GB trio are London-bound as Adam, Nick head for Italy

Wednesday 3rd July 2019

Scottish athletes have been making their mark on the international stage in the past couple of years – and there’s another exciting week or so looming up ahead.

In track and field there are five set to represent either GB and NI or British Unis with teams for both the European 10,000m Cup and the World Student Games coming under the auspices of British Athletics.

Eilish McColgan and Sarah Inglis – after a nine-year absence – were among the first picks for the Senior Women’s team for Highgate. And Mhairi Maclennan was added to that team on Tuesday to make it three Scots involved in the Europa Cup event.

Meanwhile, sprinter Adam Thomas and discus thrower Nick Percy are headed for Italy as the World Unis event is staged in Naples over the nect 10 days or so.

In fact, there’s a strong Scottish coaching presence at both these events with scottishathletics Performance staff in team roles for British Athletics and for the British Universities team.

Mark Pollard, our National Lead on Endurance, is Team Leader for Highgate team while Allan Scott, our National Lead for Sprints, Hurdles and Relays is Team Manager for Sprints and Hurdles in Italy.

Those team management appointments are a huge compliment to scottishathletics and we wish Mark and Allan well in their roles over the next week or so as they earn important experience.

Starting to get itchy feet! ? But just over a week till we get to do it all over again!??????

Looking forward to lining up in Highgate at the Night of the 10,000s, as part of a strong GB team! ?? Hopefully I make it round all 25 laps this time! ? #racefever pic.twitter.com/MIDAIz1BBx

— Eilish Mccolgan (@EilishMccolgan) June 28, 2019

Scotsman interview with Sarah Inglis

‘It was a great feeling when the call came in from Helen Clitheroe (Women’s team manager) to say I’d been picked to race for GB again,’ said Sarah, the Lothian RC athlete who has been based in Canada in recent months.

‘The European 10,000m Cup at Highgate is great. There is always a lot going on. I was there in 2016 for Rio trials and there was fire going off, Brazilian dancers, drums, people enjoying themselves in the beer garden. Athletics should be fun.

‘My brother and sister are coming down and a few other friends as soon as I was selected. I’m sure they’ll have a good night, my mind will be on the running though!.’

Saturday’s event is also the British Champs and the likes of our Lindsays National XC champions, Steph Twell and Adam Craig are among many Scots making the trip to London to compete.

Cambuslang Harriers athlete Moira Stewart, silver medallist at Falkirk in February, will race for the Czech Republic in the European 10,000m Cup after recent PBs of 33.24 at 10,000m and 15.49 at 5000m.

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The World Student Games are the second biggest multi-sports events globally – second only in scale to the Olympics.

Thus the programme runs over a number of days and Adam is due to open up in Round One of the 100m on Monday.

The Bracknell AC Scot, who is at Loughborough Uni and coached by Leon Baptiste, recently clocked 10.22 windy which was very close to his PB (10.23) and will be hoping for more of the same in Naples – with Round Two later that day and, potentially, a semi-final and final next Tuesday.

For Nick Percy, the discus event does not take place until next Thursday (July 11) when he opens up in the qualification pool. The final is scheduled for Saturday 13 July.

Nick recently threw 61.10m to finish fifth in an event in Sweden.

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Tags: Adam Thomas, Eilish McColgan, European 10000m Cup, Mhairi Maclennan, Moira Stewart, Nick Percy, Sarah Inglis, World Student Games