World Juniors is next stop for the fast-improving Ala
YOUNG Alastair Chalmers exceeded expectations by making a large improvement on his personal best in his heat of the Gold Coast 400m hurdles to snatch a World Junior Championships qualifying standard.
The long hurdles heats were effectively semi-finals, as the limited field size meant that all qualifiers would advance straight to the final.
The 18-year-old talent ran a consistent race from lane three, with his only hiccup coming when he lightly clipped a hurdle on the back straight, to take seventh in a quick second heat won by Jamaica’s Jameel Hyde.
While Chalmers didn’t make the final cut, he was delighted to have met his goal of qualifying for Finland’s World U20 Athletics Championships in July, courtesy of a quick 51.10sec. clocking which was well within the 51.30 standard.
The young Guernseyman’s time was also nearly a second faster than his previous best, which he set in winning the National U20 Junior Championships in Bedford last summer.
‘Today was just incredible, absolutely incredible. It couldn’t have gone any better really,’ he said afterwards.
‘I’ve run the World Junior standard, I’ve been to the Commonwealth Games and I ran with my role models, people that I’ve seen race at high standards for years – it was just incredible.’
‘The atmosphere was amazing and it was so honourable to represent Guernsey at my first-ever Commonwealth Games.'
Chalmers’ performance has come at a great time as he has demonstrated impressive early-season form ahead of several big fixtures, not just the World Juniors but with events such as the European Championships in Berlin also on the horizon.
‘Coming to the Commonwealth Games at the age of 18 is quite a shock, however it really puts into perspective how fast my career’s going and how well I’m doing at the moment, so it’s quite amazing.
‘I really just want to keep that going and keep pushing on and go to the World Juniors and go to the Europeans and hopefully go to the Olympics one day. It’s really about the future now and how I progress.’
Looking to that future, Chalmers is set to start university soon and hopefully follow the trajectory of his elder brother Cam, who has benefited from Bath University coaching in becoming Guernsey’s greatest ever 400m runner.
While both of the Chalmers brothers can now relax after signing off their Commonwealth Games debuts, attention now shifts to coach-and-athlete distance duo Lee Merrien and Sarah Mercier as they prepare for the men’s marathon and women’s 5000m respectively.
Mercier is first up, her race being on Saturday.
