Riise and Hutchison sisters announced as Flag Bearer and Water Carriers for Team Shetland
News release - 19 June 2023
Team Shetland today announced the names of their Flag Bearer and Water Carriers for next month’s NatWest International Island Games in Guernsey.
Veteran road cyclist Carlos Riise will carry the Shetland flag and lead the Shetland Team into the Opening Ceremony in St Peter Port on Saturday 8th July.
This will be Carlos’ thirteenth Games over the last 30 years since he first competed in the Isle of Wight in 1993. He’s only missed two Games - Åland in 2009, where cycling wasn’t included, and the last Games in Gibraltar in 2019.
Carlos has won four silver medals for the Individual Time Trial event, in 1997, 1999, 2001 and notably in Shetland in 2005, where he was also a part of the Time Trial team that won bronze medal. He also won a Team bronze medal in 2001.
He has won countless national events over many years, including Scottish Time Trial titles at all distances from ten to 100 miles.
Twin sisters Anne and Emmie Hutchison will be joint Water Carriers at the Opening Ceremony, where representatives of each competing team ceremonially pour water from their island into a fountain that will run throughout the Games week.
‘Guernsey 2023’ will be Anne & Emmie’s fifth Games as members of the swim team, having competed at every Games since Bermuda in 2013, aged 14.
Emmie has won bronze medal in 50 metre butterfly, her main event, at the last two Games, in Gotland in 2017 and again in Gibraltar 2019. Anne won bronze in 200 metre breaststroke in Gibraltar in 2019.
They both hold the Shetland Open and 17 & Over records in these events and Emmie also holds the 100m butterfly record.
Both currently swim for Edinburgh University, have competed at national and British University finals, and have represented Shetland in the Junior Inter County swim team – Anne for seven years and Emmie for six years.
The 2023 Shetland Island Games Team will include 103 competitors and officials from ten sports - archery, athletics, badminton, cycling, football, golf, sailing, swimming, table tennis, and triathlon.
Over 2000 competitors from 24 island teams are expected to take part in this year’s Games.
Local marine engineering firm Malakoff Limited are again the Official Team Sponsor this year, a role they have fulfilled since 2013.
Bob Kerr, Secretary for Shetland Island Games Association – “We’re delighted to announce Carlos as our Flag Bearer, and Anne and Emmie as our joint Water Carriers. They’re all fantastic ambassadors for their sport and for Shetland, and they deserve to be centre stage at the Opening Ceremony in Guernsey in around three weeks’ time.”
