Athletics: Learmonth proves a hit with record on Scots senior debut

LASSWADE athlete Guy Learmonth celebrated his first senior vest and delivered his third Scottish record in eight days when he won the 800 metres in 1:50.57 for Scotland in the Celtic Nations Indoor International in Cardiff.

That clipped 0.18 seconds off the National Under-20 mark which he set when finishing fifth in the UK Championships in Sheffield and in turn had been an improvement on his record set the previous day in the heats (1:50.98).

"I promised Scotland I'd celebrate my first senior international with a new record and I did," said the jubilant 17-year-old schoolboy who was also named Athlete of the Meeting.

Helped by 11 wins, Scotland won the match with 76.5 points to the 55.5 of Wales. Ireland had 54 and University of Wales 45. Another national under-20 record was broken in the women's long jump when Jade Nimmo (Falkirk) reached 6.20m.

One of the winners was Dunfermline's Nick Smith, who took the 60m in a modest 6.79sec, still tired after his exertions the previous day.

Smith smashed a 23-year-old Scottish record when he grabbed third spot in a World Indoor Championships qualifying time of 6.60sec in the 60 metres ahead of England stars Harry Akines Ayreetey, Mark Lewis-Francis and Craig Pickering at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham.

"I'm really pleased – there was no pressure – I was just focussed," said Smith, 27, who had struggled into fifth place in 6.72sec in the UK Championships in Sheffield seven days earlier.

He will hear today whether he has been picked for the World Indoor Championships in Doha next month.