Josh cheers up Owen and Angela enjoys online #SALtogether support
Photos by Bobby Gavin
By Peter Jardine
Heard the one about the World Record holder whose first question when joining the Team Scotland camp was to ask after our Para trio from the T20 1500m?
That’s what happened when Josh Kerr checked in at the team hotel the day after Ben Sandilands and Steven Bryce won gold and bronze.
Josh’s concern was focused on Owen Miller, the former Paralympic champion who had a tough night at Scotstoun on Monday.
The pair were among the first two years of intake for our National Academy and, a decade ago, were pals when at residential camps for the Academy.
‘I have known Owen a long time and was aware what it would mean to him being with Team Scotland at a Commonwealths,’ said Josh.
‘We met at Grangemouth last week when I dropped in for training and when I arrived on Tuesday I was keen to check in on him with the staff.
‘For me Owen has been huge in helping project the 1500m in Scotland; he has played a big part in that.
‘All three T20 1500 are so passionate and work really hard. It’s good we had integrated programme here for Glasgow 2026.’
That’s what we often call #SALtogether ethos right there! Where various elements in athletics in Scotland pull in the same direction.
There are other examples to be found in our content and many social media comments demonstrate a supportive attitude.
Angela McAuslan-Kelly gave us a very candid post-event interview after the Tuesday downpours affected her hammer throwing. Angela (wrongly) called her performance ’embarrassing’ and we then had a Facebook pile-on . . . of comfort and support.
As Alison McGee posted:
What an amazing achievement Angela, from the wee Quine (girl) when I first started to you in the commonwealth hammer final. Love watching your journey. Well done. Be proud
Creating the right culture is important to us as a governing body but in truth contribution to that can come from anyone and everyone.
If you are commenting on performances of athletes on our channels, please do think about the effect. On both the individual and on those close to them. Thanks.
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Scotstoun will never be the same again.
Not the blue, new ‘fast track’; not the temporary stands that unlike rugby don’t cut of bends and field event space; not the café in the sports centre where the Glasgow 2026 volunteer workforce are being fed and watered.
Everyone has been watered overhead, too.
The heavy rain on Tuesday night made delivery of the events extremely difficult for organisers, stadium volunteers and Officials.
Come the end of a long session – two Australian jumpers were still chasing 2.00m at 10.15pm – announcer Kris Temple kindly thanked those with ‘squeegee’ mops seeking to dry the high jump area.
Cue Geoff Wightman with the last word: ‘I think you mean the ‘Squeegee Weegies’. Brilliant.
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Lynsey Sharp celebrates 800m silver at Hampden in 2014 in what became an iconic shot from photographer Bobby Gavin
Great to see Scottish athletics royalty on TNT Sports amid the Tuesday torrential rain: that’s you Eilidh Doyle, Eilish McColgan and Lynsey Sharp.
Lynsey was interviewed about husband Andy Butchart’s 10,000m while Eilidh did some babysitting on the couple’s two boys at the back of the Scotstoun stand. Interesting to hear Lynsey float the idea of Andy following Eilish up to marathon.
Some 24 hours earlier, equally good to see Lynsey’s mum, Carol Sharp, helping out at the Women’s 800m heats.
Carol was out there moving cone markers some 12 years on from THAT silver medal for her daughter at Hampden in the very same event.
Suffice for now to say the Commonwealth connection runs deep with that particular family . . .
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Tags: Andy Butchart, Angela McAuslan-Kelly, Josh Kerr, Lynsey Sharp, Owen Miller
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