ATHLETICS

RECORDS TUMBLE AS SCOTS SHINE AT HOME AND ABROAD

A Scottish national record for Chris O’Hare and a Scottish native record for Laura Muir highlighted a weekend of achievement for Scottish athletes. In Boston O’Hare and Jake Wightman posted a 1-2 at the fourth leg of the World Indoor Grand Prix. O’Hare ran a Scottish indoor record, meeting record and personal indoor best of 3 mins 37.03 in the men’s 1,500m, with fellow Edinburgh athlete Wightman hot on his heels in 3:37.43.

Both athletes ran the qualifying standard for the World Indoors in March and now sit fifth and seventh in the UK all-time rankings.

And for the second week in a row in a high profile meet in the United States, there was a Scottish 1-2 following O’Hare’s win ahead of John Kerr at the New York Millrose Games. Steph Twell was another Scot in form, in the women’s 3,000m. Fresh from a training camp in South Africa, she went to number six on the UK all-time indoor rankings with 8:41.94 after finishing third behind winner Jenny Simpson’s (USA) 8:40.31. Lynsey Sharp was also in action, timed at 2:02.20 for fourth in the 800m won by Jenna Westaway (Canada) in 2:01.22. Milnathort athlete Muir took to the Emirates Arena track in Glasgow at the Scottish Universities Indoor Championships contesting the 1,500m to clock a winning 4:05.37 a Scottish native record (the best by a Scot in Scotland).

Since the turn of the year, the double European indoor gold medallist has broken the Scottish 800m indoor record as well as claiming the national indoor 3,000m title. High jumper Nikki Manson claimed the national indoor record and native record with the first 1.90m clearance of her career.