Athletics: Heartache for Lasswade's Learmonth on debut

LASSWADE middle distance hope Guy Learmonth's senior Scottish debut ended in disaster when he crashed to the track just before the bell of the 800 metres in the Loughborough International at Loughborough yesterday.

Almost certainly tripped in an overcrowded 11-man field, the 18-year-old schoolboy immediately got up and walked off the track, apparently unhurt but with no chance of continuing the race.

Learmonth, who was preferred to Pitreavie's Graeme Oudney in the team after winning the Inter-Regional race at Wishaw eight days ago, will now target a British Milers Club meeting at Manchester next Saturday in the hope of making quick amends.

Oudney, competing as a guest, finished third yesterday in 1:52.21, well down on Welsh winner Gareth Warburton, who clocked a swift 1:48.85.

Pitreavie's Eilidh Child opened her season by winning the 400 metres hurdles in 55.85, well inside the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard.

But she will still have to race off against Natasha Danvers and Perri Shakes-Drayton for the team spot in the European Cup in Bergen next month.

In all, five Games standards were achieved with Henrietta Paxton also setting a new Scottish pole vault record of 4.25m while fellow vaulter Richard Hurren cleared 5.20m to exceed the men's Delhi mark.

Capital hammer-throwers Mark Dry and Andy Frost were again over the standard and 70 metres with Dry winning the match event with 70.66 metres.

Susan McKelvie (EAC) came desperately close to achieving the women's hammer standard of 62.00m with a heave of 61.86m, her best for several seasons, while there was a personal best of 11.83m for her clubmate Sarah Warnock in the triple jump and for both Sarah Hood (4:23.0) and Laura Dunn (4:24.23) as guests in the 1500m.

Capital physio Al Hay won the 1500 metres in a sluggish 3:36.41.

Dunfermline's Nick Smith could finish only fifth in the 100m in 10.39.