Eyes on Island Games times

While Chloe Bown impressed with five championships records at St Sampson’s High, and Delphine Riley set a duo of distance freestyle marks, these and other senior swimmers are still busting the rust after a summer break.

The championships came just three weeks into a new season, which starts with a push for

Island Games standards before the new year. The focus of Orkney 2025 will be juggled with Glasgow

2026 Commonwealth Games qualifying.

Island Games swimming stalwart Sara Parfit was therefore ‘really pleased’ with the standard shown.

Recent arrival Bown is proving a dominant force in multiple events, pushing those around her to improve.

The Guernsey Swimming Club star won no fewer than nine events across the three days.

Her first record came in the 200m individual medley, where she swam 2min. 19.06sec. to shave over 4sec. off Gail Strobridge’s long-lived mark from 2003.

Further strokes of brilliance much later in the programme had her lowering the 50m butterfly to 28.68, 200m freestyle to 2-04.85 and 100m IM to 1-04.25.

Unfortunately, she lacked entry times and was often placed in different heats to rivals like Orla Rabey – whose 50m fly was just 0.16sec. slower.

This was partly redeemed by a fast-and-furious 50m freestyle finale where she powered to a new record of 27.05, as Molly Staples and 15-year-old Emma Bourgaize shared the same time of 28.02 behind her.

‘It’s good to see everybody training hard and trying to secure themselves some Island Games times,’ Parfit said.

‘With Chloe coming in, which is a really exciting addition to the Guernsey team, it has made a difference to what times people need to do.

‘We have got people that are looking at different events rather than the events they did in Guernsey.

‘That has pushed people on as well.’

Meanwhile, Barracudas’ tireless Riley swam 18-09.90 over 1,500m to shave over 4sec. from her record set last year, with younger sister Elodie sticking with her much of the way to take runner-up in 18-20.45.

Delphine then chipped down her 800m mark with a 9-22.23 as her sibling followed within 4sec. The pressure is on for future races.

Jonathan Beck won the men’s 50m freestyle in 25.11, pipping up-and-coming competitor Josh Dunning – a 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games swimmer – by 0.16sec.

But Dunning proved the most prolific male swimmer in securing eight total wins at senior level.

Saturday’s Gasa 100m Gala is the next stop on the competitive calendar, which will soon escalate further with two big Games to target.

‘It’s a big year coming up, so everyone’s preparing for the Island Games,’ Parfit said.

‘At the same time, we are also going to be qualifying to compete at the Commonwealth Games, which has to be done in a long-course pool. It means lots of trips to the UK to satisfy that.’

Following positive performances through the age groups at the championships, Parfit added: ‘It looks like the future is rosy for Guernsey swimming.

‘You have got swimmers who are continually coming through. You get some older swimmers going to university, but there’s a swimmer there in their lane, filling their boots.’