HISTORY was made at Birmingham 2022 last night as Gemma Atherley became the first female swimmer to represent Jersey in a Commonwealth Games final.
The 24-year-old appeared in the women’s 200m backstroke showdown alongside reigning Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kylie Masse, having qualified seventh-fastest with a solid display in the heats at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre.
Atherley claimed eighth in the fight for medals in 2min 18.53sec – representing a best female result for Jersey since 2002, when Natalie Brée reached the 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke semi-finals in Manchester. She was two-tenths off Scotland’s Cassie Wild, in seventh.
‘I went out really hard [in the heat] because I knew that if I wanted to make it into the final I had to swim close to my best time,’ Atherley explained. ‘When I saw the heat sheets, I didn’t expect to be seeded so high but I’m so happy that I made the best of it.
‘I really put everything into it. I’m very proud and very happy.’
Atherley kicked off Day Four with a landmark outing alongside Games record holder Masse, from Canada, yesterday morning. The Islander clocked 2min 17.47sec as McKeown led the way overall in 2.10.95.
Following an appearance by Olympic Games champion and world record holder Adam Peaty in the men’s 50m breaststroke, Lily Scott then smashed a nine-year-old Island record, previously held by Emily Bathforth, in a women’s 100m freestyle heat that featured three Channel Islanders. A time of 57.84s was enough to claim second in heat five, with Guernsey’s Orla Rabey claiming fifth and Atherley eighth.
‘It was a tough race but I’m really pleased to have come away with quite a big PB,’ said a breathless Scott, immediately after exiting the pool. ‘I just wanted to go out and do my best and enjoy the atmosphere. It’s such an amazing experience; being able to race against the best in the world is so cool.’
Robbie Jones and Harry Shalamon then proceeded win their respective heats in the men’s 100m butterfly – the latter in a new Island record of 54.89s. Jones touched home in 56.83s, with Jack Allan claiming eighth, behind Shalamon, in 57.10s.
Shalamon – the first Jersey swimmer to dip under the 55-second mark – was 0.8s off a place in the semi-finals.
Scott rounded off a memorable day for the seven-strong swimming squad with an outing in the 800m heats, although she had to settle for the ‘first reserve’ spot for tonight’s final after completing 16 lengths in 9min 27.99sec.
