Olympic hopefuls happy to be here
THE Chalmers brothers enter this Olympic year with a quite substantial trump card over many of the world’s elite.
Both Cam and Ala Chalmers envisage staying in Guernsey until summer and the elder brother, 23, knows just how fortunate they are to be training on an almost Covid-free island.
With the Tokyo Olympics still on track to go ahead in July, 400m ace Cam has voiced his appreciation for Guernsey’s ‘stable environment’ and the ‘consistent routine’ it allows.
‘I don’t think that you can get [that] anywhere else at the moment, especially in the UK, having gone into lockdown again for however long that will be,’ he said.
‘There’s just so much uncertainty and ever-changing circumstances over there, which is a stress you can really do without and that we are so fortunate to do without over here.
‘We’re just making the most of that, in the mindset of don’t change something that’s working.’
Cam did not compete last season but is on a promising path to attaining at least a relay spot, while he watched his younger brother and main training partner storm to a British hurdles title.
Cam said that island-based training has been going ‘really, really well so far’.
‘I see us both staying over here, probably until April time, basically until competitions start in the UK or Europe around May.’
Under remotely normal circumstances, the two brothers would have been training in Cardiff under coach Matt Elias.
Joe Reid and Ben Claridge have both returned from their brief stay in Guernsey, leaving the Chalmers brothers distanced from their elite companions.
Nevertheless, Tom Druce and Dale Garland are helping oversee training, while proud father Chris Chalmers is on hand to film every running session and send videos to past Olympian Elias.
Feedback via daily phone calls and Zoom meetings has reassured the brothers that they are heading in the right direction.
‘We’re just getting the work in at the moment with a view to when we do get back over there, come summer hopefully, get some races in, be running really fast,’ Cam added.
‘The Olympic trials is the complete focus and there’ll be races around that, but time will tell.
‘You can’t plan anything at the moment – so Olympic trials and, fingers crossed, the Olympic Games.’
