HAS the second Healthspan Cross-Sport Challenge thrown up another potential track and field star? Last year, the inaugural event unveiled Helen Watts as a potential Island Games middle-distance runner and the former GB swimmer is now awaiting a Games track debut.
This time it was a cricketer who caught the eye and South African GH Smit is already admitting to an interest in a second sporting career.
The man who has been smashing a cricket ball far and wide all spring won the javelin competition at Foote’s Lane with an impressive 46-metre-plus throw.
‘It was good fun,’ said the man who looked the thrower to beat from the first practice series.
He later revealed he had thrown a lot further and might again in the near future.
‘I did 59 to 60 metres in school, but I haven’t done it in ages - more than 12 years,’ he said.
‘I tried for 50 but you can’t do it in just three throws,’ Smit added.
Other notable performances on a chilly evening when the Guernsey Rugby Club triumphed over opposition from cricket, basketball and hockey in the men’s event and netball won the women’s side of things from hockey included a fine 11-metre shot put by rugby prop Leighton Batiste and an equally fine 2min. 14sec. 800m run from basketballer Lee Ogier who would have been several seconds quicker but for turning around and running backwards several metres in the final straight.
Among the women, nobody impressed more than Jay ap Sion (nee Peet) the one-time golden girl of Guernsey athletics and Island Games multi-gold medallist.
Despite a stiff headwind she won the 100m in a swift 13.6sec.
Results at foot of page
Article posted on 26th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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