Western Isles Island Games Athletics profiles part 1

Our NatWest Island Games previews continue with a four-page special on the athletics squad preparing to compete in Gibraltar in July.

This week’s Stornoway Gazette profiled all sixteen athletes and our stars of track and field who are aiming to compete again athletes from across the 24 island entities of the International Island Games Association (IIGA) from Europe, South Atlantic and the Caribbean region.

The Games take place between July 6 and July 12.

See four of our athletes below and another four each day here at www.stornowaygazette.co.uk over the next four days.

Connor Maclean

Age: 21

Event: 1500m, 5,000m, 4x400m relay

Personal best: 15:18.14 (5,000m); 3:53:53 (1500m)

Connor is running well this season and despite being just 21 is one of the more experienced athletes in the WIIGA camp.

Medalled in Jersey 2015 with a superb battle in a hugely competitive 1,500m race but he missed Gotland 2017 with injury.

Has been working hard and training hard with elite coaching being provided by Robert Hawkins - father and coach to GB Olympians Callum and Derek Hawkins.

Trinity Johnson

Age: 16

Event: 100m, 100m hurdles, 4 x 100m relay

Personal best: 13:15 (100m)

Trinity is a promising young athlete who has established herself strongly on the Western Isles sprint scene.

Is entered for both sprints and hurdles in Gibraltar but may only compete in one or the other while she is also part of the relay squad for the 4 x 100m with the final four chosen on the day depending on fitness, race schedules and form by squad manager Seumas Mactaggart.

Katie MacKinnon

Age: 34

Event: Half Marathon

Personal best: 91:52

Another squad newcomer and she, alongside both of her brand new Western Isles athletics half marathon team mates, bounded around the drizzly Stornoway streets at the weekend for the annual half marathon.

Katie set a new PB of 91.52 at the weekend in Stornoway, having taken almost seven minutes of her previous best in the last month at consecutive half marathons, and looks to be in top form ahead of the July trip to Gibraltar.

Marion MacCorquodale

Age: 16

Event: shot putt

Personal best: 10.06m

Marion has been throwing at under-17 level but has stepped up to senior level with some superb throws.

Threw the required Island Games qualifying standard at the last event of last year and has since gone on to throw over 10m.