Alastair Chalmers: GB call-up 'just the starting point' as Guernsey's hurdler targets Olympics

Alastair Chalmers won his first British title last summer, having taken Commonwealth Youth Games gold in 2017

Alastair Chalmers says his call-up for Great Britain at the European Team Championships is "just the starting point" as he targets an Olympic place.

The 21-year-old is the reigning British 400m hurdles champions and the British Under-20 record holder.

He joins his brother Cameron, who is running the 400m for Great Britain in Poland later this month.

"I'm going to be running against the best in Europe and it's one of the biggest stages there is," he said.

"I see it as just the starting point for myself," he added to BBC Radio Guernsey.

Since the Covid-19 lockdown, Chalmers has been training alongside his brother in Guernsey, who is hoping for selection as part of the 4x400m relay team for the Olympics in Tokyo this summer.

The pair will be part of a Guernsey 4x40m relay team in the Loughborough International meet on Saturday as they aim to qualify the island's team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.,

"A few years ago I wasn't even thinking about the Olympic Games, so at this moment right now it's pretty surreal," he added.

"My parents are loving it. To have both of their boys at the Olympic Games would just be incredible.

"I think their only concern with it would be not being able to watch because of the restrictions with Covid.

"But if it doesn't happen this year then there's Paris 2024 and then there's Los Angeles, so it's not the end of the world."