Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Like mother, like
McColgan talent – and grit – made of solid gold
THERE were so many emotions swirling around as Eilish McColgan surged to golden glory in the 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Unfairly written off in some quarters and troubled by injury and illness in the build-up, could the 31-year-old Dundonian possibly emulate the exploits of her mother Liz and seize a gold medal when it mattered in front of her home crowd?
Eilish trailed Kenyan Irine Cheptai with 250m to go, but there was a steely determination on her face, a gritty resolution and inexorably she reeled Cheptai in.
Roared on by the crowd, she surged towards the tape and raised her arms to celebrate the biggest win of her career.
In the next few moments, when she embraced Liz, her mother gazed at her with the admiration and respect she used to command from crowds throughout her illustrious time on the track.
And it was a reminder of why these women deserve their place in Scottish sporting lore.
As the merry pair began talking about the past and the present, there was a lovely tribute to Eilish from Liz, who has seen at first hand just how difficult it is to reach the pinnacle.
“I always knew she could do this and, tonight, she has run the race I knew she was capable of,” was the verdict from the woman who tasted Commonwealth Games glory in 1986 in Edinburgh and 1990 in Auckland, but was constantly pushing herself through the wringer for faster times and better performances – it made her world champion in Tokyo in 1991.
There’s a striking family resemblance, their success all the more heartwarming for all their sacrifices and struggles.
Liz, who pounded the streets of Whitfield come rain, snow or frost, was dumped by her sponsor in the midst of her success for the heinous crime of being pregnant – with Eilish in 1991 – yet that didn’t prevent her from quite literally getting back on the treadmill within a month of giving birth.
She began training less than a fortnight after her daughter had entered the world – she still had her stitches. No wonder the hunger to succeed is shared.
It’s often difficult being the offspring of a famous parent. There’s usually early expectation placed on your shoulders and it can be overpowering.
From the outset, it was clear Eilish possesses many of her mum’s qualities. The ability to focus single-mindedly on her own tactics and training programmes, the refusal to accept second best and the knowledge that once you are out on the track, there is nobody else to blame if you don’t fulfil your goals. Buck-passing isn’t an option.
There have been prizes: a bronze medal in the 3,000m at the European Indoors in Belgrade in 2017 and a silver in the 5,000m at the European Championships in Berlin the following year.
But the elusive gold remained out of reach as she passed 30. Then she caught Covid and endured a fitful build-up to the Commonwealth Games. Few had her as the favourite.
But her mother had been in the same position in 1986.
As she told me: “It was probably one of my greatest-ever moments to be in front of a full stadium where everyone was shouting your name.
“There was a lot of pressure on me as it was the last opportunity of a gold medal for Scotland in track and field. I remember being in the residences and Tom McKean ran and didn’t win, then Yvonne Murray didn’t win and both had been favourites.
“As I left to go to the track, the team manager turned and said to me, ‘Liz, you are our last hope’, which was the last thing that I needed to hear.
“But it was amazing being Scottish and running in those Edinburgh Games. The support was electrifying and they were all willing me on.
“I knew from 1,000m out I had won, so I had two-and-a-half laps of soaking up the atmosphere. It never felt the same in any other championship – that feeling of everyone in the stadium wanting you to win.”