Alda breaks the oldest record

Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.

Over the weekend nine Faroese athletes were in Copenhagen, where they competed at Østerbro Stadion in the Danish Youth Championships. Five were from Treysti, three from Hvirlan and one from Bragdið. Alda S. Lamhauge from Hvirlan ran the 100 m on Saturday. The Faroese record in this event was by far the oldest women’s record, and also the only one set in the last century. It dated from 1994.

There had, however, been signs that the record could fall this year. Both Alda and Margit W. Fríðmundsdóttir had been in good form and had been edging closer to the 13.3 seconds. That is a hand-timed result, which corresponds to 13.54 with electronic timing. Margit ran 13.54 this year and so equalled the record, while Alda clocked 13.55 at VU Spelen. Alda also got down to 13.23 at Jatnatøk in July, but the wind was too strong (+2.7). On that occasion Elisabet Holm Simonsen ran 13.30 sec. So it was in the air.

Alda in the middle at full speed, chasing the Faroese record. She usually runs in the red Hvirlan jersey, but at the Danish Championships she represents Aarhus 1900. (photo: Hvirlan)

And then it happened in the heat: at long last Alda got a stranglehold on the record from 1994. The electronic timer read 13.42 and the wind gauge read +0.8 m/s. A new Faroese record!

This Faroese record was enough to take her through to the final in the girls 18–19 category. And there Alda ran even faster, but because the tailwind was too strong (+2.5), yet another record, 13.25 seconds, could not be ratified.

This will be one of the records that is especially pleasing to update. We warmly congratulate Alda on the record, and we both hope and expect that an even faster time will come later. If not this year, then next year.

The oldest Faroese women’s record is now the shot put record, set by Ingibjørg Poulsen in 2002 (10.92 m) – but there too are signs that something exciting is on the way. You can read about that later in the week, when we report on other outstanding results from the Danish Youth Championships.