Alastair Chalmers has vowed to bounce back on the Commonwealth stage for Guernsey after his World Championships in Tokyo came to a close at the semi-final stage.
The 400m hurdler was always going to be up against it in a semi-final that featured reigning world champion Rai Benjamin and 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos with only the top two guaranteed to progress.
In the end, Chalmers was a little off his best, finishing in sixth in 49.49 seconds, more than a second off the lifetime best of 48.30s that he ran earlier this season.
And after a gruelling year, he admitted that he just did not quite have the legs on the day.
Finals secured and PB's ran 🎉
Find out what happened on Day Six in Tokyo now ✨#NovunaGBNI #WCHTokyo25 #WorldAthleticsChamps— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) September 18, 2025
He said: “It didn't feel as good as I wanted it to. I felt like it was an okay race, but nothing special. And the legs didn't feel any crazy or something.
“But it's been a long season. That's just how it goes for some people.
“And I've been running great all season. but clearly, I was just not firing like I wanted to be here. So, a bit of a shame but credit to everyone else for running really well.”
Chalmers achieved a life ambition by making it out to Japan and experiencing Asian culture.
The 25-year-old will now enjoy a winter to recover before turning his attentions to 2026, and particularly the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next summer.
He made history in Birmingham three years ago by winning Guernsey’s first-ever track medal at the Commonwealth Games.
And with fellow Novuna GB and NI athlete Tyri Donovan setting two new lifetime bests in the 400m hurdles in his debut Worlds, Chalmers is looking forward to the battle between the two next summer.
He added: “I know there's a lot of improvement to be made and next year's a home kind of season.
“We've Commonwealth Games and Europeans, which will be really nice, at a more normal time in July and August. I’m looking forward to it.
“It'll be good to have some time off, really let the body heal and recover and then speak to my coach and kind of work on a few things for next year because there's always room for improvement.
“Tyri’s in great shape and he's running really well. It's going to be a good battle next year, especially at the Commonwealth Games. Me for Guernsey and him for England.
“So, that'll be a good one.”
Follow all the action from the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 on BBC.
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