Mackay & Laurenson as Water Carrier & Flag Bearer
News release - Monday 17th June 2019
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Team Shetland today announced the names of their Flag Bearer and Water Carrier for next month’s NatWest International Island Games in Gibraltar.
Clay shooter John Magnus Laurenson from Burra will carry the Shetland flag and lead the Shetland Team into the Opening Ceremony at Europa Point on Saturday 6th July.
This will be John Magnus’ fourteenth Games, having taken part in every Games but one since he first competed in the Finnish island of Åland in 1991. He has won six bronze and three silver medals in clay shooting over that time, and finally won a gold medal in the Olympic Skeet event at the last Games in the Swedish island of Gotland in 2017. John Magnus has also represented Scotland three times previously.
Track athlete Seumas Mackay will be the Water Carrier at the Opening Ceremony, part of which includes the Water Ceremony, where a representative of each team pours water from their island into a fountain that will run throughout the Games week.
This will be Seumas’ second Games, having won gold in the 800 metre event in Gotland in 2017. He will be defending his title in this event in Gibraltar and is also entered in the 400 metre event. Dunrossness-based Seumas is currently a member of the Scottish Athletics National Academy and has represented Scotland at full international athletics events. Seumas also holds the current senior men’s Shetland records for 400m, 800m and 1500m and was Joint Overall Captain of this year’s successful Junior Inter-County Team.
John Magnus and Seumas have both won the “Shetland Sportsperson of the Year” awards in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Lesley Hutchison, Vice Chair of Shetland Island Games Association said: “We’re delighted that John Magnus and Seumas have accepted the honour of being our Flag Bearer and Water Carrier for the opening ceremony. They’re both fantastic ambassadors for Shetland who have excelled in their chosen sports at the Games and beyond. ”
At this year’s Games, Team Shetland will comprise 86 competitors and officials taking part in nine sports –athletics, badminton, cycling, sailing, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis and triathlon. The Official Team Sponsor, for the fourth consecutive Games, is Malakoff Limited, Shetland’s leading marine engineering and fabrication specialist.
Over 2000 participants are expected to take part at this year’s Games, that will include teams from 22 competing islands, during a week-long programme of 14 sports. For more information, please look up: www.gibraltar2019.com/
