Orkney Athletes at the Island Games

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Orkney athletes have attended every edition of the International Island Games going back to the very first games in 1985. This page is intended as a history of our island’s participation at the games, a record of the athletes who travelled, the medals they won and the records they set.

Total Island Games Medals:

15 Gold, 25 Silver, 20 Bronze

Most Successful Games:

Isle of Man 1985 – 3 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze

Most Successful Athlete:

Linda Low – 2 Gold, 4 Silver & 4 Bronze medals between 1987-2001

Most Appearances:

Nigel Thomson – 14 consecutive games between 1985-2011

‘Top 25’ Track and Field Performances (prior to Guernsey 2023)

Games athletics historian David Griffiths keeps a record of the 25 fastest individuals in each event in his Island Games Athletics Facebook Group, with each athlete being listed only once with their fastest time. These are the Orcadian athletes that feature on the list before the Guernsey 2023 games:

  • Men’s 200m – Douglas Thom – 22.29 – Jersey 1997 – 22nd
  • Men’s 400m – Neil Gray – 48.93 – Shetland 2005 – 16th
  • Men’s 400m Hurdles – Douglas Thom – 53.46 – Jersey 1997 – 8th
  • Men’s Javelin (pre-1997 spec) – Jeremy Smyth – 58.74m – Jersey 1997 – 2nd
  • Men’s Javelin (post-1997 spec) – Jeremy Smyth – 58.98m – Isle of Man 2001 – 9th
  • Men’s Javelin (post-1997 spec) – Calvin Cooper – 52.69m – Isle of Wight 2011 – 23rd
  • Men’s Hammer – Robert Cross – 43.62m – Aland 1991 – 21st
  • Women’s 100m – Taylah Paterson – 12.50 – Jersey 2015 – 22nd (19th wind legal only)
  • Women’s 200m – Taylah Paterson – 24.65 – Gibraltar 2019 – 3rd
  • Women’s 200m – Mags MacRae – 25.46 – Aaland 2009 – 22nd (19th wind legal only)
  • Women’s 400m – Mags MacRae – 57.39 – Aaland 2009 – 12th
  • Women’s 800m – Tegan Spence – 2.17.87 – Gotland 2017 – 25th
  • Women’s 1500m – Anna Tait – 4.24.15 – Gotland 2017 – 1st
  • Women’s 5000m – Anna Tait – 16.45.06 – Gotland 2017 – 1st
  • Women’s 10000m – Joanna Walker – 38.43.35 – Rhodes 2007 – 25th
  • Women’s Half Marathon – Joanna Walker – 1.25.31 – Shetland 2005 – 23rd
  • Women’s High Jump – Sarah MacPhail – 1.60m – Bermuda 2013 – =22nd
  • Women’s Shot Put – Helen Cromarty – 12.18m – Rhodes 2007 – 11th
  • Women’s Shot Put – Linda Low – 11.10m – Jersey 1997- 22nd
  • Women’s Shot Put – Claire Wilson – 11.04 – Aaland 2009 – 23rd
  • Women’s Javelin (pre-1997 spec) – Linda Low – 39.94m – Isle of Wight 1993 – 7th
  • Women’s Javelin (pre-1997 spec) – Helen Cromarty – 28.52m – Aaland 1991 – 21st
  • Women’s Javelin (post-1997 spec) – Thora Cant – 38.32m – Jersey 2015 – 16th
  • Women’s Hammer – Linda Low – 39.38m – Jersey 1997 – 11th
  • Women’s Hammer – Aline Cross – 36.58m – Jersey 1997 – 17th

Full Island Games History:

Guernsey 2023 – 1 Bronze

  • Bronze Women’s 10,000m Aly Kemp 37:26.13

Athletes attending: Amy Davis, Ewan Foubister, Lillie Giggle, Bobby Harcus, Charlotte Hume, Aly Kemp, Lucy Kenyon, Max Linklater, Ava Luke, Ali Mackenzie, Erika Marwick, Emily McArthur, Craig Moar, Zander Scott, Tegan Spence, Effie Thomson

Gibraltar 2019 – 2 Silver, 1 Bronze

  • Silver Taylah Spence Women’s 200m 24.65s
  • Silver Women’s 4x400m Relay Team 3:58.34 (Erika Marwick, Tegan Spence, Taylah Spence, Alice Tait)
  • Bronze Amy Davis Women’s High Jump 1.56m

Athletes attending: Alexander Scott, Angus Davren, Taylah Spence, Sian Smith, Ellen Hay, Tegan Spence, Alice Tait, Gregor Dowell, Emma Horne, Ross Sinclair, Erika Marwick, Amy Davis, Kally Milne, Shannon Pasotti

