Seven athletes to compete in Commonwealth Youth Games

Friday 23 December 2022

Guernsey is likely to be represented in cycling and swimming when the postponed Commonwealth Youth Games takes place in Trinidad and Tobago next year.

The island has been allocated seven individual spaces for the event and is waiting to hear whether it can send teams for netball or rugby sevens.

Trinidad and Tobago were initially awarded the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games in June 2019, but that event was postponed due to the impact of the pandemic on the international sport calendar. 

“We are very much looking forward to supporting the Guernsey athletes and hopefully build on the medals won at previous Commonwealth Youth Games,” GCGA chairman David Harry said.

Tennis player Heather Watson won gold in Pune in 2008, brothers Jack and Brent Oldfield gold in the doubles Samoa in 2015, while 400m hurdler Alastair Chalmers struck gold and cyclist Sam Culverwell silver in the Bahamas in 2017.

The cycling and swimming in 2023 will take place on the island of Trinidad.

Cycling is open to athletes aged 17 and 18 next year, and the swimming will see girls aged between 14 and 17, and boys aged between 15 and 18 take part.

Guernsey will find out by the end of January whether it will also be allocated a spot for teams in netball and the rugby sevens.

Officials who supported athletes at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games earlier this year are expected to do the same at the Youth Games, which takes place from 4 to 11 August.

Chalmers won Guernsey’s first ever athletics medal in Birmingham when it took bronze in the 400m hurdles. Lucy Beere brought home silver in bowls. 

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in Victoria from 17 to 29 March 2026.

It will be staged across five regional areas - Melbourne, Ballerat, Bendigo, Geelong, Gippsland and Shepparton.

Guernsey will send around 28 athletes. Shooting, which was dropped for Birmingham, returns while golf and coastal rowing will be part of the Games for the first time.