THREE of the island’s most illustrious stars are on the shortlist for the top local sports award   – the Guernsey Sports Commission Trophy.

In the year of the London Olympics, it is little surprise to see Guernsey’s two Olympians, Lee Merrien and Heather Watson, among the nominations for the top award at the GSC’s Sporting Achievement Awards, sponsored by Credit Suisse.

After being the first Briton home in the Virgin London Marathon in April, clocking a new Guernsey record in the process, athlete Merrien repeated that feat in the Olympic marathon, finishing 30th overall.

As well as her Olympic exploits at Wimbledon, where she had previously reached the third round of the All England Championships, Watson became the first British female tennis player to win a WTA Tour title for 24 years when she triumphed at the Japan Open.

World champion bowler Alison Merrien broke a long-standing record in March in securing her fifth British Isles women’s indoor singles title and followed that with her eighth world title in 12 years, winning the World Cup women’s singles with a perfect 100% winning record in Australia.