The highlight of the domestic calender, the Aviva Olympic Trials and National Championships, begins today, Friday 11th July, at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham. As Britain’s top athletes stake their claim for a place in Team GB for August’s Beijing Olympics, we take a look at the Scottish athletes looking to make their mark.
In the form of her life this season, having already secured the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying time of 4.07.00, Susan Scott goes in the women’s 1500m, widely billed as the race of the weekend. Hannah England leads the UK rankings with her superb 4.06.19 run in the USA, with Commonwealth Champion Lisa Dobriskey’s best time less than a tenth slower. Stephanie Twell also possesses the ‘A’ standard from last year but will not race the Trials as she competes at the World Juniors. Although the third ranked Briton going into these Trials, Scott is unbeaten by a British athlete this year having beaten Dobriskey on both occasions the pair have met this summer. Given her reputation of always rising to the big occasion, Scott could cross the line in front again.
Scott is not the only Scottish athlete looking to secure an Olympic berth. Lee McConnell, having put a hamstring injury sustained at June’s UK League behind her, dipped under the Olympic ‘A’ time, running 51.49 in Lugano, Switzerland last weekend. Ranked 3rd in the UK this year behind World Gold and Silver medalists Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders, McConnell will be gunning for an individual spot as well as a place in the relay team. Also looking to be included in the relay selections is Carey Easton, currently 8th ranked this year with a time of 53.00. A strong performance this weekend could see her on the plane to Beijing.
On the men’s side the only Scot to have the Olympic ‘A’ time is steeplechaser Andrew Lemoncello, his 8.23.74 time achieved last year. Four seconds outside the standard at the recent BMC meeting in Solihul, Lemoncello will look to dip under the required 8.24.60 once again in a highly competitive field on Sunday.
Hurdler Allan Scott will be hoping to pull out a big performance in the 110m hurdles on Saturday as he goes for the Olympic standard of 13.55. In an up and down season that has seen him clock 13.67, 13.69 and 13.70 but has also included disqualification for false starts, Scott will hope to push Andy Turner at the Trials, the only British athlete to so far have attained the Olympic qualifying, with a time of 13.41. Commonwealth silver medalist Chris Baillie also lines up for the hurdles with a season’s best of 13.86.
Although not in the running for Olympic selection, several Scottish athletes will be in the medal hunt this weekend. Triple jumper Nony Mordi leads the way having set her sixth Scottish record this year, with 13.62, at last weekend’s UK League match in Manchester. Ranked 2nd in the UK behind England’s Yasmine Regis, Mordi willl be right in the mix and the Olympic ‘B’ standard of 14 metres is not out of the question if she hits one right. Jayne Nisbet also goes in the triple jump but it is in the high jump that her best medal chance may lie. Having set a new lifetime best of 1.82 to win the England Athletics U23 title, Nisbet looks to be in fantastic shape and a good performance could well see her on the podium.
Another U23 title winner, 400m hurdler Eilidh Child will also be looking to finish in a podium position. Her season’s best of 57.27 ranks her 4th on the Power of 10 lists but U20 athlete Meghan Beesley will not run at the Trials as she is currently at the World Junior Championships in Poland where she set the time that took her above Child in the rankings. Child’s main opposition will come from Tasha Danvers and European Junior silver medalist Perri Shakes-Drayton.
Other Scottish athletes to look out for who have a chance of making it onto the podium are: Gemma Werrett 100mH, Alison Rodger shot putt, Freya Murray 5000m, Scot Thompson discus, Kirsty Maguire pole vault, Nick Smith 100m, Joanna Ross 800m, Nicola Gauld 1500m and Gillian Cooke long jump.
