Athletics: Scots take to the skies in Games chase

England, Germany, Italy and Switzerland are among the destinations with Bedford and the Inter-Counties Championships on Sunday and Monday the favourite venue.

According to his coach Stuart Hogg, Dunfermline's Nick Smith is in "the best condition he's ever been in," as he bids to win the Inter-Counties 100 metres title at Bedford, a track where he has often performed well.

A trifle sluggish at the Loughborough International last Sunday, when he clocked only 10.39 secs, Scottish 100m champion Smith will be looking to go under 10.30 secs this week and possibly get close to the Delhi standard of 10.25.

Smith spearheads a small East team which also includes another former New Year Sprint winner Pat Swan, who is entered in both 200 and 400.

Swan went close to dipping under 47 seconds for the first time in the 400m at Loughborough and may be tempted to have another go even though the Games standard of 45.45 is some way off.

Discus thrower Angus McInroy came surprisingly close to the target distance of 56.00m in finishing second with 55:07m in the Loughborough match.

Scotland's top pole-vaulters are off to Germany with Richard Hurren looking to consolidate his 5.20m Games standard set at Loughborough and Henrietta Paxton out to show that her new Scottish record and Games mark there of 4.25m was no fluke, while former EAC jumper/hurdler Ali Strange has a Delhi target of 5.20m

Long jumper Jade Nimmo heads for Italy and shot putter Alison Rodgers for Switzerland but Capital hammer-throwers Andy Frost and Susan McKelvie have chosen tomorrow's Hammerama meeting at Grangemouth Stadium for their latest outing. Frost has already achieved the 70-metre target throw.

Central's Alistair Hay is one of several Scots bound for the British Milers club in Manchester, where his target will be the 1500m Games time of 3:41.30.