Six of the best up for performer of the year

In the countdown to the Guernsey Sports Commission’s 2022 Sporting Achievement Awards, the nominees for the top prize – given to the man or woman deemed the biggest achiever of the year – have been unveiled.

It is a classy line-up where bowls and football take particular prominence, boasting two nominees apiece.

International champions Lucy Beere and Ali Merrien make up the bowls corner, while young England footballers Maya Le Tissier and Alex Scott are both in the running.

Commonwealth Games hurdles medallist Alastair Chalmers and double European softball champion Josh Smith complete the sextet.

It was Beere who ended Guernsey’s 28-year Commonwealths medal drought in Birmingham this summer, coming out with a monumental silver in the lawn bowls women’s singles competition.

Her attainment of a Commonwealths medal, after initially leading Australia’s Ellen Ryan 10-2 in the final, is the firm individual highlight of a year also marked by several domestic honours.

Meanwhile Merrien has extended her enviable title tally on the indoor circuit, starting with mixed pairs glory at the World Indoor Bowls Championships in Yarmouth, where she also sealed individual silver.

The long-term star backed that up with mixed pairs gold at the inaugural World Bowls Indoor Championships in Bristol – run under separate organisation. She also hit a particularly notable domestic milestone with her 20th Island indoor singles crown.

Le Tissier became a fully-fledged Lioness amid the career high of starting for England’s senior team against Norway, having previously starred for and captained the U23s.

After setting a new record for most Women’s Super League appearances by a teenager, she has moved to Manchester United and become a first-team regular at just 20.

Scott’s own moment of international glory came when he and his England teammates landed gold at the European U19 Championships. That was after the Guernseyman headed a critical equaliser in the semi-final.

He has since competed for the England U20s and, though he is only 19, established himself as a regular fixture for Bristol City’s first team in the Championship.

Days after Beere’s silver, 400m hurdles specialist Chalmers made Guernsey history by taking bronze and becoming the island’s first Commonwealth track and field medallist.

That concluded a stunning season where he finally toppled Dale Garland’s long-standing record in the discipline, won British gold for the third year running and debuted at the World Championships.

In the discipline of softball, Smith twice became a senior European champion with Great Britain.

He earned individual most valuable player honours as GB struck gold in his brilliant international bow at the Men’s Slowpitch European Championship in Italy, before helping his team seal another title at the co-ed equivalent in Slovenia. The U23 player continues to impress at national and international level.

The winner of the main prize, together with 10 other awards, will be announced at the presentation evening at Beau Sejour on Thursday 12 January.

Nominations list, page 31