Eilidh Child takes bronze at World Championships

Margaret Adeoye, Eilidh Child, Christine Ohuruogu and Shana Cox during the medal ceremony. Picture: Getty

EILIDH Child made history in Moscow yesterday as she led out the British 4x400m women’s relay team to win bronze and become only the fourth Scot of all time to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships.

The Perthshire athlete follows in the illustrious footsteps of Liz McColgan, Dougie Walker and Lee McConnell as Scottish medallists at the Worlds. Child also laid the demons of her individual disappointment to rest. Child had ended up fifth in the 400m hurdles final on Thursday but was a key figure in the British quartet along with Shana Cox, Margaret Adeoye and newly-crowned 400m world champion Christine Ohuruogu.

The Russian team edged out USA for the gold in front of a vociferous home support in the Luzhniki Stadium while Ohuruogu never looked threatened to grab the team bronze in a time of 3:22.61min, a season’s best for the foursome.

Child was all smiles after claiming her first-ever global medal, with a 2014 campaign to prepare for that will include a Commonwealth Games in her home country. “This definitely makes up for missing out in the 400m hurdles. After that I was unhappy with the race but to finish fifth was great,” she said. “And to have this as a second chance was great so I gave it my all and I am so happy to come away with a world medal, it feels amazing. It has given me so much confidence now and I can go away, rest up and get ready for the Commonwealth Games. I cannot wait.”

For Ohuruogu, it was a second medal of the championships after storming to gold in the individual 400m, breaking Kathy Cook’s 29-year-old British record in the process. And the former Olympic champion admitted she was delighted to have produced her best for her team-mates. “I really am proud of the team: they all turn up, show up and do exactly what’s asked of them, they’re phenomenal athletes. Eilidh with what she’s run, Margaret who stepped in last minute to cover for Perri [Shakes-Drayton] and Shana who always runs a good leg.”

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