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Bown stars as Guernsey claim three golds in the pool

Swimmer Chloe Bown has won the race to be Guernsey’s first individual gold medallist of Orkney 2025.

Guernsey top the swimming medals table after day one in the pool.
Guernsey top the swimming medals table after day one in the pool. / Guernsey Press/Sophie Rabey

She touched in a Guernsey and Island Games record of 4min. 43.96sec. in dominating yesterday’s 400m individual medley, where teammate Oriana Wheeler followed her home to complete a Sarnian one-two at the Pickaquoy Centre pool.

‘It makes me so happy,’ she said.

‘Being able to start the week off on a gold is something that boosts your confidence for the rest of the week and I’m so happy that I can do it.’

Chloe Bown claimed Guernsey’s first individual gold in Orkney in new Games record.
Chloe Bown claimed Guernsey’s first individual gold in Orkney in new Games record. / Guernsey Press/Sophie Rabey

By the end of the opening evening at the Pickaquoy Centre pool, she had already added another individual gold and Guernsey record with a 2-00.47 time in the 200m freestyle and anchored the Sarnian 4x50m ‘free’ squad to victory.

Orla Rabey had taken her own individual medal – a sterling silver – and Guernsey record of 1-00.90 in the 100m butterfly.

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Nearby in archery, established star Zoe Gray hit a silver in the women’s compound yesterday.

First-time Guernsey representative Monika Komla – who had previously competed for Sark – claimed her own medal with a bronze in the women’s recurve.

On the track, both Abi Galpin and Amelia Hart came away with sprint bronze medals.

Athlete Amelia Hart made her first Island Games podium.
Athlete Amelia Hart made her first Island Games podium. / Guernsey Press/Sophie Rabey

Galpin had gone in a competitive women’s 100m, while the fast-improving Hart raced the 400m on her first Games outing.

Guernsey’s remaining medals of the day came some miles outside of Kirkwall, as the island’s new-look cycling squad claimed a silver and bronze at the time-trial events starting and finishing in Finstown.

UK-based Pippa Inderwick and veteran Andrea Nightingale joined forces to claim team silver for the women.

Guernsey’s cyclists picked up two medals in the time trial.
Guernsey’s cyclists picked up two medals in the time trial. / Guernsey Press/Sophie Rabey

They were backed up by an individual men’s bronze from Phil Touzeau, who came out of retirement relatively recently and yet finished just 10sec. off the silver.

Faroes have stormed to the top of the medals table with a remarkable 17 golds including nine from gymnastics and five from archery.

Read much more from Orkney 2025 in Tuesday’s Guernsey Press.

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