many months of injury woes was yesterday rewarded with a half-marathon gold medal in most likely his farewell NatWest Island Games.
He led from start to finish and had crossed the finish line by the time his nearest rival, Isle of Man's Oliver Lockley, who beat him in the 10,000 metres, entered the stadium.
The winning margin was 63 seconds as Guernsey's greatest ever distance runner posted a time of one hour six minutes 45 seconds.
And soon after, Louise Perrio added her second gold of the Games, winning the corresponding women's race by 30 metres.
But on a day which saw Jersey win a clutch of golds and pip the Sarnians in the medals table, not everything went right for the Guernsey track and field in the main stadium.
The much-fancied 4x400 men's relay squad lost their title after being disqualified.
Cayman pipped Guernsey for gold in the 4x100 relay and the young Guernsey women's 4x400 relay team just lost out to Isle of Man and Shetland.
There was a late, late gold from Rob West and Jo Dyer in the mixed doubles tennis, who stormed to the title.
Following their agonising last-gasp semi-final defeat 24 hours earlier to the Isle of Man, who walloped Greenland 6-0 in the final, the Guernsey footballers ended the week on a high and with a medal as Matt Loaring's goal on 18min. gave them a 1-0 win over Menorca.
The team returns to the island today
