The crowd begin celebrating as Dale Garland approaches the line to bring the 4x400 team home in a Commonwealth Games qualifying time and Island Games record. (Picture by Rob Currie, 0799720)

IT WAS worth the trip for Dale Garland as Guernsey’s 4x400m quartet smashed through the Commonwealth Games qualification barrier with a phenomenal performance yesterday.

Garland brought the team of Hywel Robinson, Matt Bailey and Tom Druce home in an incredible 3min. 12.38sec. – more than 1.2 seconds under the consideration time for Delhi 2010 and a new island record by 3.45 seconds.

On top of that, of course, they took gold.

‘Normally the Games are a little bit more fun, but coming out specifically for this race, the pressure over the last couple of days has risen and risen.

‘We have come through this pressure and shown what we can do,’ said Garland, who also apologised to wife Rachel for his brief sojourn away from their new baby.

Druce had felt confident the team could make the Commonwealth Games time, but admitted that he did not expect to do it by that margin.

‘We had to do it the hard way because the Cayman Islands literally did not turn up to race, so we were out in front on our own pretty much all the way. You cannot ask for anything more,’ he said.

‘I was watching the clock and I knew Hywel and Matt were always on schedule for it, as long as Dale and I ran well on the last two legs.’

Garland added that this quartet, providing they stay healthy, will only improve in the lead-up to Delhi.