Chalmers overjoyed at dramatic Olympic qualification

Alastair Chalmers said his dramatic British title and Olympic 400m hurdles qualification went from being "the worst day" of his life to "the best".

The Guernsey athlete ran a personal best to win a fifth consecutive British title in Manchester under protest having been accused of a false start.

Almost two hours later, officials upheld his appeal after they agreed with the 24-year-old's claims of noise at the start line.

His time of 48.54 seconds saw him dip under the 48.70 mark needed for Paris 2024 for the first time - just weeks after missing out on the mark at the European Championships.

"I honestly can't believe it," he told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"It's the best day of my life. It's been the worst, but also the best - a stressful day.

"But to go out in a rainy, pretty dull day in Manchester and run 48.5 after a false start is legendary."

Chalmers' win means he becomes the first person from Guernsey to make the Team GB athletics team for an Olympic Games since Lee Merrien was picked for the marathon at London 2012.

Merrien also had an anxious wait to make the Games after he was initially turned down before being given a place on appeal.

"There was a lot of noise, and then luckily I was allowed to run under protest," Chalmers said of his race.

"It didn't faze me, nothing could faze me - I was in the absolute zone.

"I knew I was flying down that back straight, I was killing everyone, and that field as well was really, really high-quality guys, probably the best we have had in a decade or longer and they really pushed me to the end.

"This is who I am. I'm that guy who can just do it, and I've proved it back to back to back every time."

Chalmers, who will race at the London Diamond League meeting later this month, says all his focus is now on the Olympic Games.

He will follow his brother Cameron, who was part of Team GB's 4x400m mixed relay squad in Tokyo three years ago.

"I know I can deliver a low 48 and I'm just going to go to Paris and give it my all, I don't know what will happen, we'll take it like we did today," Chalmers said of his chances at the Olympics.

"I've been to everything else, and the Olympics is that level above.

"It's my dream, and I know I'm good enough to go so I'm just going to enjoy it and really soak it in."