Postponement boosts chance of Olympic hattrick for Doyle

Eilidh Doyle has got her sights set on joining an exclusive club in Scottish athletics, writes Eric Nicolson.

The postponement of the Tokyo OIympics has increased the chances of the Kinross-shire hurdler competing at a third Games.

If she does make it to the start line in Japan, the former Perth Grammar School teacher will join Liz McColgan and Lee McConnell as the only Scottish women in track and field who completed a career hat-trick.

Eilish McColgan and Lynsey Sharp are also chasing that same goal.

Having given birth to her first child at the start of this year, it would have been a long shot for Doyle to earn selection for Tokyo 2020 – but it is a more realistic target now she has an extra 12 months.

“To be clear, it is an absolutely terrible situation and not a scenario anyone wants to see,” said the Pitreavie ACC runner.

“But I am probably one of only a few athletes who feels the Olympic postponement can work in my favour.

“We had always thought it was a big ask for me to try to make it for the summer of 2020. That’s why we were aiming for the 4x400m team and not the hurdles. We will never know now if I would have made it.

“That plan was centred around running on the track at the end of March and then basically racing for the first time almost when the trials were due in late June. As it happens, I did manage a couple of track sessions – with 200s and strides – on the track in mid-March. So we could possibly say I was a wee bit ahead of schedule.

“But it doesn’t matter now. The delay means we can focus on recovery, we don’t need to take risks and I can take an extra rest day if needed.”

Doyle, who won relay bronze in Rio four years ago, doesn’t need a Scottish athletics history lesson.

“Joining Liz and Lee was a real target prior to my pregnancy and giving birth and still is, to be honest,” she said.

“That’s why we were planning to try to make it this summer – it was a big motivational factor. I thought I might need that rather than getting complacent and just saying: ‘I’ll miss this season and then come back after that’.

“It would be a real honour to be bracketed with Liz and Lee in terms of Scottish women in track and field and great if all three of us could make it.”

● Eilidh has been working closely with Life Fit Wellness, based in Falkirk and Linlithgow, through her pregnancy and now since the birth of Campbell to constantly analyse and reassess her return to fitness.

Scottish athlete Eilidh Doyle.