Athletics: Discuss and javelin throwers secure places for Delhi

AT least two athletes were happy with the ill wind which blighted the Scottish Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials at Pitreavie at the weekend.

Angus McInroy and James Campbell successfully harnessed the breeze to capture records, McInroy taking the discus Scottish Native mark with a heave of 56.76 metres and Campbell adding nearly four metres to his own National javelin mark with a cast of 80.38m.

Their joy at sealing their places in the team for Delhi was matched by Capital stars Ali Hay in the 1,500m and Freya Murray in the women's 5,000m these two, having clinched qualifying, completing the formalities of collecting their titles despite the disagreeable breeze which often was more than five metres against in the home straight. Hammer men Mark Dry and Andy Frost, despite for them below par throws from a wind-blown circle, should also be India-bound when the Games team is announced on 17 August.

But another group of champions, including Capital stars Mark Mitchell (800m) and Susan McKelvie (hammer) and 2006 Melbourne high hurdles silver medallist Chris Baillie, were left frustrated by the weather, claiming titles which this season at any rate are lusterless without the coveted target figures.

For them there is the prospect of a desperate search for competition in benign conditions, seldom found in these islands when most needed.

Mitchell, whose victory over Chris Smith, Guy Learmonth (Lasswade) and Graeme Oudney (Pitreavie) was all the more remarkable as he had been best man at his brother's wedding in Forres last Friday, will head for the BMC Grand Prix in Belfast on Saturday which has attracted a quality field; while McKelvie, whose 60.84m win was one of her better efforts this season, makes for the Hammerama competition at Grangemouth the same day.

Both also need a back-up performance to satisfy the selectors with Mitchell's target a tough 1:47.80.

Fifth year Edinburgh medic Nony Mordi, a definite medal prospect at her Scottish record best of 13.62m, may have us all bemoaning the lack of discretion in the selection rules as she emerges from two lost years through injury to assert she can still reach the Delhi triple jump target of 13.30m.

A beaming Mordi took the title with a legal leap of 13.15m, her best since 2008: "I'm delighted - I'll compete in the Birmingham Games next Saturday - 15cms is not much to find in the triple jump."

Nevertheless with two such efforts to find before 1 August the odds are stacked against someone just back from a severe stress fracture.

Former Games medallist now coach Moira Maguire believes late developer Emma Nuttall (EAC), who took the high jump with 1.75m, has the ability to achieve the Games target of 1.83m had she only more time.

Ali Hay, winner over Ross Toole and Darren Gauson in a quality 1,500 ruined by the wind, was content: "I've never won it before and I'm not too bothered about the time."

Edinburgh's Gauson, may now, like six times 100m champion Nick Smith, be forced to look to Glasgow 2014.