Hurdler Ala targeting spot on world stage

The World Championships form part of an exciting late-summer triple header, coming in mid-July and just before the Commonwealth Games, which are then followed by the European Championships in August.

Guernsey’s top 400m hurdler has his eyes on all three.

‘I’ve got the Commonwealth Games for Guernsey, which will be amazing, but I really want to make that Worlds team for Oregon in the USA, so that’s the main goal for this year,’ he said.

‘I know I can do it – I’ve just got to get the right conditions, the right day, and put my race together and hopefully everything will fall into place.’

Qualifying for the Worlds would require breaking the 49sec. barrier – the 22-year-old’s current best is 49.55sec.

It is a lofty ambition, but Chalmers has set off on the right track and last weekend in Florida, he produced his fastest season opener to date.

After a long spell of training in America, he ran 49.72 to place third at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational.

He bemoaned a back-straight headwind afterwards but definitely took a few positives.

‘Despite the windy conditions, it was a good opener for April time,’ he said shortly before returning to the UK.

‘Overall really happy with it and I am working really hard again now.

‘I know I am in much better shape than that and I did think I was going to run quicker, but it is what it is on the day – I’ll just train hard and get back to it.’

His racing programme in coming months consists of racing in Belgium next month, followed by a packed June of events in Switzerland, Finland and then the British Championships, where he is a two-time champion.

Elder brother Cam Chalmers opened his own season with a 46.59 over 400m at the same meet, which earned him sixth.

One of his foils was Great Britain star and potential relay teammate Matt Hudson-Smith, who won in 44.82 – his fastest time since 2018 ­– following a series of setbacks that led to the proven World-level man missing last year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.