Birmingham 2022: Bath graduate Alastair Chalmers makes athletics history for Guernsey but netballers miss out on Birmingham 2022 final
University of Bath alumnus Alastair Chalmers made athletics history for Guernsey but there was semi-final disappointment for Team Bath Netball’s England stars at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on Saturday.
Chalmers, who studied Sports Performance and was supported by a King Sporting Scholarship, produced a gutsy run from the inside lane to take 400m hurdles bronze at the Alexander Stadium in 49.97 – Guernsey’s first-ever track and field medal at a Commonwealth Games.
“I gritted so hard down the home straight, the crowd were absolutely amazing,” Chalmers told BBC Guernsey. “I heard them in the back of my head and I was like ‘you’ve just got to go for it’.
“It was a tough race from lane two especially, so I just had to stay in the race and just commit and see what happened. I knew one of them was probably going to fade, so I just gave my all and dug deep.”
Chalmers was cheered on by older brother Cameron, who also studied Sports Performance at Bath, and current Economics student Abi Galpin, who had placed seventh in her 200m semi-final on Friday night.
Netball
England’s dreams of defending their Commonwealth Games crown were dashed by a determined Australia side, who won 60-51 in Saturday’s semi-finals at the NEC.
Former Team Bath player and coach Jess Thirlby tried a variety of combinations during the game, including another impactful performance from the bench by Team Bath Netball Superleague star Imogen Allison, but it couldn’t prevent the Diamonds winning the first three quarters on the way to another final.
England will be looking to end the Games on a high when they face New Zealand in the bronze-medal match on Sunday (1.30pm).
Friday’s classification matches had seen Blue & Gold attacker Betsy Creak make her sixth start at the Commonwealth Games as Wales narrowly lost 62-56 to Malawi in the seventh-placed play-off.
Team Bath Superleague player Phumza Maweni once again started for South Africa as they finished sixth overall after losing Uganda 54-48.
Hockey
A Wales women’s squad featuring Applied Forensic Psychology with Counselling student Holly Munro and Chemistry graduate Eloise Laity finished eighth overall after a narrow 1-0 defeat to South Africa in Friday’s classification matches.
Badminton
Economics and Mathematics graduate Jessica Li, representing the Isle of Man, saw her fine women’s singles run come to an end in the round of 16 as she lost 21-8 21-12 to Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour on Friday.
Stay up-to-date with all the results involving University of Bath-associated athletes at the Commonwealth Games by visiting teambath.com/Birmingham-2022.
Alastair Chalmers picture credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
