2023 Island Games: Guernsey and Jersey win triathlon gold medals

Josh Lewis won Guernsey's first medal at the 2023 Island Games

Guernsey and Jersey began the 2023 Island Games with triathlon gold.

Guernsey's Josh Lewis won the men's individual title, finishing more than two minutes ahead of Jersey's silver medallist Ollie Turner.

Megan Chapple won Guernsey's second gold as she took the women's title, beating Jersey's Kimberley Garrett who won silver and Guernsey teammate Amy Critchlow who took the bronze medal.

Jersey won the team title for a first gold medal as Guernsey got silver.

The men's individual result was a reversal of last year's Commonwealth Games when to finish 15th, with the Guernseyman in 23rd place.

"I couldn't have asked for a better race and a better crowd and atmosphere," Lewis told BBC Channel Islands..

"I just got a good start and had to put the hammer down from the off when I saw I had the gap, because I thought if I could break the tow I'd have a good chance of getting away and that's how it panned out.

"I thought Ollie would be there in front of me, so I'm really, really happy with how it went."

Kimberley Garrett returned to the Island Games in triathlon after winning six gold medals in cycling in 2015

For Jersey's silver medallist Garrett it was a return to Island Games action after a successful cycling career.

She won a clean sweep of gold medals at the 2015 Island Games in Jersey and has also represented the island at badminton.

"I'm overwhelmed, it's what I came for and I managed to get it so I'm really happy," Garrett told BBC Channel Islands.

"On the bike I managed to get past a lot of people, that's my forte, and on the run I managed to hold on and get a bit of a gap from the others behind me, but Megan was just too strong today."

Gold medallist Chapple told BBC Channel Islands: "It means a lot, I was probably far more nervous for this race because I knew there were so many family and friends coming down.

"Being from Guernsey the amount of support that the whole island has put into these games is so special, so to win gold is amazing."

Shooting glory for Guernsey

Andrew Torode and James Straughan won a first shooting gold medal for Guernsey

In the men's NPA Police Pistol Guernsey shooter Andrew Torode took individual gold as he beat Isle of Wight's Jai Nelson by a point.

Jersey's Ben Videgrain was fourth, three points off bronze with Guernsey's James Straughan and Jersey shooter Keith Videgrain fifth and sixth.

Torode and Straughan's total of 584 was also enough for team gold, edging out the Videgrains who won silver for Jersey with 578.

"Everybody is having a really good time, that's what it's all about, but to win a medal as well is great," Torode told BBC Channel Islands.

There were also gold medals for Guernsey's Paul Guillou and Luke Malcic in the ISSF 10m Air Rifle team event.

Their score of 1191.8 was enough to beat Jersey duo Paige Fryer and Elizabeth Hart by 17.4 points to claim victory, with Guernsey's Andrea Guillou and Amy Woodland claiming bronze a further 6.5 points behind.