Eilish McColgan personal best on GB debut

EILISH McColgan revealed that a pep talk from her illustrious mother helped push her to a new 3000m steeplechase best on her Great Britain debut at the European Team Championship in Stockholm.

With the words of Liz, the former world champion, ringing in her ears, the Dundee-based prospect ran 9:55.13 for ninth place in only her third outing at the distance. McColgan admitted the weekend was an eye-opener for the future.

She said: "Mum just said to not get too nervous about it. Obviously because it's a senior event I was a bit worried because I'm only 20, but she said: 'You're out of the juniors now so this is the kind of people you'll need to beat if you want to be your best'. She said I should just treat it like a normal race and be right in there with the pack, which I tried to do, really."

Of the other Scots involved, Lee McConnell helped the women's 4x400m relay team to second place. Andy Frost was just 11th in the hammer with a throw of 61.53 metres, well short of his best, while James Campbell, on his GB debut, was miles off the pace, coming a lowly ninth in the javelin, throwing just 68.03m.