Hawkins gets set to take on the world He was first Scot chosen for GB team
Callum Hawki n s is preparing to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the upcoming World Championships, and his achievement hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The GB squad was finalised this week, with a total of 78 selections preparing for the London games at the start of next month.
Elderslie man Hawkins, 24, has known for the best part of six months that he was going to be a member of the GB side, having been the first athlete confirmed in the selection process.
But with a record number of Scots in the reckoning – 13 in total – Scottish Athletics supremo Rodger Harkins has heaped praise on the Scottish representatives in the squad.
British Athletics announced the main cohort of the team for the eagerly-awaited World Champs, with the 78 athletes taking into account the earlier selections in marathon, which Hawkins will compete in, and the 10,000m.
So far, the Scottish presence numbers 13 athletes, almost double the previous best of seven selected for this event, which happened for Helsinki in 1983 at the first World Champs and in 2015 for Beijing.
Harkins, performance director for scottishathletics, said: “First of all let me firmly congratulate the athletes, their families, their coaches and the clubs involved in their development on selection by GB and NI for a World Champs.
“We should never be under the impression that selection for a British team at this level comes lightly.
“It comes after many years of hard work and dedication, sacrifice by athletes and their families, and strong commitment, guidance and experience from coaches.
“Looking through the list of those selected, I can see examples of that in each and every one of those 13 Scottish names.
“I’ve said previously that I did have a slight concern that the year after an Olympics might be a little problematic.
“It can be the case and has been sometimes in the past – essentially it is the first year in a four-year Olympic cycle.
“But I think the confidence boost from being in Rio, or seeing others in Rio, has inspired our athletes to new levels.
The motivation to compete at a ‘home Games’ in London is also very strong.
“It’s a huge opportunity.”