The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Muir eager to take care of business
Dundee Hawkhill Harrier Laura Muir admits she has “unfinished business” with the Commonwealth Games after Team Scotland finalised its 33-strong athletics team to compete at Birmingham 2022.
A further 22 athletes have been added to the squad following the preselection of six athletes, including Olympic medallists Muir and Josh Kerr, and five para-athletes including Paralympic medallist Sammi Kinghorn MBE last month.
Muir, who won silver in the 1,500m at last year’s Olympics, is aiming to land her first Commonwealth medal.
“I’ve seen my own situation around Birmingham described as ‘unfinished business’ and I have to agree with that,” said the 29-year-old.
“I was very young at Glasgow 2014, but it still didn’t go the way I had hoped in that 1500m final at Hampden.
“Four years later, as Gold Coast 2018 came around, I was in the very last stages of completing my degree at university and the final exams clashed with the Commonwealths.
“So that has been in my mind for some time and I’d dearly love to win a medal for Team Scotland at Birmingham 2022. Getting on that podium wearing the Scotland vest is very much a goal.
“My family will be here and there’s a large contingent making travel plans. When you get that family support in the stadium it can mean so much.
“It’s not Glasgow and it’s not Scotland but it is as close as you can get, really, so I am really looking forward to having that backing in the Alexander Stadium.”
The Scotland team includes 11 athletes set to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the World Championships in Eugene later this month.
Those added to the team include Guy Learmonth (800m), Zoey Clark (400m and 4x400m relay), David Smith (high jump) and hammer throwers Chris Bennett and Mark Dry, who will all compete in their third Games, alongside pre-selected Jake Wightman (800m and 1500m) and Eilish McColgan (5,000m and 10,000m).
There is a strong sprints presence, with places for Alisha Rees and Adam Thomas at 100m, Beth Dobbin in the 200m and Heather Paton in the 100m hurdles.
Team Scotland will also field both 4x400m and 4x100m women’s relay teams with Loughboroughbased Carys McAulay and Jill Cherry included specifically for the 4x400m alongside Zoey Clark, Nicole Yeargin and Beth Dobbin.
Heather Paton, Rebecca Matheson, Sarah Malone and Taylah Spence will make-up a strong 4x100m team alongside Alisha Rees.
Steph Davis, who finished in the top half of the women’s marathon in Tokyo last year and was selected for Birmingham earlier this year, has had to withdraw from the Games due to a foot injury.
Clark, who was this week named in the Team GB squad for the World Championships in Oregon, will head to her third Commonwealth Games and run in both the 400m and 4x400m relay.
Clark, who revamped her coaching setup last year, won double gold at the Scottish Indoor Championships earlier this year and was part of the GB relay squad at the Olympics in 2021.
Burghead hammer thrower Dry completes a remarkable turnaround in his own personal fortunes by heading to a fourth Games. The two-time bronze-medalist had targeted Scotland selection after returning from a 28month ban for misleading anti-doping officers, which had seen him fight to clear his name and saw him landed with a significant legal bill.
He said: “It’s just been the worst few years. It’s been absolutely horrendous and it just means so much to be here now. I mean like every team is special. Every vest. Even with going to an Olympics, the Commonwealth Games or Scottish team still just feels the biggest thing to me.”