Doyle tested to limit by after-effects of calf injury

Eilidh Doyle has claimed this season has been the toughest of her career, despite adding another two major championship medals to her collection.

The 31-year-old will get the chance to round off her campaign at this month’s Diamond League final in Zurich after sneaking into the top eight in the qualification standings with fourth place in the 400m hurdles at Saturday’s Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham. But the Scot believes the after-effects of a calf injury that sidelined her for three months tested her to the limit.

“I could have shut down my season after the Commonwealths and I’d have been happy,” the Olympic medallist, pictured, said. “But I would have been bored. Then my injury came along but I still was switched on. I’m not used to being injured. I thought because I was on the treadmill or cycling or aqua-jogging that I was still going. But my weakness is my hurdling and I missed two or three months of that. I’ve not had a lot of downs in my career so maybe I need to be a better loser.”

European Championships silver medallist Eilish Mccolgan will join Doyle in Zurich on 30 August after coming fourth in the 3000m in Birmingham. Jake Wightman’s seventh place in the 800m saw him qualify for the second part of the Diamond League final in Brussels a day later, which will also feature Laura Muir in the 1500m. The recently-crowned European champion won the 1000m on Saturday but missed Kelly Holmes’ UK record by 1.1 seconds.

Meanwhile, Chris O’hare plans to make a part-time switch to 5000m next season. The double European medallist was a lowly 12th in the mile in Birmingham and is set to ring the changes in 2019.

“I will see how it goes,” he said. “But if I do the 5000, it won’t mean I retire from 1500. It will be to progress it until we’ve achieved what we want to.”