Athletics: Quiet confidence over Manx Island Games chances this year

Correspondent expects debutants to enjoy occasion this summer

The many new faces to the Isle of Man athletics squad for the 2025 Island Games will bring 'strong' qualities to this year's event.

That's the belief of a local correspondent in the sport with a 24-strong squad to fly the Manx flag across the athletics disciplines in Orkney from 12-18 July.

Of that number, 11 will be appearing at the games for the first time, but Dave Griffiths doesn't think any of them will be overwhelmed by the occasion.

What's more, he thinks the younger team members who appeared at the event for the first time in Guernsey two years ago will have taken valuable experience from that into this summer:

Elsewhere, there will be two medalists from the last games in Guernsey in the form of Regan Corrin - who'll be involved in the High Jump, Long Jump, 100m and 4x400m Relay - and Corrin Leeming who's set to contest the 10,000m and half marathon.

In the women's team there's an athletics debut for Georgia Price in the Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4x100m Relay and 4x400m Relay having previously represented the Isle of Man at the games in gymnastics.

In 2023, the Isle of Man finished third in the medals tables in athletics, only behind hosts Guernsey (22) and Saaremaa (22).