A superb swimming display by Ashley Aitken helped Bermuda to another healthy yield of medals in the third day of the Island Games in Rhodes.

Aitken scooped silver in the women’s 50m breaststroke, bronze in the women’s 100m butterfly, and silver with the women’s 4x50m freestyle relay team, along with Lara Loescher, Eleanor Gardner and Nicole Yearwood at the Nautical Club.

Elsewhere, sprinter Melissa Clarke followed on from her impressive performance in the heats by winning bronze in the women’s 100m, while Xavier James picked up a bronze in the men’s 200m, and Shianne Smith took a silver in the women’s 400m.

Smith said: “I should have won the gold. I had the fastest seed time, but I took it out fast, cruised and picked it up too late. I saw her long legs out the corner of my eye and realised I was in trouble. It was a learning curve.”

Cyclist Geri Mewett also got in on the act by claiming a silver medal in the men’s individual town centre criterium. He was ruled second after finishing with the same time of 58.20 as winner Tobyn Horton from Guernsey.

His team-mates Mark Hatherley, Wayne Scott and Ricky Sousa jr all finished in a pack for 12th place.

Bermuda’s basketball team slipped to third place in Group A after losing 77-66 to Menorca at the Venetoklio Indoor Hall. Christopher Crumpler scored 19 points with Bermuda’s professional player Sullivan Phillips scoring 16 points. They had previously beaten Gibraltar 95-80 and dismantled Jersey 111-52.

Their female counterparts continued their unbeaten run, following up a 90-25 victory against the Isle of Man, with a 51-47 victory over Guernsey with Janaya Wade-Fray scoring 20 points. They now stand top of Group A.

Bermuda men’s volleyball team opened up with a 2-0 win over Jersey, winning game one 23-21 and game two 21-16. They then defeated Menorca 2-0, winning game one 21-18, and game two 21-15.

In the men’s individual golf tournament, William Haddrell is tied third after shooting a first round 73 and is two strokes off the lead.

Team-mate Nicholas Mansell shot a first-round 76 and is seventh, Blair Marshall is tied 14th after shooting 78, and Leroy Burch shot 87 to finish tied 45th.

After the first round Bermuda are second in the team event. In the women’s team Laura Robinson completed her first round shooting 77 to put her in second place — three strokes in front of Yana Ballantyne in third place.

Both Katrin Burnie and Katyna Rabain shot 94 to finish tied in 25th.

The men’s football team qualified for the semi-finals when Aland beat Ynys Mon 4-2, sending Bermuda through on goal difference. They will join the women’s team in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Bermuda currently occupy eighth place in the medals table with three golds, four silvers and five bronze. Jersey are placed in first ahead of host nation Rhodes in second and Guernsey in third.

Today Bermuda’s men’s volleyball team take on Gotland while the women’s team play Aland. The men’s basketball team take on Guernsey and the women’s team play the Cayman’s Islands.

See tomorrow’s Gazette for more in-depth coverage and reaction to Bermuda’s performances in the 2007 Island Games.

MEDAL TABLE

G S B

Jersey 7 10 4

Rhodes 7 5 8

Guernsey 5 5 8

Gotland 5 3 2

Cayman Islands 5 1 0

Faroe Islands 4 7 2

Aland 4 1 3

Bermuda 3 4 5

Prince Edward Island 3 0 5

Isle of Man 2 3 6