ATHLETICS
ATHLETICS
James McLachlan is determined to break the Scottish long jump record as a consolation prize for having missed out on Glasgow 2014. The 22-year-old, currently based in Chicago, suffered the anguish of coming up a mere two centimetres short of the qualifying mark earlier this month.
Now, having shaken off the hamstring injury that hampered his hopes, he is focused on this weekend's European Championship trials in Birmingham, and the chance to break Darren Ritchie's national best of 8.01 metres.
"I do believe I'm capable of going further than my best of 7.86," he said. "And I'd really enjoy that. I've got the form to break the Scottish record. And if I break eight metres, I've got a shot at the Europeans without a question."
McLachlan, who will compete against the Olympic champion Greg Rutherford in Birmingham, was among seven Scots to win age-group titles at the English Championships in Bedford last weekend - others were the Games-bound trio Allan Smith, Nick Percy and Rachel Hunter - and he plans to return from the USA next summer after completing his degree with Rio 2016 on his agenda. "If I'm doing big distances, then I'm going to give it a go up to the 2017 world championships in London," he said.
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