The 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow have been a memorable time for Blackheath & Bromley. Not only have seven Club athletes been in action at the Games; a number of former members have been competing, one volunteer has been providing a massage service; numerous Club members have been in Scotland as spectators and the Club vest has also appeared in the BBCs opening credits.

Most notable achievement has been that of Adam Gemili who produced one of England’s early highlights as he won silver in the 100 metres.

Having already competed at the Olympic Games and World Championships, it is hard to believe that he is still only 20 year old, but in that time he has shown he is one for the big occasion.

Going into the Games he was not in the top 10 of the Commonwealth rankings but he soon asserted himself by recording the fastest time in the heats with 10.15. He also won his semi final in 10.07 but there were plenty of athletes capable of challenging for medals not least Jamaica’s Kemar Bailey Cole who ran the fastest semi.

His best start of the Games saw Adam leading Bailey Cole in the early stages but the tall Jamaican pulled away from the field to win in 10.00. A blanket finish saw Adam dip to take second place, two hundredths clear of another Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade.

It was another fine performance from Adam and his first Senior Championship medal. His second medal was soon to follow as part of the England 4x100 metres squad. He did not contest the heat but he ran first leg in the final. With a good start and solid change to Sutton’s Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, he did his job well. The England team could not, however, get the better of the Jamaicans who were anchored home to victory by Usain Bolt. They timed 38.02 and would have had to have run a National record to beat the Jamaicans who set a Games record of 37.58.

Chioma Matthews already has a Commonwealth medal. She won a bronze in the 2006 Games in Melbourne as part of the England netball team. She justified her change of Sports by being selected for this years triple jump and she booked herself a place in the final with a leap of 13.14.

She returned to the Arena the following day to set a seasons best of 13.46, just four centimetres off her best, to finish in 8th place.

Lorraine Ugen did not go as far as she had hoped in the long jump but to finish in 5th place in the Commonwealth is no disgrace. She recorded a distance of 6.39 which was just 10 centimetres off a bronze medal.

Pippa Woolven set a new personal best of 9.47.97 in the womens 3000 metres steeplechase to finish in 9th place. This was over six seconds quicker than she had run before. Shaunagh Brown qualified for the final of the Hammer and finished in 11th place with a distance of 58.67. She had thrown a little further in her heat with 59.37.

In the womens javelin Izzy Jeffs finished in 9th place in the final with a distance of 53.77.

Serita Solomon just missed out on a place in the final of the 100 hurdles when she was pipped for second place in her heat. Sporting the best socks of the Games, she had a good start and was in second place for most of the race but was just caught before the line. She timed 13.38, the same time as the second placer who got automatic qualification for the final.

Some former members were also competing. Emily Godley finished in 5th place in the weightlifting; Amir Williamson was 6th in the hammer; Alex AlAmeen, who was representing Nigeria, was 7th in the 110 hurdles; and Sophie Hitchon won bronze in the womens hammer. Sam Williams husband Conrad won a gold in the 4x400 metres.

Nick Nuttall was in Glasgow as part of the Sports massage team. He was working with the mountain bikers.

The sharp eyed will have spotted the Club vest appear very briefly at the end of the BBC’s opening titles. This featured two discus throwers turning in sync to send the implement towards the camera. One of these was Club member Louis Mascarenhas.