McColgan goes for broke in glory run

Scot targets quickest time of career

EILISH McCoLgan will throw everything at landing her first global medal at the World Championships in Eugene tonight but warned that she won’t judge her career purely on podium finishes.

The Dundonian senses the quickest time of her career is possible in the women’s 10,000 metres final. Even, just maybe, knocking the 18 seconds from her best required to capture yet another of Paula Radcliffe’s British records.

The competition is mightily stiff, with Dutch defending champ Sifan Hassan and Ethiopia’s world record holder Letesenbet gidey also going for gold, but McColgan is refusing to put too much pressure on her own shoulders.

‘all I can do is just hope that I have a great day and that I run to the best of my ability — and if that gives me top five I’ll be over the moon,’ said the 31-year-old, who was ninth at the Tokyo olympics.

‘If it’s only good enough for top eight, then it is what it is. Even Paula Radcliffe never won the medals that she should have won and she’s one of the greatest runners of all time. You need luck on your side as well.

‘Even if I was a low 29-minute runner, it still doesn’t guarantee you a medal on race day. So it’s certainly not something that I’m going in gearing up for. and if I don’t get it, then I’m not a failure.’

McColgan can’t be sure of where she stands right now. Her form in the opening five months of this year was formidable, with European bests on the roads for 10km and 10 miles and UK records at 5km and half-marathon. She then surpassed mum Liz’s Scottish best over 10,000m on the track in Hengelo. In her last race in oslo, however, she could not even get to the finish line after an illness bug struck, costing her precious preparation time for the Worlds. But she has still opted for a difficult double, with the 5,000m to come next week.

‘I didn’t have Covid,’ she confirmed. ‘If I’d had Covid, there’s no way I would have thought about doing the double. If it was the 5,000 first, then 10,000m, I wouldn’t have bothered with the double. But the 10,000m is my priority, my main goal. I don’t think there’s any harm in doing both.’

Meanwhile, Dina asher-Smith insists she’s in ‘really good nick’ as she targets glory in tomorrow’s 100m final.

asher-Smith clocked a wind-assisted 10.87 behind team-mate Daryll neita’s 10.80 at the British Championships last month, but the reigning world 200m champion says the race wasn’t a true reflection of her ability.

‘That wasn’t my body,’ said asher-Smith. ‘But I’m now going in injury-free.’ ZoEY CLaRK admitted the Brits fluffed their opening lines at the World Championships last night after failing to qualify for the mixed 4x400 relay final. The aberdonian ran a strong second leg but a gamble on resting Matt Hudson-Smith and nicole Yeargin ahead of the final backfired when the UK quartet came sixth in their heat in 3:14.75.

Clark said: ‘It’s a disappointing result for the team. We didn’t necessarily execute the race one to two.’