Athletics: Mordi and Scott to make comebacks at Kelvin Hall

The first National Championship of this Olympic year gets under way at 9am at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall tomorrow when the Scottish Indoor Open takes place, and it has brought several former stars out of retirement as well as others returning from injury.

Edinburgh University’s Scottish triple jump record-holder Nony Mordi, now a qualified doctor and working in Newcastle, is making her comeback after missing two years through injury, while Capital hurdler Allan Scott, who still holds the Scottish indoor best for 60 metres hurdles of 7.52 secs set in Glasgow in 2008, returns after completely retiring from the sport and briefly flirting with rugby sevens.

Scott’s clash with old rival and Scottish outdoor record holder Chris Baillie (Glasgow) could be one of the highlights of the meeting, though Scott is cautious not to predict too much at this stage.

Allan Hamilton (Edinburgh AC) is another returning after injury, with his coach John Scott looking for him to set a strong marker down in the long jump tomorrow. Another from Scott’s training group, Sarah Warnock, goes in both the long and triple jumps, while he also expects high jumper Caitlin O’Neill to do well.

Lasswade’s 800 metres star Guy Learmonth is another looking to open on a high. Because his race is being run as a straight final at 10:30am, the Berwick-based student is having to travel to Glasgow for an overnight stay tonight to avoid too early a start on race day.

But Learmonth, 19, who set a string of Scottish records two winters ago and should have been taken to the Delhi Commonwealth Games as a developing athlete, is undaunted: “I’m raring to go.”

Among the improving female Edinburgh athletes entered are the Stewart sisters, Emily and Louisa, who will both run both 800 and 1500 metres following their fine performances in the Great Edinburgh Cross Country two weeks ago.

Two more Capital athletes will be in action indoors in the USA tomorrow where Kris Gauson runs in a 3000 metres in Indianapolis and Chris O’Hare goes in search of some speed work in an 800 metres in Oklahoma.