Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.
A lot has happened in Faroese athletics since Faroese athletes first took part in Stórmót IR in 2007. That time, four national youth team athletes made the trip. Hardly anyone would have guessed that just six years later, 80 Faroese would travel to Iceland for the same purpose, Stórmót IR. But that is now a reality. The competitions begin on Saturday, with around 700 participants in total, and the Icelanders have also noticed that the Faroese make up 10% of all the participants.
This high number proves that athletics is not a summer sport, or a winter sport, but a year-round sport. Training for athletics in the depths of winter in the Faroe Islands is not always much fun. Admittedly, it is no great feat for runners to step out into the winter in their running shoes. It is harder for those who do the technical events and the sprints. It is very important for all of them to also have some concrete, substantial sporting challenges at this time of year, and the competition in Reykjavík, with the excellent facilities they have there, is a welcome opportunity for us Faroese to try something different and exciting.
Bragdið are in Iceland for the first time, and they have travelled with a group of 12 athletes plus team leaders and coaches. It will be very exciting to follow the Bragdið athletes, who include two Island Games participants. One is Rói Holgarsson, who has already set Faroese indoor records over both 50 and 60 metres. In Iceland he will run the 60, 200 and 400 metres. He is expected to go after the 200 m record. It will also be exciting to see how far Rúni Seloy has come in his preparations for the Island Games. He hopes to run a time just under 1:58 min, and so break his own record, which is 1:58.58. But Regin Joensen (800), Daniel Djuruus Rein (long jump) and Sára Debesardóttir (200 and 400) also hope to achieve the Island Games standard. Bragdið’s entries are as follows:
Karin Holm Simonsen: 200 m and 800 m
Katarina Høj: 200 m and 800 m
Sára Debesardóttir: 200 m and 400 m
Hildur Poulsen: 60 m and 200 m
Rói Holgarsson: 60 m, 200 m and 400 m
Daniel D. Rein: Long jump
Steingrímur Hallsson: 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m
Teitur Bjarnastein: 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m
Rúni Seloy: 400 m and 800 m
Regin Joensen: 400 m and 800 m
Regin Thomsen: 1500 m and 3000 m
Debes Christiansen: 1500 m and 3000 m
Regin Joensen, Bragdið, and Rúni Jacobsen – both on the verge of the Island Games team. (photo: Treysti)
Of the three Faroese clubs in Iceland, Hvirlan has the largest group. The party arrived in Reykjavík on Friday, and most of them return home on Monday. However, twelve of the older athletes will stay on in Iceland with a coach, where they will spend a week training with their friendship club, IR, which is also the organiser of the competition. No fewer than 32 athletes are ready to compete in their red kit. Hvirlan has three athletes who have achieved the Island Games standard. But since the long throws are not held indoors, and Øssur is in Denmark, none of them will compete. That said, javelin thrower Rógvi Højgaard will try his hand at the 60 m. But Hvirlan has several athletes who are on the verge and eager to jump into the Island Games race. Trygvi Laksafoss, who is said to be in good form, will try both the high jump and the long jump, and sprinter Rúni Jacobsen is also likely to threaten the Island Games standard in the 400 quite seriously. And then there is young Edna Maria Debes, who is not that far off either in the high jump. Other Hvirlan athletes will also make their mark as Island Games candidates later this winter/spring. Hvirlan’s entries:
Rógvi Højgaard: 60 m
Kristian Martin Garðalíð: Shot put
Birgir Hansen: 60 m, 200 m, 400m and long jump
Helgi Geyti: Shot put and 60 m hurdles
Steinolvur Geyti: Shot put
Rúni Jacobsen: 60 m, 200 m and 400 m
Trygvi Laksafoss: Long jump and high jump
Tummas Nap. Arge: 60 m, 200 m and 400 m
Sofus Andreasen: 60 m and 200 m
