Double joy! Eilish adds silver in 5000m to her 10,000m gold

Sunday 7th August 2022

Photos by Bobby Gavin

Evening Session

Let’s make it a double! Eilish McColgan fought hard to add silver in the Women’s 5000m at Birmingham 2022 – to add to her 10,000m gold.

Eilish made headlines around the globe through the week and will carry the Team Scotland flag at the closing ceremony of the Games.

So to go close to a second victory in the 5000m was highly impressive and it was only in the latter stages of the last lap that Kenyan Beatrice Chebet was sure of gold.

Eilish clocked a fine 14:42.14 in a race which saw Sarah Inglis run well for seventh place and Eloise Walker came home in 20^th

‘I was so tired physically and mentally so I am really proud of myself,’ said Eilish.

‘I led out 4800m of that race and to still come and get a silver medal, I can’t ask for any more.

‘I knew they were fresh. Only a few of us were crazy enough to do both [5000 and 10,000m]. Honestly, it is a dream to get a gold and a silver.

‘It has been a rollercoaster of emotions. That was such a high for me on Wednesday night – and not just the energy of the 10k.

‘It has been overwhelming. So many athletes and staff from all nations have been saying in the dining hall that they watched me and cheered me on, that I started crying. Every time I go to the dining hall I am just crying all the time.

‘Their support has been wild and that is what drove me through today.’

Photo by Bobby Gavin

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Guy Learmonth featured in the Men’s 800m final – just as he did eight years ago in the Commonwealths at Glasgow 2014.

And it was sixth place once again for Guy as he fought hard to keep in touch with the medal positions until well into the home straight.

‘I thought there was maybe a bronze there for me,’ he said.

‘I just didn’t quite manage it and possibly a lack of races this season told. But I’m pleased with where I am at now after a lot that’s happened in recent months.

‘I don’t want the season to end; I want to try and go and get two or three races and run some times and then we will work from there again.’

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Morning Session

Zoey Clark lined up in the Women;s 400m final at the Commonwealths for the first time and clocked 51.90 to finish eighth.

Birmingham 2022 marked a third appearance at the Commonwealths and the Aberdeen AAC athlete isn’t ruling out a fourth!

‘I feel I am improving each time and it was good to get to the final after making the semis in Gold Coast 2018,’ she said.

‘If I am still around then maybe I can do even better in 2026. I’ve mixed feelings about the race because it was hard in lane two and I tried early on to just get in touch with the race. But I possibly used up too much because the home straight finish was not as strong as I’d have liked.’

The 4x100m Women’s final featured a Scotland team for the first time since Edinburgh in 1986. The quartet of Rebecca Matheson, Alisha Rees, Sarah Malone and Taylah Spence finished eighth in 45.01 – a quicker time than in the heats. Nigeria won a great race with England second and Jamaica third.

‘The big positives are we were in the final after so long without one in the Women’s 4x100m and also that we ran quicker than on Saturday,’ said Alisha.

‘Moments and memories like these will keep us all going on winter training nights in the win,’ said Orkney-based midwife Taylah.