Athletics: Guy Learmonth gains revenge for shock outdoor defeat

DESPITE suffering from the after-effects of a virus, Guy Learmonth (Lasswade) gained his revenge for a shock defeat the previous weekend when he won the 800 metres in one minute 50.95 secs for the East in the Scottish Inter-Regional Championships at Wishaw.

The 18-year-old, who had blitzed the indoor season in sensational style, had opened his outdoor season in an unexpected runners-up position to national cross-country champion Alistair Hay (Central) in the East trial at Meadowbank, Hay setting a personal best of 1:50.3.

But yesterday Learmonth comfortably held off the challenges of former national champion Graeme Oudney and Hay in the finishing straight to clinch his place in the Scotland team for next Sunday's International at Loughborough.

"I'd only trained once in the last ten days – I was in 1:48.0 shape before that but I'm happy with the win and I aim to go faster at Loughborough," said Learmonth.

Earlier, Hay had won the 1500 in 3:52.56 to book his place in the Loughborough match. Capital hammer ace Andy Frost reached a season's best of 70.51m while Frost's partner Susan McKelvie (Edinburgh AC) won the women's hammer yesterday with a heave of 58.08m, slightly down on her throw in Sweden.

EAC clubmate Emma Nuttall made a big breakthrough in the high jump, winning with a leap of 1.77m, a personal best.