JERSEY Spartans’ Steven Mackay, Jamie Oldham, Tyler Johnson and Ted Chamberlain are all set to make their mark on the national stage once again, competing in the England Athletics Relay Championships’ 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m events tomorrow.
Johnson, described as an “excellent bend runner” will shoot out of the blocks, passing it over to Oldham who will blaze his way down the straight, then to Chamberlain and finally Mackay, who’ll take the baton across the line.
Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, which is no stranger to the big occasion after hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is the venue of choice, with all labelling it as an “excellent” facility.
Anticipation couldn’t be bigger for this one, after what has been none other than a blockbuster year for our athletes. Whether that be Mackay’s blazing 10.48s 100m time to set a new Island record, accumulating an astounding 13 medals (with six being gold) to take the athletics crown and top the lot in Orkney’s Island Games, or finding success at the national level, including several medal winning efforts, Jersey athletics is certainly a bright spot in the Island’s sporting landscape.
“This is a really exciting one for us, competing in this tournament is a first for our generation, I couldn’t tell you the last time Spartans took part, so it’s very special,” said Mackay.
“The team we’re bringing over is the quickest Jersey’s ever seen. Tyler (Johnson) was the fastest 200m runner, Jamie (Oldham) and I are the two fastest sprinters the Island’s ever had, and Ted (Chamberlain) is smashing his events.
“This year has been amazing, doing well here would really top our season and, in having Jersey’s strongest ever team in this event, I believe we have a good chance.”
Experience is one thing this team don’t lack, as all have competed at some of the sport’s highest levels. This has really helped define their approach, as Johnson explains: “Come race day, it doesn’t really matter what’s on paper, as anything can happen. It’s all in the changeovers, so as long as we stay consistent and focused on getting that baton around, we have a chance of success.”
“As the 4 x 400m is afterwards, we’re just going to go all out and chuck whatever we have left into it.”
The athletes are more than eager to carry on their Island Games relay success through to the national stage, where they will be competing against some of the UK’s finest athletes. It will be a step up in competition though, as detailed by Chamberlain: “This will be a step up from the Island Games, as we’ll be competing with the nation’s best.
“A lot of the teams are some of the country’s most successful, with more strength and depth on paper, producing several Olympians, so competition will be very high level.
“But everyone’s in good shape, excited to give our all as we have a very strong team.”
Johnson added: “As it’s the National League finals on Saturday, the area will have plenty of top athletes ready to compete, and the entry list has plenty of high-quality teams slated to take part.
“But Jersey Spartans have great depth at the moment, and we’re not out of place. We really do belong at this level, and we’re all looking forward to going out there and testing ourselves against the best.”
Chamberlain, who normally excels for Jersey in the middle-distance events, will be stepping up to compete in the 4 x 100m, taking Evan Campbell’s slot from the Island Games team. From first glance this may look concerning, as he’s not a sprinter, but the team have “full faith” that he can deliver.
“I haven’t competed in the 100m for seven years, so I’m excited to take on the challenge and step up for Jersey,” said Chamberlain.
“The rest of the team have been super helpful; we’ve worked a lot on perfecting the changeovers and they’re very experienced, I’m lucky to work with them.
“My training is very varied, so I do a lot of training focused on speed, combining everything so that your foot is on the ground for the least amount of time. There’s no doubt I’m ready to do whatever I can for the team.”
It’s clear that Jersey Spartans notoriety in the athletics community is on the up and up, as their high activity and great results prove Jersey are more than capable to compete with the best.
“Across all the big meets and events across the country, Jersey Spartans’ blue singlets are a familiar sight, and we have shown we’re not out of place at this level,” Johnson said.
It goes far beyond medals for this lot, as Mackay describes how the four hope to inspire the next generation of athletes: “I really hope this year, which has been crazy for athletics, is the start of something special, we want to inspire the youngsters and bring through the next generation.
“All of us are so passionate about strengthening our sport, and we hope that people see us competing at this level and get inspired to go for it.
“We have so much hunger as a team to go for more, so all of us are going to keep pushing forward and, hopefully, it will take off.”
Chamberlain echoed those sentiments, adding: “The youth we have down at the track are super enthusiastic, which is brilliant, and we have a lot of talent coming through.
“All of the senior athletes are always happy to help with their development, we’re all approachable and just want to see the best for the sport here in Jersey.”
These athletes will be flying the flag high on the national stage, with heats set to begin for the 4x100m at 2.10pm, before the final scheduled for 3.35pm. The 4x400m event will be two final races, beginning from 5.10pm.
Don’t worry about missing the action, as the event will be livestreamed on www.vincosport.com.
