Team Isle of Wight ended the 2019 Island Games with 34 medals – eight more than two years ago – after a brilliant final day in Gibraltar.
Two golds, three silver and four bronze medals were won by the Isle of Wight, who finished ninth in the overall medal table.
Charlie Metcalfe became the first ever Island woman to win the half-marathon, helping the ladies’ team, which included Laura Brackley and Rosie Sexton, to a silver medal.
Metcalfe said: “I was so elated. It was amazing and I’m so happy.
“It was a tough race, I stayed close to the front two and I tried to keep it sensible.
“I was able to pick it up and I couldn’t believe that I was in front.
“We’re all so happy to win team silver too, what a great race for us.”
Richard Clifton won gold in the IPSC standard pistol and a bronze with Ian Grimes in the team event.
Also in rifle shooting, Dom Cowen won silver in the 50m prone, with Andy Whittall took bronze.
Team Isle of Wight won three table tennis bronze medals in the men’s singles, doiubles and mixed doubles.
The team’s flag carrier in the opening ceremony, Dan Burns, won his 13th Island Games medal playing alongside George Downing in the men’s doubles.
Downing also won bronze in the men’s singles and silver in the mixed doubles with Temeesha Hobbs.
The closing ceremony will be held tonight (Friday).
The penultimate day at the 2019 Island Games ended in dramatic style for Team Isle of Wight.
Four medals – a silver and three bronze – were all won last night (Thursday), to follow another silver won by Perron Phipps in air pistol shooting earlier in the day.
In the pool, Abi Lacey swam a new PB to take silver in the 100m individual medley.
Megan King swam her fastest time to win bronze in the 50m backstroke, before the ladies’ team won bronze in the 4 x 100m medley relay.
The Island agonisingly thought they had missed out before they were awarded bronze when the Faroe Islands were disqualified.
In athletics, Bridget Fryer won bronze in discus and on the track.
Swim coach Val Gard said: “It has been an amazing week.
“The medals have been wonderful but we’ve also had loads of personal best swims too.
“Our swimmers have really worked hard, not just over the last six months but over several years.
“To see them get rewarded for that is just fantastic.”
There was also success in table tennis, where the Isle of Wight played their way into medal-winning matches in the men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
The Isle of Wight’s squash team also has a chance of winning a bronze medal today (Friday).
Elsewhere, the Island has medal hopes in athletics, rifle shooting, clay shooting and this morning’s half marathon.
Team Isle of Wight has 20 Island Games medals after four days of competition in Gibraltar.
In judo, Dan Blinkhorn continued the team’s medal streak with gold in the men’s open category on Wednesday.
Dan Eckersley added to his steeplechase gold by taking bronze in the 5000m and Imogen Moss also won bronze in the 25m air pistol shooting.
In squash, Amelie Haworth and ladies’ doubles partner Fleur Orchard won bronze in their event.
Team Isle of Wight chairman Martin Goodall said: “We’re having an amazing Island Games.
“Medals are wonderful but we’ve also had so many competitors gaining personal bests.
“Across the board it has been a great success and hopefully we have some more to come.
“Our team is giving their best and that’s all I can ask for.
“We’ve had great support from back home, it means a huge amount, so thank you to everyone for getting behind us.”
In basketball, Team Isle of Wight signed off with a hard-fought 46-44 win against the Faroe Islands.