Gotland 2017 – 2 Gold, 1 Bronze

  • Gold Anna Tait Women’s 1500m 4:24:15 (IIGA Record)
  • Gold Anna Tait Women’s 5000m 16.45.06 (IIGA Record)
  • Bronze Taylah Spence Women’s 100m 12.68s

Athletes: Balfour Hay, Taylah Spence, Mia MacIver, Tegan Spence, Sam Rendall, Jamie Clouston, Anna Tait, Timothy Ross, Paul Kerr, Amy Davis, Erin Montgomery, Molly Cant, Andrew Rendall, Aimee Leask

Jersey 2015 – 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

  • Silver Women’s Javelin Thora Cant 38.32m
  • Bronze Men’s 4x100m Relay 43.30 (Andrew Davis, James Flett, Fergus Macivor, Gordon Mowat)

Athletes: Fergus Macivor, Gordon Mowat, Taylah Spence, Amy Davis, Gordon Mowat, James Flett, Andrew Davis, Sarah MacPhail, Correen Davis, Magnus Bichan, Jack Duncan, Jennifer Bichan, Aimee Leask, Timothy Ross, Paul Kerr, Kirstin Flett, Joe Gregg, Balfour Hay, Alex Morgan Stevenson, Joe Gregg, Erin Montgomery, Thora Cant 

Bermuda 2013 – 3 Silver, 1 Bronze

  • Silver Men’s 10k Thomas Fay 32:43.79
  • Silver Men’s Half Marathon Thomas Fay 1:17:08
  • Silver Women’s Javelin Thora Cant 37.51m
  • Bronze Men’s Half Marathon Team – Thomas Fay & Paul Kerr

Athletes: Magnus Blair, Jodie Drever, David Miller, Thomas Fay, Paul Kerr, Sarah MacPhail, Jeremy Smyth, Calvin Cooper, Thora Cant

Isle of Wight 2011 – No medals

Athletes: James Flett, Gordon Mowat, Thomas Newton, James Watson, Calvin Cooper, Carly Kirkpatrick, Nigel Thomson

Aaland 2009 – 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

  • Silver Women’s Shot Put Claire Wilson 11.04m
  • Bronze Women’s 200m Mags MacRae 25.46s

Athletes: Gordon Mowat, James Flett, Carolynn Leslie, Nigel Thomson, Mags MacRae, Tom Newton, David Miller, Aly Bain, Torquil Clyde, Iain Nelson, Claire Wilson

Rhodes 2007 – 1 Bronze

  • Bronze Women’s Shot Put Helen Cromarty 12.18m

Athletes: Gordon Mowat, Nigel Thomson, Neil Gray, Mags MacRae, Bryony Muir, Ronald Gray, Neil Gray, Aly Bain, David Miller, Joanna Walker, Helen Cromarty, Claire Wilson

Shetland 2005 – 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze

  • Gold Women’s Half Marathon Joanna Walker 1:25:31
  • Gold Women’s Shot Put Helen Cromarty 11.76m
  • Silver Men’s 400m Neil Gray 48.93s
  • Bronze Men’s 800m David Miller 1:58.84
  • Bronze Women’s 4x400m Relay Team 4:03.98 (Aly Bain, Jordan Fogarty, Mags MacRae, Bryony Muir)

Athletes: Nigel Thomson, Bryony Muir, Mags MacRae, Neil Gray, Jordan Fogarty, David Miller, Ronald Gray, Thomas Fay, Aly Bain, Joanna Walker, Helen Cromarty, Karen Wood

Guernsey 2003 – No medals

Athletes: Nigel Thomson, Linda Low, Jeremy Smyth

Isle of Man 2001 – 2 Silver

  • Silver Women’s Hammer Throw Linda Low 36.24m
  • Silver Men’s Javelin Jeremy Smyth 58.98m

Athletes: Muriel Shearer, Kevin McKay, Rachel Cursiter, K Palmer, Nigel Thomson, Gareth Thomson, Rosie Cursiter, Craig Shearer, Jonathan Spence, Ruth Pottinger, Linda Low, Jeremy Smyth, Dianne Norquay, Keith Shearer

Gotland 1999 – 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

  • Silver Men’s Javelin Jeremy Smyth 55.61m
  • Bronze Women’s Hammer Linda Low 37.82m

Athletes: Graeme Miller, Douglas Thom, Jeremy Smyth, Nigel Thomson, James Scott,  Jonathan Spence, Marie Wylie, Linda Low

