City sprinter Kivlin targets Worlds after Jed-Forest win

Undaunted by Britain’s double sprint relay fiasco in the World Junior Championships in Barcelona – both men’s and women’s teams failed to finish in their finals on Saturday night – Jed-Forest Sprint winner Kieran Kivlin (Edinburgh AC) is still targeting the next World Juniors in two years.

The 17-year-old Portobello High School pupil picked up £3000, the biggest prize on the Borders circuit, for his victory in 11.62 seconds in the 110 metres handicap at the Jedburgh Border Games at Riverside Park on Saturday, which he clinched with a powerful finish over the last 20 metres from his start of 4.5m.

“That’s definitely my best run yet,” said Kivlin, a past youth championship winner at the New Year Sprint who is coached by Kevin Turner. “Halfway down the track I knew I could win and I came through strongly at the line. I want to aim for the next World Junior 
Championship – it was sad what happened to the relays.”

The favourite after his win in the cross-ties, Kivlin crossed the line, convinced he had won though, much to the delight of the big crowd, the finish was so close it required a photo to separate the first four.

Second was local hope Craig Grieve (Jedburgh 3m) with former Meadowbank and Stenhousemuir footballer Graeme Armstrong (Edinburgh 17m) third and Steven Charters (Glasgow 3m) fourth.

Scottish high hurdles record-holder Kris Baillie (Glasgow) enjoyed his first ever sprint on grass even though he went out in his heat.

Kivlin’s clubmate Tom 
Holligan, though not selected for the sprint relay final in 
Barcelona, lost out on any chance of sharing a medal when Britain’s first runner failed to get the baton to the awaiting second runner, following a similar mishap on the last change for British under-20 women.

Another clubmate Emily Stewart, meanwhile, was 
celebrating an excellent performance after chopping nine seconds off her best for the 3000m steeplechase in the Aviva London Grand Prix Diamond League meeting at 
Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Stewart finished tenth in 9:53.47.