Scottish athlete Eilish McColgan hits out at 'body shaming' trolls

Scottish athlete Eilish McColgan has hit out at online trolls who have 'body shamed' her over her weight.

The Olympic middle distance runner said she has to regularly put up with comments about her being 'too skinny'. Picture: John Devlin / JPIMEDIA

The Olympic middle distance runner said she has to regularly put up with comments about her being 'too skinny'.

One poster responded to a tweet by sportswear Asics about McColgan by saying, "damn that's skinny" and another added, "yes... bit too much".

The daughter of former world 10,000 metres gold medallist Liz McColgan responded by asking them not to comment on her appearance.

She said: "Nothing pisses me off more than someone making a comment that I'm 'too skinny'. I'm naturally small, always have been. Some people are just slim.

"I doubt they would comment on someone slightly larger than 'average'. I'm a healthy athlete and human. Go body shame elsewhere!

"It's no surprise that young girls feel the need to get boob jobs, big plastic arses and contour themselves down to their kneecaps to fit what's deemed the 'ideal' body.

"If you're healthy and happy then don't worry about anyone else's opinion. It's your fabulous body."

McColgan, 28, a European Championship silver medallist, also said athletes like her were denied lucrative advertising contracts because people perceived them to be too thin.

She added: "We wonder why sports brands don't use professional athletes in their campaigns.. because folk then moan that we're 'too skinny'. Most brands then go sign up Kylie Jenner instead.

"Who's to say what a runners body should look like? People love to judge whilst sitting from the comfort of their sofas."

Dundee-born McColgan responded to the recent trolls by saying: "Please don't make a comment on my appearance when you don't know anything about me.

"I'm a healthy athlete. Running is my job so of course I'm going to look skinnier than perhaps the average individual."

Earlier this year, McColgan, who represented GB at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, had medals and jewellery from her home in Manchester.

She said the gang left the house "completely ransacked" and branded them "horrible scum".