Jersey 1997 – 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

  • Gold Men’s 200m Douglas Thom 22.29
  • Gold Men’s 400m Hurdles Douglas Thom 53.46
  • Gold Men’s Javelin Jeremy Smyth 58.74
  • Silver Women’s Hammer Linda Low 39.38m
  • Bronze Women’s Shot Put Linda Low 11.1m

Athletes: Nigel Thomson, Douglas Thom, Craig Shearer, Robert Cross, Jeremy Smyth, Rachel Stockan, Muriel Thomson, Aline Cross, Linda Low, Julie Shearer

Gibraltar 1995 – 2 Bronze

  • Bronze Women’s Javelin Linda Low 36.88m
  • Bronze Women’s Shot Put Linda Low 10.05m

Athletes: Nigel Thomson, Peter Morrison, Will Cotterill, Mark Williams, Grant Cumming, John Scott, Jeremy Smyth, Linda Low

Isle of Wight 1993 – 1 Silver

  • Silver Women’s Javelin Linda Low 39.94m

Athletes: Nigel Thomson, Grant Cumming, Chris Cotterill, Sean Cumming, Robert Cross, Claire Beaton, Helen Batty, Aline Cross, Linda Low

Aland 1991 – 1 Gold, 1 Bronze

  • Gold Men’s Hammer Robert Cross 43.62m
  • Bronze Women’s Discus Aline Cross 29.60m

Athletes: Nigel Thomson, Grant Cumming, Helen Cromarty, Sharon Thomson, Aline Cross, Marie Wylie, Myra Frazer, Claire Beaton, Sean Cumming, Chris Cotterill, Scott Milne, Linda Low, Claire Beaton, Robert Cross, Graham Wylie, David Flanagan

Faroes 1989 – 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze

  • Gold Women’s Javelin Linda Low 36.78m
  • Gold Women’s Shot Put Linda Low 9.95m
  • Gold Women’s Discus Aline Cross 32.04m
  • Silver Women’s Discus Marie Wylie 29.78m
  • Silver Women’s Shot Put Marie Wylie 9.61m
  • Silver Men’s Discus Robert Cross 33.92m
  • Bronze Men’s Javelin David Flanagan 47.52m

Athletes: Aline Cross, Grant Cumming, Nigel Thomson, Sean Cumming, Linda Low, Marie Wylie, Cullen Burns, Robert Cross, David Flanagan

Guernsey 1987 – 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze

  • Gold Women’s Shot Put Marie Wylie 10.26m
  • Silver Women’s Discus Linda Low 9.17m
  • Bronze Women’s 4x100m Relay Team 57.5s
  • Bronze Women’s 4x400m Relay Team 4.53.3s

Athletes: Adrian Askew, Robert Cross, Stuart Gray, Steve Hogley, Robert Leslie, Ian MacGruer, Michael Reid, Paul Ross, Kevin Tait, Ivan Taylor, Nigel Thomson, Graham Wylie, Elizabeth Anderson, Terrah Elliot, Doris Leonard, Linda Low, Morna Mackay, Fiona Mackie, Lynn Moar, Hilary Rendall, Pauline Walker, Marie Wylie

Isle of Man 1985 – 3 Gold, 6 Silver,  5 Bronze

  • Gold Women’s 200m Hilary Donaldson 28.0s
  • Gold Men’s Shot Put Ian MacGruer 11.28m
  • Gold Women’s 100m Hilary Donaldson 13.4s
  • Silver Women’s 3000m Fiona Mackie 12.09.4
  • Silver Women’s 4x100m Relay Team 54.8s
  • Silver Women’s Discus Lynn Moar 29.40m
  • Silver Women’s High Jump Hilary Donaldson 1.45m
  • Silver Men’s 200m John Scott 24.9s
  • Silver Women’s Javelin Lynn Moar 24.82m
  • Bronze Women’s 100m Hurdles Lorraine Gilmour 21.8s
  • Bronze Women’s 800m Pauline Walker 2.53.2
  • Bronze Women’s 1500m Fiona Mackie 5.32.5
  • Bronze Men’s 4x100m Relay Team 47.5s
  • Bronze Women’s Shot Put Marie Wylie 9.18m

Athletes: Nigel Thomson, John Scott, Stuart Gray, Nigel Reid, Ivan Taylor, Gordon Wilson, Ian MacGruer, Hilary Donaldson, Lynn Moar, Lorraine Gilmour, Terrah Elliot, Caroline Budge, Fiona Mackie, Marie Wylie, Karen Hogley, Pauline Walker