The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
McColgan and Muir pick up British Indoor titles
Athletics: Dundee Hawkhill duo enjoy success in 3,000m and 1,500m
Dundee Hawkhill Harrier Eilish McColgan put on a sparkling performance at the SPAR British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham yesterday.
After finishing second to club colleague Laura Muir in the 3,000m on Saturday, McColgan went one better 24 hours later with victory in the 1,500m.
She forged ahead over the final lap to clock a time of 4:13.92 – two seconds ahead of England’s Katie Snowden.
Saturday’s 3,000m saw Dundee Hawkhill score a one-two. Muir took the 3,000m title ahead of McColgan despite the latter making all the running after the 2k mark.
Muir launched a devastating sprint 600m from the finish and showed no sign of slowing up over the final two laps as she powered her way to the title in eight minutes 46.71 seconds – well inside the 8:50 world championship qualifying time.
McColgan chased her Dundee teammate hard to finish in a season’s best 8:50.87 and ensure a return to Birmingham for the World Championships in two weeks’ time.
The 3,000m title completed a British Championships endurance hat-trick for Muir after winning 800m and 1,500m titles in previous years.
She said: “The win was the important thing and I had to test my speed over the last few laps but I’m really pleased with how I executed the race.
“I wanted to test my speed in the indoor race. I was either going to go at 400m or 600m and I felt really good, so I went at 600m.
“I’ve competed here a few times before but it’s nice to refresh your memory on where things are and how the track feels.
“It’s great to have a tester before the World Championships. When I come here in the next couple of weeks it’ll all be familiar.”
McColgan was back on track an hour later as she qualified for the 1,500m final with a second place in the semi-final in a time of 4:22.57.
Kinross athlete Eilidh Doyle meanwhile has claimed her fifth indoor title, winning the 400m final in a season’s best with 51.84.
The Pitreavie athlete led home yet another Scottish one-two with Inverness athlete Zoey Clarke following in a personal best 52.12.
Jake Wightman won his first ever British 1,500m title, securing a place at the World Indoor Championships.
The Edinburgh AC athlete won in 3.43.83. Perth Strathtay Harrier Sol Sweeney made a brave effort to join the leading four just before the bell before finishing seventh in a personal best 3.50.17.
Pitreavie’s Ben Potrykus followed home in ninth in 3:55.79.
UK No 1 Chris O’Hare withdrew with a minor foot issue.
Sweeney finished 11th in the 3,000m – the final race of the championships – in a personal best time of 8:06.01.
Meanwhile Richard Kilty ruled himself out of contention for a second world title over 60 metres after injury brought an early end to his indoor season.
Kilty, who was a 66/1 outsider when he won the World Indoor title in 2014, looked on course to book his place in the British team for this year’s event when he reached the final on Saturday.
However, the recurrence of an achilles injury forced the 28-year-old to withdraw from the final, which saw CJ Ujah claim victory in 6.56 seconds to secure a return to Arena Birmingham next month.
Former Olympic champion Greg Rutherford put his injury nightmare firmly behind him with victory in the long jump. His first-round effort of 7.80 metres was enough to keep him on track for the World Indoors.