Скачать или смотреть Orkney 2025 - Women’s 400 metres Final

The Monday evening session came to a climax with four track finals, of which this was the first. Conditions were absolutely perfect, with warm evening sunshine and just the lightest of breezes.

The field included one previous medallist from the event, and indeed that was the reigning champion Ffion Roberts of Ynys Môn who had also been the bronze medallist in 2019. There was great local interest, with the rapidly improving U20 athlete Emily McArthur lining up alongside Charlotte Hume who also went into the race in top form. Indeed there was quality all through the field.

Ffion Roberts was clearly the outstanding athlete in the race, and right from the gun she stamped her authority with a strong start that immediately took her into a clear lead. Running from lane 5, she soon passed Maria Biskopstø in the outside lane and was visually well out in front. Behind her there was a close battle between Emily McArthur in lane 3 and Guernsey’s debutante Amelia Hart in lane 4.

Ffion came into the home straight with a convincing lead, and showed her class with a brilliant finish to cross the line and win by almost three seconds in a time of 54.12 seconds. It was only the second time in Island Games history that a sub-55 seconds time has been run in this event, definitely one of the performances of the week in Orkney.

There was great excitement from the huge crowd as Emily McArthur came into the home straight in second place. Roared on by the massed ranks she ran magnificently to claim a richly deserved silver medal in a new personal best time. Her performance was all the more remarkable as she had suffered a broken ankle in a fall whilst racing during the indoor season early in the year.

Amelia Hart of Guernsey also produced a superb performance on her debut to claim the bronze medal in a new pb time, just ahead of a strong finish from Margit Weihe Fríðmundsdóttir of the Faroe Islands. Charlotte Hume also produced a new pb, finishing just ahead of Maria Biskopstø. It was a quality field with all finishing inside 59 seconds.

The scenes afterwards were a delight to witness, with Ffion Roberts being congratulated by Ynys Môn team manager Barry Edwards, and joy unconfined as Emily McArthur jumps into the arms of her coach Mags MacRae and is also congratulated by Inga Linklater of Orkney Athletic and Running Club, Rob Flett of Radio Orkney and her teammate Charlotte Hume. Very special Island Games moments!

Pos Lane Bib Competitor Island Result
1st 5 268 Ffion Roberts YSM 54.12 Gold
2nd 3 182 Emily McArthur ORK 56.84 Silver
3rd 4 70 Amelia Hart GUE 57.41 Bronze
4th 1 19 Margit Weihe Fríðmundsdóttir FAR 58.03
5th 2 173 Charlotte Hume ORK 58.72
6th 6 16 Maria Biskopstø FAR 58.80