Galpin eyeing 200m mark

After a fruitful indoors stint as a University of Bath ‘fresher’, the highlight being a Guernsey U23 record over 60m, Galpin has returned to her island home and entered the constraints of lockdown.

But not to fret – for she is one of several athletes who have recently started receiving one-on-one coaching at Footes Lane.

And there are positives to this new set-up, with coach Tom Druce noting that he is now able to give each athlete more individual attention.

Galpin’s current 200m best is 24.99sec. and her hot target is the 24.95 run three years ago by Hannah Lesbirel, who snatched Island Games gold over the distance just months afterwards.

‘As long as we can get some good track races on in the summer, it should not be too much of a difference,’ said Galpin.

‘Hopefully just a lot of local races – the 200 record, I’ll have that. [Four-hundredths] is basically nothing and if I can PB, that’ll be it.

‘As long as the training all keeps going to plan and I can get a few races, then hopefully it comes together.’

Under the new lead of Colin Bovell, Galpin shot out the blocks to clock 7.74 over 60m – eclipsing Kylie Robilliard’s U23 record – in her first meet of 2020.

Longer grass reps initially formed the base of her lockdown training, but she is now back to performing snappier track sessions under the watchful eye of Druce.

Athletics development officer Druce had earlier commented that the season could begin in July and may continue into late September.

The main concern now is whether competing off-island will be feasible this year.

‘Normally I’d be racing now already, but obviously I can’t, so July/August is what we’re aiming for,’ added Galpin.

‘At the moment, I’m doing three track sessions [a week] and we’re going to do some more lactic-y work now that we can.

‘We’re doing speedwork as well, which is much better now that we’ve got the track, and I’m doing some home gym as well.

‘I’m back to where I was at Bath, really.’