Coach calls for patience as Thom Evans begins athletics career

ATHLETICS coach Margot Wells has asked for expectations to be tempered as her latest charge, former Scotland rugby internationalist Thom Evans, prepares to make his competitive track debut this weekend.

Evans retired from rugby two years ago following a serious neck injury sustained against Wales in Cardiff. Now he is pursuing a career in athletics but his coach, Wells – who helped guide husband Allan to Olympic gold in Moscow in 1980 – is quick to stress Thom is ‘at the start of a journey’.

His appearance at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Sunday nonetheless adds extra interest to the National Senior Indoor championships.

Evans will run the 60 metres – in which he could face Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Tom Holligan – but the 26-year-old himself believes he will ultimately race at 200 metres or 400 metres.

“We have booked our flights and Thom is very much looking forward to Sunday,” confirmed Margot.

“I have to stress to people that this is just him starting out on his athletics journey.

“We don’t think the 60 metres will be his distance, but he has to start somewhere. It is a case of letting him experience competing and finding out if he enjoys it.

“There is no hiding place as a sprinter and the differences from a team sport like rugby are massive.

“I have seen 12 rugby players hiding out on the pitch, but you can’t hide when the gun goes off in the sprint. You are there as an individual and you live or die by your performance.

“Also, in those team sports, you can take your time to ‘play your way into the game’. You don’t have that opportunity on the track – it can all be over very quickly. You are very exposed out there.

“We’re barely three months into full training and there is a big transition to be made. But he wants to have a crack at it so that’s the main thing.

“I understand why the Scottish sporting public are interested. Their last image of Thom is of him being carted off that pitch in Wales with a very serious injury.

“They probably wondered then if he would ever be able to put one put in front of the other again. Now he is putting one foot in front of the other on the track and I know people are wishing him well – we appreciate that level of support.”

Evans could face three races inside two hours if he makes the final with his personal best for 60 metres posted at 7.22 seconds following only a couple of trial outings in England in January after starting work with Wells.

In an interview earlier this week, Thom said: “I loved running like crazy when I was at school because I was faster than other kids. But I also loved rugby and after a while it dominated my life and athletics was put on the back-burner.

“I like the solo aspect because I have always felt a bit of an individual.”

Edinburgh teenager Holligan is entered for the 60 and the 200 while other leading Scottish athletes on the men’s start-lists include Ryan Oswald, Jamie Bowie, Kevin Downie, Jack Walker, Allan Scott, Dave Smith, Allan Smith, Dan Carlin, Roger Skedd, Gregor MacLean, Ally Strange and Jax Thoirs.

In the women’s events, the best-known names include Bethanie Finlayson, Erin Leggate, Chloe Lambert, Kathryn Evans, Laura Dunn, Catriona Pennet, Lisa Ferguson, Jayne Nisbet and Nony Mordi.