On track for success – Orkney’s athletes shine on the national stage!

For the first time ever, three athletes from Orkney were selected in one year to compete in the International Track and Field Meet, run by the Schools International Athletics Board (SIAB), last week. (14 July)

The Scottish Schools selectors had been watching the performances of the top ranked U17 athletes throughout the year, and, after Lucy Kenyon, Max Linklater and Jamie Sutherland all medalled at the Scottish Schools Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June, they were selected to compete for Scotland at SIAB.

This was a huge accolade for the athletes and the Orkney Athletic and Running Club (OARC), where they all train.

Inga Linklater, from the OARC, said: “They joined Team Scotland in Tulliallan on Friday 14 July, where they spent time with the rest of the athletes and team managers. This involved a change of plans for Lucy and Max, as they were only due to return to Scotland from the Island Games in Guernsey the following day.

“Support from WHB Sutherland, Loganair and OIC helped get them there, as well as support from NorthLink Ferries for Jamie to join them.”

The SIAB meet took place on Saturday 15 July at the Grangemouth Stadium, with Scotland being the host country this year.

The three athletes arrived with Team Scotland, all decked out in their Scottish kit. There were four athletes from each country, Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, competing in each event.

Lucy and Jamie were both selected to compete in javelin and Max was the high jump.

Inga continued: “The very windy conditions made both events challenging, with the javelins getting carried off course and the high jump bar having to be held on right up until the athletes left the ground. Training in Orkney conditions will have prepared these athletes for that though!

“Lucy was up first and threw with great consistency, buoyed by her experience in Guernsey just days before. Five of her six throws soared over the 30m mark, and it was her fifth throw that got her a new PB of 33.30m.  Lucy finished in 6th position.

“Jamie and Max were competing at the same time, side by side in the stadium. Jamie pulled a great 1.40m PB out of the bag in the last round, throwing 43.17m.  He was ecstatic and finished in 7th position.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be Max’s day but he came away with a respectable 8th place and a best jump of 1.70m, 10cm short of his PB. Although disappointed, he was delighted for his friend and Scottish team-mate, Callum Newton, who went on to take gold in their event.

“It was a fantastic and memorable experience for all of them and they are all now the second ranked Scottish athlete in their discipline, an incredible achievement for them all and their Club.

“This taste of international competition has fired them all up for more.”

There has also been success for some of our swimmers - Magnus Kirkpatrick, Alfie Price, Jack Wallace and Eve Wood - competing at the Scottish Championships at the Aberdeen Aquatic Centre recently.

This was a first for Magnus who was supported on poolside by his brother Daniel whilst the others returned to Aberdeen en route home from the Island Games.

Alfie, Jack and Eve each secured finalist places with Alfie breaking the 60 seconds for his 100m freestyle long course and both Jack and Eve winning gold in their age group for the 50 breaststroke (Jack) and 50 butterfly (Eve) with very little sleep and a tiring schedule in Guernsey.

There’s more as Orkney’s Gemma Foulis and Shannon Leslie (both badminton) will be representing Scotland in the U17 European Championships in Lithuania from 4–12 August. Andrew Reid, Rebecca Reid, Joanne Pottinger and Alison Shearer have also been selected to represent Scotland in badminton at the 4 Nations Graded International on 19 and 20 August in the Sir Craig Reedie Centre, Glasgow.

Thanks to the ongoing support of their coaches, national governing bodies, the Performance Development Programme run through Orkney Islands Council and Sport Scotland, the athletes continue to develop their skills.

The Performance Development Programme is a programme of support given to athletes on the performance pathway which includes physical preparation, performance lifestyle support, nutrition support and physio guidance.

Some of the athletes also benefit from the OIC, sportscotland and Stagecoach funded Athlete Travel Award designed to support performance or development of athletes from Orkney with their travel and accommodation costs for an agreed training and competition schedule.

Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee, Councillor Gwenda Shearer, said: “The investment of time and resources through the support schemes, combined with the personal efforts of the athletes and coaches, is quite clearly paying dividends.

“It’s such a great experience for our athletes to compete on the national stage, which I am sure will spur them all on even further. What a superb achievement so far, and there’s more to come!

“This, combined with the Island Games in Guernsey just past – and the build up to hosting our own event in 2025 - it really does feel like there’s a special atmosphere around sport at the moment. Let’s hope this continues long into the future.”