MORE than 1500 young athletes and 200 volunteers, representing 76 schools took part in last week’s Wiltshire School Games at Marlborough College.

The 14-sport event, organised by Wiltshire and Swindon Sport (WASP), was part of the year-round School Sports Competition Programme supported by the National Lottery and Sport England, with the competitors joined by 2008 Olympic modern pentathlon silver medalist and world champion Heather Fell as well as 1968 400m hurdles Olympic champion David Hemery CBE.

Wiltshire’s Deputy Lieutenant and the mayors of both Marlborough, Mervyn Hall, and Swindon, Maureen Penny, were also there to watch the action.

Competitors defied temperatures of up to 28 degrees centigrade to take part in events including swimming, athletics, tennis and tables tennis.

WASP CEO Steve Boocock said “The School Games are an opportunity to motivate and inspire young people across Wiltshire and Swindon to take part in more competitive school sport and a chance to develop their sporting abilities.

“We want to encourage even more young people to get active and this is a great way to nurture new talent and build that lifelong love of sport.”

School Games co-ordinator Alma Borthwick added: “The event gets better every year with more schools taking part not only in the sports competitions but also training leaders and entering the cultural competitions.

“Special mention to the young sports leaders who attended on Wednesday along with the 100 who officiated the winter events. They were professional, encouraging and a credit to their schools.”

RESULTS Primary schools - Swimming: 1 Wroughton, 2 Preshute, 3 Seend. Athletics - Quadkids: 1 Shaw Ridge, 2 Fitzmaurice, 3 Great Bedwyn. Tri-Golf: 1 Holt, 2 Shaw Ridge, 3 Ramsbury A. Tennis: 1 Ramsbury, 2 Southfield, 3 Winsley/Harnham. Orienteering: 1 All Cannings A, 2 Even Swindon, 3 Chapmanslade.

Secondary schools - Table Tennis: 1 Commonweal, 2 St Augustine’s, 3 Kingdown. Athletics - Super 8’s Girls: 1 South Wilts, 2 Sheldon, 3 St Edmund’s; Boys: 1 Bishops Wordsworth, 2 St Laurence, 3 Hardenhuish. Touch Rugby: 1 Hardenhuish, 2 St Joseph’s, 3 Sheldon. Rounders: 1 South Wilts Grammar, 2 Trafalgar, 3 John Bentley. Trampolining: 1 Kingdown A, 2 St Edmund’s A, 3 Kingdown B. Tennis - Girls Closed: 1 South Wilts, 2 St Laurence, 3 Bradon Forest; Open: 1 South Wilts, 2 Royal Wootton Bassett Academy; Boys Closed: 1 St Augustine’s, 2 Bishops Wordsworth, 3 Bradon Forest; Boys Open: 1 Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, 2 Bishops Wordsworth A, 3 Bishops Wordsworth B. Disability Cricket Festival: Participating Schools, Uplands and St Marys.