The Bowls schedule began on 23 July - ahead of the Opening Ceremony and before any other sport – and runs every day through to Sunday.

For those competing in Singles and Pairs, it’s a gruelling schedule that requires physical stamina and mental resilience.

“I feel like I haven't actually laid down for, like, a year,” said Shauna O’Neill (pictured), who secured bronze for Northern Ireland with her Women's Pairs partner Chloe Wilson.

O’Neill’s bronze-medal match finished at about 11:15 on Tuesday, and she was back on the rink at 17:50 the same day to kick off her Singles challenge.

Ali Merrien of Guernsey, O’Neill’s Singles opponent on Friday, also competed in the Pairs. She said tournament know-how has helped her handle the relentless schedule.

“I've got the advantage of a lot of experience behind me," she said. "So I've dealt with a lot of the mental psychology of it."

Getting to know the greens

Merrien and O'Neill were unbeaten after three Singles matches, but the 51-year-old from Guernsey edged out 26-year-old O'Neill to remain top of her section.

One benefit of competing in Pairs at the start of the Games is an extra week’s action on the indoor rinks, providing a guide to how the greens are playing.  

“The more games you get on the surface, the better,” Merrien said. “Portable rinks are very changeable but the more time you get on there, the more you learn the quirks and get to know the greens. So it definitely helps.”

O’Neill believes an early start to competition can be a double-edged sword.

“Getting as much carpet time as you can in competitive play is a big benefit to us, but at the same time it's mentally draining going through one competition into the other," she said.

"There were pros and cons to both but I do feel it gave me the good start that I needed in the Singles.”

Australia's Ellen Fife, Birmingham 2022 Singles and Pairs gold medallist, leads the way in section A as she hopes to defend her Women’s Singles title.

In the Men’s Pairs, Scotland, Malaysia and England set the pace in the sectional stage, with plenty of teams jostling for a place in Saturday evening’s semi-finals.

The Para Pairs B6-B8 sections have a Trans-Tasman feel, with Australia topping the Men’s competition and New Zealand leading the way in the Women’s.