BELL LOOKING SOUND FOR A MEDAL

By John Hamon - Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Golfer Mark Bell, looking good for a medal despite the heat. Picture by Laura Holme.

Island Games/Golf
AFTER two of four rounds, Island champion Mark Bell is lying second, just three shots off the leader.
The Shanklin and Sandown golfer has recorded rounds of 72 and 74 and is looking very strong for a medal.
"Despite the heat, I have felt comfortable with my game," said Bell, 20, from Bembridge.
"I have found the back nine is tougher than the front nine. My opening 18 holes saw me birdie four but hit two bogeys.
"But this is a marathon and I still have two more rounds to complete."
George Foreman has returned two rounds of 81, while Matt Leek is 30th followed, in 31st, by Kevin Garrett.
Sophie Beardsall leads the charge in the ladies' event and, after two rounds, is tenth, nine shots off the bronze medal position.
After an opening round of 91, 17-year-old Emma Powell stormed back with an 84 to move 13th on the list with Jo Wright 17th and Grace Hill, who celebrated her 16th birthday on Friday, in 24th.
In the team event, the men are fifth and the ladies are fourth, 17 shots adrift of third-placed Gotland.

SAILING
TWO brothers are flying the Island flag in the Laser standard rig sailing this week.
Andrew Talbot has recorded a second and five thirds from the opening six races and is nine points adrift of Luke Breen-Turner of Yns Mon, who leads the field. Richard Talbot is equal fourth and is seven points off the bronze medal positions.
In the radial rig, the Island has another medal prospect in Jim McMillan, from East Cowes. After three rounds he had scored 12 points, five behind the second sailor but, more importantly, four clear of the fourth competitor.
The fourth member of the team, Richard Gray, is seventh on 24 points.
"They are all sailing well and could figure heavily in the medal situation at the end of the week," said Louise Gray, the team manager. "The light winds that we have experienced this week have been a factor and helped them."
In the sailboarding individual event, sailor Kyle Grant was finding it difficult and was 17th after the first races.

TENNIS
QUENTIN Sloper was involved in the most amazing game on Tuesday evening in the men's singles, second round.
The 24-year-old was playing D. McCluskey, of Guernsey, the new favourite after he eliminated the number one seed, J. Bascome, from Bermuda.
Sloper raced into a 5-0 lead in the first set when McCluskey started to complain about the wind.
The Islander maintained his composure and went on to take the set 6-2. Then, when trailing 2-0 in the second, the Guernsey player suddenly shook Sloper's hand and conceded defeat.
This unexpected victory for Sloper puts him into the last 16 of the competition.
Unfortunately, the IW's Jack Giles suffered a first-round defeat to an opponent from Minorca.
In the ladies' singles, Netta Pakenham-Walsh has joined Sloper in the last 16 after a superb 6-1, 6-1 hammering of a Rhodes opponent. Sister Jenny Pakenham-Walsh met C. Reid of the Caymen Islands and was knocked out in the second round.
However, the third player, Hannah Price, was forced to retire with a bad shoulder injury in her first round match.

LADIES' FOOTBALL
SHANKLIN Ladies were just one game away from playing for a medal.
Having never beaten Jersey in the Island Games, the ladies put that right on Saturday with a richly deserved 1-0 victory. Although it appears a close scoreline, the Island could well have won by a bigger margin.
They created a number of chances but it was left to a penalty from Gemma Woodford in the 60th minute to separate the two teams.
The following day, Jersey suffered a 4-0 defeat against Prince Edward Island and this meant that if the Island won, they would go through to the semi-finals.
Unfortunately, Prince Edward repeated their scoreline against Jersey, although the Island hit the bar twice.
"While we thought Jersey would be the strongest of the group, it turned out to be the unknown Prince Edward Islands," said manager Trevor Thorne. "Although I don't think we were four goals worse, they certainly deserved their victory.

ATHLETICS
SUSAN Ball and Ayla Abe were shown what middle distance running was all about on Tuesday in the ladies' 5,000m.
Winner Maria Pardolou from Rhodes led from the start and smashed the Island Games record by a massive 45 seconds.
The Wade twins made a great effort in the 3,000m steeplechase. Joe and Tom led for most of the race but they were passed with only two laps remaining and had to be content with fourth and fifth respectively.
"Possibly, lack of experience told in the end," said Tom, 18 from Ryde. "I felt fine until the last couple of laps and that was the difference.
"After all, that was only the third time we have ever run 3,000m, so we will have to be pleased with our first performances in the Island Games."
Matt Barton, not renowned for his long jump, did exceptionally well when he finished just outside the medals with fourth place and a personal best of 7.11m. James Groocock, in the same competition, was seventh with 6.93m, a good effort considering he has been struggling with injury for most of the summer and was not sure whether he was going to compete.
While, by the Island's standard, the games have been disappointing medal-wise for the athletics squad, the severe heat has played an enormous part.

BELL LOOKING SOUND FOR A MEDAL

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