THE new golden couple of Scottish tack and field is getting set for the Gold Coast. So many OK magazine shoots await for Lynsey Sharp and Andrew Butchart if they can return from Australia this April with some more medals to add to the collection that they could soon be giving British Cycling’s Olympic duo Laura and Jason Kenny a run for their money.

The media loves little more than a bit of in-team romance and so it was yesterday as Sharp, the drama queen of Glasgow 2014 with that breath-taking 800m silver medal the day after she had been on a drip in hospital bed in the city, and Butchart, recently returned from third place in the European Cross Country Championships, were named in a powerful-looking 25-strong squad (26 if you count Beth Potter, who is already included as a triathlete) for the Commonwealth games on the Queensland coast next Spring.

The pair have been an item since January but will enter a new phase of their relationship this week when they move out to San Diego together. And it was all laid bare for the cameras here – what are the pros and cons of being in a relationship with another high-profile athlete (Sharp’s parents Cameron and Carol could tell her a thing or two about that), how is each inspiring the other to greater achievements, even who made the first move. “It was her, don’t listen to what she says,” says Butchart. “He’s a liar! I think you know the real answer to that!” responds Sharp.

The game is ‘show us your medals’ and for these two it is serious business. “She obviously won a silver medal in the Commonwealths the last time but both of us are going there wanting to achieve a medal,” adds Butchart. “We will be disappointed if we don’t. But because we both finished sixth at the Olympics, and eighth in the worlds, this will kind of be the decider! After this one we can say ‘I am better than you’ and that is important! The Europeans was different, because it has to be at the same event. We have been at the same Olympics, the same World Championships and now it will be the same Commonwealth Games – we will see who gets it!”

“He got his first major medal at the weekend, so now the pressure is on for me,” is Sharp’s take on things. “It’s been a couple of years since I’ve medalled, so this year is the big one for me. Could we be the golden couple if we both bring back medals? I really hope that’s how it works out. His event is really strong in the Commonwealth Games as well, with the Canadians and Kenyans in there. But that would be the dream, to both medal and then go on to get medals at the European Championships in the summer.”

California is currently ravaged by forest fires and thanks to Donald Trump, the US political climate is rather turbulent, but sitting in frosty Stirling, with ice on the ground and sub zero temperatures, it seemed hard to argue with the decision to move across the pond to be closer to Terrence Mahon, who coaches both in addition to 1,500m runner Chris O’Hare. “That’s the kind of thing I think will make a lot of difference, spending time with Terrence especially leading into the Commonwealths. With it being in April it’s difficult to get things right especially as I normally take about 20 races to get into shape!

“Terrence was based in Boston then he left his job at the BAA and wanted to relocate back to the west coast,” said Sharp. “For the last six months I’d been joking, saying ‘as soon as you move I’m there’. Then it got to the end of October and I asked Andy if he just wanted to move. We said we might as well as we spend so much time over there. So we will fly to Australia from LA instead of coming home first. At the moment we won’t be there long enough to need anything more than a tourist visa. But after that you can apply for a P1 athlete visa which is five years. That would see me through to the end of my career.”

While the two will be sure to have their own space comes game time, the consensus seems to be that the shared interest helps. “It’s funny, some days I have sessions that mean something to me, that I know is an indication of what shape I’ll be in, he’ll know I’ll be in a s*** mood the whole morning till I get my session out the way,” said Sharp. “He understands that and won’t be constantly in my ear.

“I think we both struggled a bit in Font Romeu because there was literally nothing to do,” she added. “We were staring at the walls for three weeks and it was just a bit boring to spend that length of time.So when we came back we said we can’t spend 24 hours a day together in San Diego. It’s not healthy.

“We will probably put each other off!,” says Butchart. “No, but when you put each other off you are taking your mind off the actual event so you can be a bit more relaxed. I am quite good at being relaxed before races but I’m not sure Lynsey is. We will sleep separately and it is going to be individual totally. She has got her targets and I have got mine.”

During Sharp’s interview, Butchart even interjects with a question from the floor. ‘Lynsey, your boyfriend Andrew Butchart is such a superstar,” he said. ‘I was just wondering what it’s like to be in awe of him – and, in a sprint, who is faster?” “I think you know that I beat you on hills!” she replies.