Some of Scotland’s Olympic contenders at next weekend’s British trials in Birmingham:
Name: Laura Muir
Age: 23
From: Milnathort
Event: 1500m
One of the Sunday Herald’s Six to Follow (see main interview), Muir goes into these trials on a real high having delayed her start to the outdoors season to concentrate on her university exams. A second place finish – in a new Scottish national record time - at the recent Diamond League Golden Mile event in Oslo was a positive start, although she tweeted that she will need to “sharpen her elbows” after finishing fifth in Stockholm the other night.
Name: Lynsey Sharp
Age: 25
From: Edinburgh
Event: 800m
As feisty off the track as competitive she is on it, Sharp is another entering the trials in a positive vein of form. She opened the outdoor season with third place in the Rome Diamond League meet, and followed it up by taking fourth in Birmingham, breaking the 2-minute barrier both times. She then won a slower race in Luzern this week. She has admitted the form of Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba may mean bronze and a possible British record may be the best she can hope for in Rio.
Name: Eilidh Doyle
Age: 29
From: Perth
Event: 400m hurdles
The two-times Commonwealth silver medallist (as Eilidh Child) made a sparkling start to the season by winning the opening Diamond League event in Doha and then followed that by claiming third in Rome, a very-close second in Birmingham and then another runners-up slot in Luzern. Only four hurdlers have run faster than her this season meaning a top two finish to book a place at her second Olympics shouldn’t be beyond her.
Name: Eilish McColgan
Age: 25
From: Dundee
Event: 5000m
McColgan has mixed up her preparation for the trials by running a recent 1500m but it is over 5000m where the former steeplechaser will look to book her place at Rio. A fractured ankle in 2015 kept her off the track for the best part of two years but she has returned strongly this season, posting both Olympic standard times as well as personal bests over 3000m and 5000m. Another remaining ambition is to break mum Liz’s times at both distances.
Name: Laura Whittle
Age: 30
From: Glasgow
Event: 5000m
Sixth over this distance at the Commonwealth Games two years ago, and the second-fastest Brit in that race, the 30 year-old posted her second Olympic qualifying standard in California last month having achieved the first last year. If she can finish in the top two in Birmingham, then, she will book her seat to Rio. Having missed London four years ago due to injury, she will look to make amends this time around in what will realistically be a last chance to reach the Olympics.
Name: Steph Twell
Age: 26
From: Colchester/Paisley
Event: 5000m
The third Scot in the 5000m field and currently top of the UK rankings over that distance, a foot injury denied Twell the chance to run in London four years ago. She is another who has mixed up her preparations, her only 5000m run to date an 11th-place finish in a very fast race at the Rome Diamond League. Will also run in the European Championships in Amsterdam even if she qualifies for Rio.
Name: Lennie Waite
Age: 30
From: Paisley
Event: 3000m steeplechase
The two-time Commonwealth Games athlete posted a personal best while winning the 3000m steeplechase in Portland last week which was inside Olympic standard, giving her two qualifying times. American-based Waite is now confident of a second-place finish in Birmingham.
Name: Chris O’Hare
Age: 25
From: West Linton
Event: 1500m
Boston-based and Oklahoma-educated, O’Hare is a product of the United States these days as much as he is Scotland. Having gained both qualifying standards – the second at the Diamond League in Rome where he finished seventh – there is a determination to make up for last summer’s world championships where he failed to make the final.
Name: Andrew Butchart
Age: 24
From: Dunblane
Event: 5000m
Such is Butchart’s burgeoning self-confidence that when he broke Nat Muir’s Scottish 5000m record last month he did so with just one shoe for the latter stages of the race. It was also his second Olympic qualifying standard and left the 24 year-old in good shape for Rio, presumably as Britain’s second representative behind Mo Farah.
Name: Jax Thoirs
Age: 23
From: Glasgow
Event: Pole vault
The University of Washington graduate is the Scottish record holder and will be looking to improve on his fourth place finish at the Commonwealth Games two years ago.
Name: Mark Dry
Age: 28
From: Elgin
Event: Hammer
A bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games two years ago, the Scottish record holder will look to nail down a Rio place next weekend.
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