Alastair Chalmers’ superlative race last weekend was even more evidence that Great Britain athletes stand out in the distance
The United Kingdom athletics championships from last year and the moment when Alastair Chalmers tried to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.
To guarantee the selection of the games, the British Hurdler needed to run faster than the 48.70 automatic rating brand, since it was lost by little 48.76 in the European championship.
However, things quickly unraveled in Manchester after Chalmers left their blocks before the initial weapon. As was his right, Guersey’s athlete ran under protest and, with the mentality of demonstrating that all skeptics were wrong, assaulted the track in a 48.53 championship record. Cruialy was also under the time necessary to qualify for the Olympic Games.
However, would the results resist? Chalmers had affirmed that the reason for such a rapid reaction was because the noise of the crowd. Almost two hours after the race ended, the officials confirmed their appeal and agreed with their argument.
Chalmers, with his last chance, had qualified for the games, then stating that he gets from being “the sausage” of his life to “the best.”
With the automatic qualification standard for the World Athletics Championship this year in Tokyo being 48.50 instead of 48.70, it is possible that you think that athletes will find it difficult to meet that brand. But, in recent weeks, a myriad of the British Hurdlers of Great Britain has increased its game and task at the next level.
Chalmers has once again led the way. Last weekend, the 25 -year -old registered a better of personal follow -up times of 48.30 of 49.13 and 48.61 this season, to win from Lane Two in Referen, Germany. That means that Guernsey’s athlete, at the beginning of June, has almost surely reserved his place on the plane to the Japanese capital.
Not far from Chalmers on the 2025 lists is Seamus Derbantshire, who decimated his best personal brand of 49.29 with 48.47, also under the automatic brand of world qualification, in the memorial of Josef Odlozil makes a fortnight.
Then, at the IFAM Outdoor meeting last month in Brussels, Josh Faululds, Jake Minshull, Alex Knibbs and Tyri Donovan ran for less than 50 seconds, the two former sub-49 on the tour.
Faulds won a highly competitive race in humidity conditions, registering a time of 48.59 in the Belgian capital: a brand is under the UKA consideration standard (48.70) for the World Athletics Championships this year.
Minshull’s 48.88 means that it is just below that UKA brand, while Knibbs (49.08) and Donovan (49.45) also improved their best results by some margin.
Oliver Parker, at the age of 19, has also run 51.02, placing it third in the European sub-20 list so far this season.
Upon discovering why these times have improved so much, you don’t need to look far. In a recent Instagram publication, Chalmers paid tribute to his coach Matt Elias, and the couple worked with each other since 2020.
James Wright, based in Milton Keynes, Faululds coach, Minshull and Parker. Derbyshire is under the guidance of Nick Dakin and Alex O’Gorman, Knibbs is trained by Stewart Marshall and Donovan is under the administration of Marina Armstrong.
To put this force in depth in context, this is the first season in which four British male obstacles have run less than 49 seconds. Last year, three athletes (Chalmers, Knibbs and Okoro) achieved that feat. The discount of the previous two seasons, the last time even two obstacles were Sub-49 was back in 2014 (Niall Flannery and Rhys Williams).
In the female obstacles of 400m, Lina Nielsen, who was sixth in the list of all the United Kingdom with 54.43 in the European championship last summer, continues to lead the way. Emily Newnham has had an impressive season so far and, together with her two relay medals of the European Interior Championships, improved her best personal brand from 56.85 to 55.20 in Brussels.
Last month, Hayley McLean tok almost a second of his best moment also, eliminating his brand or 56.56 to 55.48.
It is likely that many observers would say ‘it’s time to be’. A synonymous distance of British success, the country has three Olympic champions and two world champions, the 400m obstacles have captured the imagination of fans and spectators in many different generations.
David Burghley, who changed to politics after his athletics feats, served as a conservative deputy for Peterborough from 1931 to 1943, became an Olympic champion of 400 m obstacles in the Amsterdam Games 1928.
In the 1968 Olympic Games, David Hemery produced a world record on his way to overcome the stage, with his brand or 48.12 lasting until 1972, when John Akii-Bua ran 47.82 in the Munich Games.
And who can forget Sally Gunnell in Barcelona 1992? Dominantly, the British registered 53.23, seeing the American duo Sandra Farmerrick and Janeene Vickers to ensure the gold medal in Spain.
A year later, Gunnell would win the world title in Stuttgart, establishing a 52.74 world record in the process. Dai Greene, who assured the gold medal in Daegu 12 years ago, is the other world world obstacle champion of Great Britain.
Kriss Akabusi, at the age of 32 and 272 days, remains the 400 m older obstacle medalist of 400 m, said bronze in Tokyo 1991, until today. He retreated with the Olympic bronze in Barcelona a year later.
John Sherwood and Tasha Danvers also secured the respect of the Olympic bronzes in the distance in the 1968 and Beijing 2008 Mexico City Games.
From people like Karsten Warholm to Sydney McLaughlin-Levron, today there is a fierce international competition, so any British athlete will have its work at the highest level of sport.
However, it is undeniable that there is a clear progress in the 400 m obstacles, domesticamia and it will be fascinating to develop, with the male and female events in the United Kingdom athletics championship that looks imperdible. Hopefully it stays like this too.
