Archery

GUERNSEY are sending four new faces to Aland but medals are expected.

The Guernsey archery team. (Picture by Andrew Le Poidevin, 0791999)

Dan Power and Laura Bride will take part in the recurve competitions while Andrew Marquand and Kieran Kelly are shooting compound bows.

All are making their Island Games debuts.

‘I think they’ve got good possibilities,’ said team manager Toni Robilliard.

‘Laura has been shooting in the UK at university and Dan is shooting very well with his recurve. They are all coming up to a good standard.

‘We’ve got a good chance in the compound team [events] for a medal. We’ve got a pretty strong team again.’

However, Guernsey’s medal hopes have been hit by the fact that Robilliard himself will not be competing.

As one of the island’s leading bowmen, he won silver and two bronze medals in the individual compound events at the last Games in Rhodes two years ago.

He also helped the Greens win two bronze medals in the compound competitions.

A shoulder injury has stopped the 57-year-old from shooting this year.

‘I’m a little bit disappointed not to be taking part but I’m going into another stage – I’m probably coming out of competition shooting,’ he said.

‘I’ve been competing for 20 years.’

Guernsey’s best hope for an individual gold is Mikael Appelqvist.

The 47-year-old Scot won three bronze medals in compound in Rhodes.

‘He’s shooting well at the moment,’ said Robilliard.

‘They’ve been putting quite a bit of practise in and they’ve had good conditions as well.’

Robilliard had no hesitation in picking the Faroe Islands as the team to watch next week.

That is despite the fact their best archer, Schandorff Vang, who took away from Rhodes two gold medals and silver is not making the trip to Aland.

‘Faroes are usually pretty good at most things in archery,’ said Robilliard.

‘They are a very good team.’

Robilliard competed in the last Games to be held in Aland in 1991.

The archery range is on the outskirts of the main town of Mariehamn and Robilliard said the Guernsey archers should feel at home there.

‘The conditions are going to be pretty much the same as here,’ he said. ‘Their range looks a very good field to shoot on. It’s going to be a nice venue if it’s anything like the one I went to in 91.

‘It’s a nice place to go to.’

Guernsey team:
Compound: Mikael Appelqvist, Ian Le Page, Vivien Le Page, Andrew Marquand, Kieran Kelly, Laura Le Page.
Recurve: Laura Bridel, David Nash, Matt Tardivel, Steve Yates, Chantelle Goubert, Daniel Power.

Schedule:
Sunday 28 June
1pm (EEST) to 5pm – Practise
Monday 29 June
9am to 9.45am – Practise
10am to noon – Men: compound FITA 90m, recurve FITA 90m
Women: Compound FITA 70m, recurve FITA 70m
1pm to 3pm – Men: compound FITA 70m, recurve FITA 70m
Women: compound FITA 60m, recurve FITA 60m
Tuesday 30 June
9am to 9.45am – Practise
10am to noon – Men: compound FITA 50m, recurve FITA 50m
Women: compound FITA 50m, recurve FITA 50m
1pm to 3pm – Men: compound FITA 30m, recurve FITA 30m
Women: compound FITA 30m, recurve FITA 30m
4pm – Medal ceremonies
Wednesday 1 July
9am to 9.45am – Practise
10am to noon – Men: compound head to head individual, recurve head to head individual
Women: compound head to head individual, recurve FITA 50m
1pm to 3pm: Men: compound FITA 30m, compound gold, silver and bronze, recurve gold, silver and bronze
Women: recurve head to head individual, compound gold, silver and bronze, recurve gold, silver and bronze
Thursday 2 July
9am to 9.45am – Practise
10am – compound head to head team, recurve head to head team
4pm – medal ceremonies