Athlete of the year contenders
Andrew Butchart (pictured): In his first year as a full-time athlete, Butchart reached the Olympic 5000 metre final where he improved on his own Scottish best after breaking Nat Muir’s 36-year-old record earlier in the summer. He also beat John Robson’s 32-year-old Scottish 3000m record.
Andy Douglas: The 29-year-old hill runner is the only non-Olympian in the mix. He won the European Mountain Running trial in May, going on to claim fourth place finish at the championships and 11th place in the World Championships.
Eilidh Doyle (pictured): The European gold and Commonwealth silver 400 metreshurdles finalist claimed an Olympic bronze medal as part of the GB 4x400m relay team, drawing her level with Yvonne Murray as Scotland’s most decorated athlete in Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth competition. Callum Hawkins: Caught the eye of the watching world when he led the Olympic marathon and proved it was no flash in the pan when running away from the Ugandan defending champion Moses Kipsiro at this month’s Great Scottish Run. Eilish McColgan: The Dundonian daughter of one of Scotland’s greatest athletes went to the Olympics in 2012, contesting the 3000m steeplechase. She then switched focus to the 5000m, earned her place in Rio and this time made the final. Laura Muir: Broke Kelly Holmes’ British 1500m record at the Diamond League meeting in London in July, setting a worldbest time for the year at that point, and went on to finish seventh in the Olympic final before becoming only the third British woman to win a Diamond League title. Lynsey Sharp: The former European champion and Commonwealth silver medallist, who is part of another Scottish athletics dynasty, produced the third-fastest 800m time ever by a British woman in finishing sixth in the Olympic final in Rio. Steph Twell: After competing as a teenager at the Beijing Olympics, the former world junior 1500m champion made up for the disappointment of missing out on London 2012 due to a foot injury in some style by winning the 5000m at the British Championship to earn her place in team for Rio.