Fourth medal in games as archers secure bronze in event won by Orkney

From Neil Riddell in Åland

Shetland’s archers won their fourth medal of the week on Thursday morning to take the team’s overall tally in this year’s Island Games to six.

A bronze in the team compound head-to-head knockout for Billy Finnie, Martin Krusche, Ryan Leith and Sara Leith was secured with a victory over the Isle of Man in a play-off after they were knocked out 203-199 at the semi-final stage by neighbouring Orkney, who went on to win gold.

It added to a gold from Finnie in the men’s compound, a bronze from Sara Leith in the women’s equivalent event and another team bronze for the same quartet in the team compound on Tuesday.

Elsewhere on Thursday morning, young 800m runner Emma Leask recorded the third fastest time in the heats to go into the final on Friday with a decent chance of a medal.

Meanwhile, after an illness-afflicted Wednesday, the swimmers had a more fruitful morning with all of the team members well enough to compete. Amy Harper came fourth in the heats of both the 50m backstroke – where she was just 0.13 seconds behind the third fastest swimmer – and the 100m freestyle and is in with a shout for a medal in both finals on Thursday evening.

Strachan also qualified for the individual medley with a time of 1:11.24 and the boys came fourth to reach the 100m freestyle relay final, their time of 3:43.31 only 0.40 seconds behind the third-placed Isle of Man.

Table tennis starlet Lynda Flaws has started very impressively, cruising through group five and dropping only one set on the way to beating Lii Vahter of Saaremaa, Gotland’s Martina Eskedahl and Danielle Ives of Alderney in the singles event.