Guernsey athletes are in a 'golden era', says president

President of the Guernsey Athletics Club Alun Williams is expecting the next five years to herald a 'golden era' at the club.

Williams told BBC Guernsey that a host of promising youngsters are just starting to show their potential.

He said: "We've got great prospects for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and we're also looking ahead to 2014.

"We haven't come up with the idea that we're moving into a 'golden era' lightly, it's based on evidence."

In recent years, Guernsey's most consistent performers have been Dale Garland and Lee Merrien, who have both put in strong performances in international competitions.

Garland has appeared at both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games in the 400m hurdles, whilst Merrien has represented Great Britain at the European Cross Country Championships.

Williams said: "We've got so many good youngsters who could step up to the plate in the same way Lee and Dale have done.

"It really is a privilege to be involved with them and they're setting the standard for the club."

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi will provide the next worldwide platform for Guernsey's athletes to shine, and Williams is predicting a vintage year for the team that go to India.

He said: "We'll hopefully send over a team of six, seven or eight athletes to Delhi.

"The standards that we've set to get to Delhi are really high so we know they'll be mixing it with the other competitors."