3rd July 2015
Jersey’s Island Games come to an end
Jersey hosted the 16th Island Games from 27 June to 3 July 2015. 3000 competitors travelled to Jersey from 24 islands and competed in 14 sports, with the main focus being Florence Boot Fields in St Clement (although the opening and closing ceremonies had been staged at Howard Davis Park in St Helier).
The event’s mascot was Indigo, the young silverback gorilla at Durrell Wildlife Park. He was the first animal chosen to represent the Games in its history. Jersey’s selection as the 2015 host had been announced five years previously.
Extremes of weather
The week of the Games had seen some extreme weather conditions, with more than 63 hours of sunshine and a top temperature of 33 degrees Celsius, two days before the thunder and rain rolled in on Thursday morning, dropping 7.7mm on the island.
Jersey, which with 264 athletes had the largest team, topped the medals table, with 50 gold, 53 silver and 30 bronze gongs, for an overall haul of 133. Guernsey came second and the Isle of Man third, each with 95 and 90 medals respectively. Sark, in 17th position, took home four medals, of which one was gold, but the team from Alderney returned empty-handed. Perhaps most impressive was the five Games records set by Jersey competitors in the women’s discus, men’s discus, and three women’s shooting events.
The opening and closing ceremonies differed in one subtle but important manner: while the competitors had entered the field by country for the opening, they paraded in sport groups for the closing, before Jersey handed over the Island Games flag to 2017 hosts Gotland.
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Other events that occured in July
Author Ellen Anne Hewett is born
- Ellen Hewett, born Ellen Baker, was just 12 when she emigrated from Jersey to New Zealand, along with the rest of her family.
- Read more…
King George V visits Jersey
- Jersey pulled out all the stops to welcome the King, Queen Mary and Princess Mary when they visited the island in 1921.
- Read more…
Jersey power station opens for business
- The Jersey Electricity Company was established in St Helier in April 1924 and, in July the following year, it opened its first power station.
- Read more…
Record-breaking Jersey cow finds fame
- A Jersey cow found fame when she produced more than her own weight in butter in a single year.
- Read more…