The Isle of Man rocketed to the top of the NatWest Island Games table after claiming an astonishing haul of 35 medals on the third full day of competition in Bermuda.
The Mighty Manx went medal mad on Tuesday picking up 14 golds, 11 silver and 10 bronze to take the IoM to the head of the standings ahead of Channel Island rivals Jersey and Guernsey.
Picking up the majority of the day’s successes were the island’s gymnastics contingent who landed an amazing 26 medals.
Gracie Harrison was arguably the island’s star turn picking up four golds in the beam, floor, vault and in the overall individual competition.
Harrison also picked up silver in the asymmetric bars, joining fellow Manxie Nicole Burns on the podium after she picked up bronze. Burns also picked up bronze overall, while Emily Dale-Beeton claimed silver on floor and vault.
Not to be left out Rebecca Johnson picked up silver on the beam and Tara Donnelly secured bronze on the floor to make it a Manx one-two-three.
The Manx men weren’t to be outdone and secured 15 medals including five gold. Harshul Measuria took the podium’s top step in the parallel bars adding silvers in both the pommel and high bar, which was enough to secure bronze overall. Harshul’s brother Mukunda went one better than his sibling in the high bar taking gold. Mukunda also medalled in the rings (bronze) and the floor (bronze). The latter competition was won by compatriot Anand Patel who added silvers in the vault and overall as well as a bronze in the pommel.
The other member of the Manx team, Tony Duchars, picked up four medals, which included golds in the pommel and FIG competition overall. For good measure Duchars added bronze on the high and parallel bars.
Manx success wasn’t just confirmed to the gymnasium with the island’s swimmers continuing their fine form in the pool with another five medals.
Commonwealth Games hopefuls Laura Kinley and Charlotte Atkinson both struck gold, Kinley setting a new island games record on her way to victory in the 200m breaststroke adding a silver in the 50m breaststroke. Atkinson also set a new Games standard as she won the 50m butterfly.
Atkinson and Kinley then teamed up with Stephanie Brew and Allana Kelly to claim silver in the 4x50m medley relay.
Grant Halsall couldn’t match his gold winning performance of the previous evening and had to settle for bronze in the men’s 100m butterfly.
The day’s last couple of medals were won on the track Hannah Riley picking up silver in the 100m hurdles and Alan Corlett taking gold in the 3000m steeplechase, while cyclist Andrew Roche continued his remarkable run of Island Games gold medals with victory in the men’s time trial. Roche also combined with fellow Manxies Tom Black (10th), Darren Bell (15th), Josh Knights (17th) and Chris Nicholson (27th) to clinch the top team prize.
More in Thursday’s Manx Independent.