No doubting Tom is simply amazing

THE Commonwealth, not the Island Games, were on many Guernsey minds after a terrific first night in the Clickimin pool. The sensational Thomas Hollingsworth and endurance expert Jonathon Le Noury put in outstanding, gold medal-winning performances all within the qualifying times for the Melbourne showpiece next year.

In a fine haul of 11 medals for the Sarnians from the first night in the pool, Jenny Salmon added the other gold with a wonderful performance in the 50m breaststroke in what was arguably the most popular win among the team.

Yet it was the record-breaking Hollingsworth who shone the brightest.

Having already claimed a silver in the 200m butterfly behind Jersey's Simon Le Couillard, he stepped up a gear in the 50m backstroke.

His start was simply awesome. By the time he finally rose to the surface it was obvious that gold was his. All that mattered then was the time.

As he touched he looked to the board immediately and was shocked to see 26.39sec. next to his lane number. It was an Island Games record by 0.62sec.

'My start is my key weapon,' said a beaming Hollingsworth later.

His evening hadn't ended yet, though, as in the 200m individual medley he led from the second discipline in a race billed as a clash of the big Channel Islands names.

Left trailing were Ian Powell, who claimed a bronze, silver medallist Daniel Halksworth and his fellow Jerseyman Damien Bouchere.

In winning, Holling-sworth clocked 2-04.93, slashing the previous Games standard by virtually two sec.

'It was a great start to the week and I was very surprised by the times,' he said.

'Both golds felt just as good as each other, but I was more surprised to win the 200 IM as the 50m backstroke is more my event.'

Team manager Alison Frankland simply added, 'Tom just keeps amazing me'.

The evening had started in brilliant fashion for Guernsey earlier as Le Noury blew away the field in the 1,500m freestyle.

Frankland described his 16-01.39 as 'exceptional' and the man himself was delighted also.

'It was a brilliant swim. I was not expecting to go that fast,' he said.

'I was looking for a 16-07 because that is the qualifying time for the Commonwealths, so to go six seconds inside that was a shock. It was just an amazing experience.'

Salmon went into her final ranked as the girl to beat after posting the quickest qualifying time.

Throughout the race the swimmers were in a line and approaching the finish it was impossible to pick a winner, but as Frankland said later: 'Jenny must have had the longest fingernails'.

Her time of 36.09 was 0.08sec. quicker than that of closest rival Sarah-Jane Smith, of Jersey.

Other medals on the night went to Gail Strobridge (silver in 400m IM), Matthew Robert (bronze in 100m breaststroke) and Powell (a second bronze in 200m butterfly.

The disappointment of not securing a gold in either relay was softened by the news that both the 4 x 50m women's freestyle and the men's 4 x 50m medley teams had set island records.

'I am exhausted, but elated,' said Frankland, who yesterday became a grandmother.

'All the effort and training has been worth it and I am always pleased to get the first session out of the way with a few medals.

'The nerves kick in on the first evening and if you produce a few medals, it gives the whole team confidence for the rest of the week.'