TOKYO DRIFT
Start must be fast not furious for Olympics, says Rees
Alisha Rees vowed to be quicker off the mark in chasing an Olympic spot after trailing home at the UK Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
A poor start cost the 20-year- old the chance to become the first Scot to win the 60 metres as she landed silver behind teen titan Amy Hunt.
On the back of landing her GB debut last summer, Rees is now gunning for a relay run at Tokyo 2020.
But the Aberdonian admitted she will need to raise her game to do so after clocking 7.49 seconds.
She said: “It’s great to get my first British medal but you come into a race wanting to win. My start was terrible. I haven’t been getting out today.
“I felt the whole way I was trying to chase people and claw them back. I did a good job of that but the start let me down.”
Rees was no match for 17-year- old sensation Hunt whose World Under-18 record of 22.42 seconds over 200m last summer would have clinched bronze at the senior event.
Rees said: “We’re the next generation of sprinters and it’s good to have younger ones coming through.”
With the World Indoors in China called off due to the coronavirus outbreak, it has left the domestic championships with a B-List feel.
But Guy Learmonth reckons his scrap for Scottish supremacy with Josh Kerr in today’s 800m final can give the Emirates Arena a race to remember.
The Borderer, who was nudged into second in yesterday’s semi-final, said: “There are six in the Final. Everyone wants to beat me, don’t they?
“Everyone is calling me out. Josh could have picked the 1500 metres and won that easily. Obviously I want to finish first, Josh can finish second. As long as I’m on top of the podium, that’s all that matters.”
Mhairi MacLennan says winning the Scottish cross-country title was fun – despite being freezing.
The 24-year-old stormed through the thick mud at Callendar Park in Falkirk to win the women’s race by 20 seconds from Annabel Simpson.
Edinburgh’s MacLennan, who picked up bronchitis in midweek, said: “It started hailing and I was running along with this massive grin on my face. It’s utterly fine with me. You just step in and block it out.”
Jamie Crowe took the men’s title by bolting clear to lead Central AC to a 10th team crown in a row.