Minnows snare medals in Games hurdles

After a 28-year Commonwealth Games medal drought, Guernsey is enjoying a medal rush in Birmingham.

The tiny island, with a population of approximately 63,000, hadn’t won a medal since 1994.

Now it has claimed two in a week.

With a dramatic final-straight dash in the 400m hurdles, Alastair Chalmers, 22, claimed Guernsey’s first Commonwealth Games track and field medal, and eighth in its history.

It followed Lucy Beere landing a drought-breaking silver in the women’s lawn bowls singles on Monday.

Chalmers, who runs for both Great Britain and Guernsey, depending on the competition, was euphoric.

“Honestly, this is the point of the Commonwealth Games, to put those little, small islands on the map,” Chalmers told AAP.

“I usually run for Great Britain but I’m always going to represent my island when I can.

“So this is one of those moments and to come away with a global medal is just a dream come true.

“I was just at the world championships in Oregon, (this is) so much better than that.”

Guernsey wasn’t the only small nation celebrating at Alexander Stadium on Saturday night.

In a fun twist, the 400m hurdles winner, Kyron McMaster, hails from the British Virgin Islands, which has a population of just over 30,000, half the size of Guernsey’s.

He claimed his country’s first ever Games medal with gold on the Gold Coast in 2018, then added its second with his title defence.

McMaster prevailed in 48.93 seconds, ahead of Jamaica’s Jaheel Hyde (49.78) and Chalmers (49.97).