IT would have been very easy for the athletes to become overawed among the Guernsey buzz of Commonwealth bronze medallist and face-of-the-Island Games Alastair Chalmers rolling into Footes Lane.
But if Chalmers is Guernsey’s 400m hurdle star, then Olivia Allbut made her claim to be Jersey’s.
She ran a perfect race from the outside lane to claim Jersey’s second athletics gold of Guernsey 2023 in a time 1:01.40.
‘I felt good coming into it and just had to approach the race well – I’m buzzing,’ an exhausted Allbut said at the finish line. ‘I have been running a lot of PBs this season – I’m in good shape so I was hoping for gold and just had to execute the race properly.
‘I had to run it blind and had to go out hard in the first 200 and hope no one overtook me but I have run in it [the outside lane] a few times this season so I was able to focus on my own race.’
Allbut finished more than two seconds ahead of her nearest challenger – Maria Biskopstø from the Faroes Islands. Aimee Christian of Isle of Man took bronze.
For the home fans though, Chalmers, fresh off the back of becoming British champion for a fourth time, was the star of the show and he did not disappoint as he broke the 400m men’s hurdles Island Games record on his way to gold.
Jersey’s Will Brown claimed a bronze medal in the same race, behind Guernsey’s Peter Curtis.
The first Jersey medal of day three of the athletics was claimed by Sam Maher in the 1,500m. Maher pushed out of the gate and held on to third position from the fast-approaching Samuel Perry from the Isle of Man in the home straight.
Ynys Môn’s Iolo Hughes took gold ahead of Shetland’s Seumas MacKay.
Maher said: ‘I knew there were some guys quicker than me over the short distance so I tried to make it hard and that’s why I led it out and then I just clung on for dear life in that last 400m but it went to plan.
‘I wanted to trust my fitness – I didn’t want to come here and lose in a tactical race. I knew I was running well and just wanted to leave it all out there and I think I did that.
‘I was trying to stay with them but in that last 100 they were gone so it was a case of clinging on to third place and I managed it so I’m pleased.’
