Eilidh Doyle hopes Scots continue to excite in Birmingham

Eilidh Doyle leads another Scottish raiding party to Birmingham this weekend as the British Championships and World Trials take centre stage.
Eilidh Doyle wins the women's 400m hurdles final at the European Athletics Team Championships in Lille.  Picture: David Ramos/Getty ImagesEilidh Doyle wins the women's 400m hurdles final at the European Athletics Team Championships in Lille.  Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images
Eilidh Doyle wins the women's 400m hurdles final at the European Athletics Team Championships in Lille. Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images

The Olympic 4x400m relay medallist from 2016 hopes the “invasion” reaches the Alexander Stadium podium in significant numbers to bolster a growing feelgood factor.

Scots have gathered up many medals in the past couple of years at the British Championships and this weekend a top two finish could propel athletes back to London for the 2017 World Championships – if they’ve already achieved the required qualifying standard.

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After 15 Scottish athletes were selected for the Olympics in Rio last summer – the biggest contingent for 108 years – Doyle has admitted her own sense of pride has been lifted by recent performances.

“I am so proud of what’s happening in Scottish athletics at the moment,” said 
Doyle. “I think I may have been described as the ‘Mother Hen’ figure – I don’t mind that, I’m embracing it! I’m just thrilled being part of it and seeing the exciting progress of so many of our athletes.

“I just want to be around to be with them and enjoy the moments with them. So, yes, I am feeding off the success of others. Definitely. You check social media and see outstanding results and performances and you just think. I want to be part of that; I want to do well, too. It drives you on to try to add more success.”

Doyle represented GB at the Euro Team Championships at the weekend in Lille, France, and claimed full points with a win in the 400m hurdles in a season’s best run of 54.60.

The 30-year-old has brushed aside any talk of imminent retirement, with husband Brian now her coach as Malcolm Arnold takes less of an active role, although he is still advising the Doyles.

“I just don’t want to let this go, that’s the truth,” she told scottishathletics in an interview for PB magazine. “It sounds cheesy, maybe, but I love what I do and I love athletics. I love training and I love competing.

“The older I am getting, the more people ask ‘How can you keep this going?’. But I am stopping and appreciating it a lot more now than a few years ago. When I am at a championships, there is that bit in my head saying ‘Will I 
be at the next one?’ So I am making sure I savour it. The feeling when you cross the line knowing you’ve worked hard to be there and given everything in the race is a great feeling. I don’t want to give that up any time soon.

“Scots are performing so well and it is so exciting for our sport. I have to say, I am particularly excited about ones I know really well like Laura Muir, Steph Twell and Eilish McColgan. I’ve seen all three of those come through some very difficult times.”

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With qualifying standards already achieved for London 2017, automatic places can be clinched in Team GB and NI with a gold or silver medal this weekend by the likes of Doyle,
Twell, McColgan, Lynsey Sharp, Andy Butchart, Chris O’Hare, Zoey Clark, Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman.

The full British Athletics team for the World Championships will not be named until following the Anniversary Games in London the weekend after the trials. 
Laura Muir will miss the 5,000m at the trials but is expected to race in the mile at the Anniversary Games after recovering from a foot injury.

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