Last chance saloon for Island Games hopefuls
IT MAY be still five months away, but this weekend is the last chance for Guernsey's top swimmers to qualify for their preferred NatWest Island Games events.
Although none of the island's bigger names are in any danger of not making the team ahead of these CI Championships, there are still some that need times to rubber-stamp their Games schedules.
Miles Munro and Luke Belton are both absent from St Sampson's High School this weekend for the visit of Jersey's elite, but there is still a strong line-up on show.
The likes of Robyn Le Friec and James Jurkiewicz are travelling across from the UK and will join a race programme also including Tom Hollingsworth, Ben Lowndes, Courtney Butcher and Ollie Nightingale.
With the Island Games qualifying window closing for Guernsey's swimmers at the end of the month – Jersey's still have longer – there will be no second chances.
As a result, Guernsey Amateur Swimming Association president Brian Allen, who is also the chairman of the Guernsey Island Games Association, is expecting a high-quality three-day meet.
'The standard will be extremely good and although it is difficult to see any island records falling, there will still be some very quick times swam all weekend,' he said.
The action starts this evening, with a further three sessions tomorrow – morning, afternoon and evening – before the event culminates on Sunday morning.
More in today's Guernsey Press.
