Athletics: Earrings, personal bests and false starts light up weekend

By SANDY SUTHERLAND
Published on Monday 20 February 2012 11:59

There were so many gallant failures among the aspiring Scots athletes at the weekend.

Lasswade’s Guy Learmonth might have been tempted to despair in finishing as only the third Briton in eighth place in the high-class 800 metres at the Birmingham Indoor Games on Saturday. But in doing so he, recorded 1:47.84, a personal best by more than half a second and inside the World Indoor Championship qualifying standard of 1:48.00, his winter target. It was wonderful running from the 19-year-old Berwick student.

Claire Gibson (Kilbarchan) chopped her best 1500m time down by three seconds, but missed the 4:14.0 World standard by 0.79.

The Scottish Indoor Championships were a much tamer affair at the Kelvin Hall yesterday but did produce some sparkling moments, not least when former Scotland rugby star Thom Evans reached the 60 metres final, recording a personal best of 7.20 secs in fourth spot. The title went to Northern Ireland’s Dean Adam (Ballymena) in 6.95.

It was just like old times in the 60m hurdles where Capital star Allan Scott returned after three weeks out through injury to reach the final, only to false-start and get flung out. His former training partner Chris Bailie took the title.

“That’s the indoor season over and it’ll be back to hard training tomorrow,” reflected Scott.

Jayne Nisbet (Edinburgh AC) could rue the fact that an earring flew off as she tore into the high jump after her first attempt at a new Scottish Native record of 1.84m had come so close, but she will undoubtedly go higher soon, while former club-mate Gregor MacLean tried a new pole vault record of 5.40m.

Queen Margaret University student Allan Smith set a personal best of 2.15m in the high jump in finishing second to Edinburgh student Ray Bobrownicki (2.20m).

Laura Dunn (EAC), whose younger sister Rachael took the under-17 Scottish Cross Country title at Falkirk on Saturday, won the 1500m title unpressed in 4:35.73, while Laura Muir added the 800 metres title in 2:08.12 yesterday to the National Under-20 title she won over the country the previous day.

The last word belongs to 15-year-old George Watson’s schoolboy Ben Robbins, who won the senior 200 metres title in 22.74 after scoring a try for his school rugby team the previous day.

Logged in as:

Comment here. Start typing your comment here:

Post comment

Please adhere to our Community guidelines

Your view

Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.