JUST three weeks before the Olympic trials, even by the most generously optimistic interpretation, fewer than a dozen Scottish track and field athletes have even a remote possibility of being selected for the 2012 Games.
Realistic informed analysis would rate the likely final no better than four or five.
Generous optimism? The fact is that just two Scottish athletes have currently achieved Britain's Olympic A standard: Steph Twell and Freya Murray. Despite miraculous recovery from a serious ankle injury last year, Commonwealth bronze medallist Twell is now ranked third in Britain at 5000 metres, while Murray is fourth in the marathon. The marathon team has already been chosen. Murray, second Brit in London, is a reserve, though still nurses Olympic 10k aspirations. She has the European 10k standard, and could achieve the Olympic mark this weekend running for Britain in Spain. Twell needs to improve by 3.59sec to make the grade at 1500m. Performances must have been achieved since April 1 this year.
Please enable cookies in your browser to display the rest of this article.