Teitur Arge Seloy: Shot put
Hans Hjørleivur Magnussen: Shot put
Hallur Simonsen: Shot put and 60 m
Hanus Jóhansson: 60 m, 800 m and 1500 m
Tórur Mortensen: 60 m, 60 m hurdles, long jump and triple jump
Jákup Dahl Ljósheim: 400 m, 800 m, long jump and triple jump
Dánjal Dahl Ljósheim: 60 m, 200 m, 600 m, long jump
Rói Sørensen: 60 m, 200 m, shot put and long jump
Pauli Nolsøe Vang: 60 m, 200 m, shot put and long jump
Sveinur Ákason: 60 m, 200 m, shot put and long jump
Filip Rajai Hansen: 60 m, 200 m, shot put and long jump
Rigmor Nap. Arge: 3000 m
Edna Maria Debes: 60 m, 60 m hurdles, 200 m and high jump
Marita Káradóttir Petersen: 60 m, 60 m hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump and shot put
Alda Sigurðsdóttir Lamhauge: 60 m, 200 m and 400 m
Tinna Berg Jørgensen: 60 m and 200 m
Rebecka Monja Jørgensen: 60 m, 200 m, shot put and long jump
Guðrið Káradóttir Petersen: 60 m, 200 m, shot put and long jump
Bjørk Sigurðsdóttir Lamhauge: 60 m, 200 m, 600 m and long jump
Bjørk Mohr Joensen: 60 m, 200 m and long jump
Helena Svabo Ziska: 60 m, shot put and long jump
Børka Berg Jørgensen: Try-out track
No sooner had the Hvirlan athletes landed in Reykjavík than a light training session in the hall was on the programme. (photo: Hvirlan)
Treysti’s whole group numbers 43 people. Several of them are parents, so the number of athletes is 23. The group arrived in Iceland as early as Monday, and they have spent some of the time training in the hall itself, where the competition will be held. Rebekka Fuglø is so far the only Treysti athlete to have achieved the Island Games standard. She appears to be in good form, and if she hits it on the day she runs the 800, she may break her own record, which is 2:20.68 min. And then there is Marnar Djurhuus, who has not yet qualified for the Island Games. He will make an attempt in the 1500 m, and it will not be far off the mark that he manages 4:09.18 min, which is the qualifying time. That also leaves Bogi Lenvig’s last indoor record hanging by a thread. His record time is 4:10.61 min. Treysti’s other entries are as follows:
Maria Josephsen: Try-out track
Vibeka Sivertsen: Try-out track
Ceciliga Sivertsen: Try-out track
Christian Sivertsen: Try-out track
Maria Biskopstø: 60 m, 200 m, 600 m, high jump, long jump and shot put
Birita Ryan: 60 m, 200 m, 600 m, high jump, long jump and shot put
Oddvør Josephsen: 60 m, 200 m, 600 m, high jump, long jump and shot put
Eskilda Bjarnadóttir: 60 m, 200 m, high jump, long jump and shot put
Rutt Gregersen: 60 m, 200 m and 600 m
Hans Sivertsen: 60 m, 200 m, 600 m, high jump, long jump and shot put
Elin Kristina Ryan: 60 m, 60 m hurdles, 200 m, 600 m, long jump and shot put
Herdis Bjarnadóttir: Shot put
Marta Josephsen: 60 m, 200 m, 800 m, long jump and shot put
Paulina Fuglø: 60 m, 200 m, 60 m hurdles, long jump and shot put
Hans Jákup Glerfoss: 60 m, 60 m hurdles, 200 m, long jump, high jump and pole vault
Gunnar Sivertsen: 60 m, 800 m, long jump and shot put
Julian Gregersen: 60 m, 60 m hurdles, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, long jump, high jump and shot put
Rebekka Fuglø: 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m
Marnar Djurhuus: 400 m, 1500 m and 3000 m
Einar Gregersen: 400 m, 1500 m and 3000 m
Borgar Biskopstø: 1500 m and 3000 m
Martin Sivertsen: 3000 m
Filip Sivertsen: 3000 m
Part of the Treysti group pictured in the indoor hall in Laugardalur (photo: Treysti)
There will be around 180 Faroese starts, so there is little doubt that a host of age-group records will be broken over the weekend. And there is little doubt that no fewer personal bests will be set. Those who have been attached to the talent group will in any case have to meet new standards to keep their place in the talent group. FÍF wishes you all good luck in the competitions and a good trip to Iceland.
The link to the competition is here: http://www.ir.is/deildir/frjalsar/frjalsithrottavidburdirIR/StormotIR/Foroyskt –
Also read about the Iceland trip at www.bragdid.fo – www.treysti.fo – www.hvirlan.fo
