Chalmers targets medals in 2026 after Tokyo exit

Alastair Chalmers reached the semi-finals of the World Championships

Alastair Chalmers says he is aiming for medals at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships in 2026.

The 25-year-old from Guernsey reached the 400m hurdles semi-finals at the World Championships in Tokyo this week.

It capped a season which has seen Chalmers set a new personal best of 48.30 seconds and run in the Diamond League, although he missed out on his goal of reaching the Worlds final after finishing sixth in his semi.

"The next goal is of course the Commonwealth Games, and we've got the Europeans at Birmingham next year, which is an amazing opportunity, so it's going to be a special year," said Chalmers, who became Guernsey's first athletics medallist at the Commonwealth Games when he won bronze in Birmingham in 2022.

"Being at home with so many friends and family in the crowd, and that rare thing of wearing the Guernsey kit at major championships, is going to be incredible.

"I think definitely a lot of work is going to be put in; I'm definitely going to take a good four-week break of doing pretty much nothing because my whole body is absolutely destroyed.

"But hopefully I get back to Guernsey in the next month and stay healthy, and if I can do that I'm sure I can do my best to try and medal again at hopefully both championships - that's the goal going into 2026."

'On my last legs'

Chalmers lost his grip on the British 400m hurdles title this summer - having won the event for the previous five years - to Tyri Donovan.

But he says with the World Championships being relatively late in the year, he found it tough to maintain his fitness.

"We've got the best here and some people are at the top of their game and some people, like me, are on their last legs for the season," Chalmers, who would have had to break his personal best by almost half a second to make the World Championship final, told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"It's been a long year and it's very hard chasing these times. It's always very easy sitting at home and watching it play out, but when you're on that track it's a different game.

"I've been running against a lot of these guys all year, which has been amazing, so to come here and meet up with them and race with them one last time has been an awesome opportunity.

"I'm really happy that I got through the heats and into the semi-final - I did want to get more out of myself this competition, but as a year it's been a marvellous year and probably the best of my life so far."