A red hot Gregor Edmunds cleared the field at the Markinch Highland Games, as he served notice that ground records, and even world records, are there to be broken.


2011 Markinch Highland Games
by Francis Brebner
 
Sunday’s Highland Games in Markinch, Fife, Scotland attracted nine of Scotland’s top heavy athletes, who battled throughout a cold but dry day.  Gregor Edmunds was on fire, setting two new ground records in both stones and a possible world record in the 28-lb. weight-for-distance, which is being verified by the Scottish Games Association (SGA).
 
It was a dominating display for Edmunds, who won all events but three and the day ended with Edmunds and Bruce Robb in a tie on the weight-over-the-bar.
 
Edmunds took his first win easily in the 16-lb. stone with a put of 56’ 9”, setting a new field record.  There was a tussle for second place between England’s David Dowson and Scotland’s Robb, with Dowson coming out on top at 52’ 4” and Robb following at 52’ 1”.  Scotland’s Sinclair Patience landed in fourth place at 50’10”.

In the 22-lb. stone, Edmunds set his second ground record with a fine put of 47’ 11”, but hot on his heels was the young Lorne Colthart, who putted 45’ 11”.  In third place came Robb with a very respectable 43’ 7”, and close behind in fourth, Craig Sinclair with 43’.

I myself set the ground record of 92’ 7” in the 28-lb. weight-for-distance back in 1997, and it was weighed and verified at that time by the SGA as a world record.  This throw was eclipsed by Edmunds after almost 15 years, with a massive effort of 95’ 11”, and I am sure he is waiting with anticipation for the weight to be verified by the SGA. Well done!  In second place at 84’ was Sinclair, followed closely by Patience in third at 83’ 4”, a personal best, and Robb in fourth at 79’ 4”.
 
The 56-lb. weight-for-distance was a close competition between Edmunds and Robb, with Edmunds coming out ahead at 38’ 9” and Robb settling for second at 38’ 2”.  Sinclair was third at 38’ and Patience fourth at 37’ 11”.

In the 22-lb. hammer, Sinclair pulled out the top throw of the day—114’ 5”.  Second was Colthart at 110, third Edmunds at 104’ 4” and fourth Robb at 103’ 9”.

With a caber 20-ft. long and 160 lb., Robb that took the close win over Edmunds with a toss of 12:10 to Edmunds’ 1:00.  Patience landed in third place with an 80-degree effort.

The final event—the 56-lb. weight-over-the-bar—ended in a tie between Robb and Edmunds at a height of 15’, with Sinclair in third at 14’.  Patience, Colthart, and Stuart Anderson tied at 13’.
 
Overall placings:

1.  Gregor Edmunds
2.  Bruce Robb
3.  Craig Sinclair
4.  Lorne Colthart

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