Susan Egelstaff This golden era of Scottish athletics should be treasured
THERE is something both fascinating and futile about comparing eras. Despite the guarantee there will never be a definitive answer as to which time is the best in any given sport, the debate is endless.
However, it is impossible to argue that this era of Scottish athletics isn’t one of the best ever. I’d suggest it is, by some distance.
There is, of course, the inevitable recency bias which favours currentday athletes. With so many outstanding results over the past few years, and this summer in particular, it is easy to be blind to performances that occurred decades ago.
But I will never be convinced that Scottish athletics has ever been in as healthy a state as it is today.
As the third major championship – the European Championships – in the space of five weeks come to a close today, it is difficult to list every notable result by Scottish athletes this summer.
The highlight, without question, has been Jake Wightman’s world title-winning run last month. His 1500m gold, while not entirely surprising considering his consistency over the past five years, was predicted by few and is certainly one of, if not the single greatest achievement by a Scottish track and field athlete in history.
The standard is breathtaking, with Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan’s Commonwealth titlewinning exploits, as well as Josh Kerr’s Olympic bronze last summer and the impressive performances by the para athletes such as Samantha Kinghorn in recent seasons.
More than 20 Scottish outdoor records have been set in the past few years which is astonishing.
It is often easy to take for granted success when it comes so regularly to a sport. Certainly, this crop of Scottish track and field athletes have set the bar so high that medals are not only hoped for, they are expected.
But we must recognise how remarkable this generation is.
The 80s into the early 90s was, for so long, seen as the halcyon days for the sport in this country. Liz McColgan, Yvonne Murray, Tom McKean and Allan Wells were regularly competing, and beating, the world’s best just as today’s crop are doing. But the difference now is that the strength-in-depth is unlike anything seen before.
The men’s 1500m alone has three individuals who all have realistic aspirations to win a medal at global championships. That is ridiculous.
There are sprinters, middle distance, long distance and field athletes who can all claim to be world class.
We must appreciate how impressive that is for a country with a population of only five-anda-half million.
What cannot be taken for granted is that this strength across the board will continue indefinitely.
Certainly, the signs are good that there is talent in the youth ranks that is capable of filling the shoes of some of these stars. But just as producing another Andy Murray is by no means a guarantee, so too will it be hard to produce another Wightman, Kerr or Muir in the near future.
So while we are in the middle of it, let’s appreciate this era of Scottish athletics as the phenomenon it is.
AND ANOTHER THING
THERE is no contrast in emotions quite as stark as those that Charlie Guest has been forced to endure in recent weeks. Scotland’s, and Britain’s, top female slalom skier went from celebrating the best season of her career – during which she recorded the best
World Cup result by a British woman in more than 30 years – to the agonising realisation that her career may well be over just as she begins to hit her peak.
The news that UK Sport have withdrawn their funding for Britain’s elite alpine skiers is not merely a disappointing development, it is devastating for Guest and her team-mates.
It is also baffling. There is not, of course, a bottomless pot of money from which to fund each and every one of Britain’s top athletes. At some point, there has to be a line drawn as to who, and which sports, will be supported financially.
Certainly alpine skiing is at a disadvantage compared with other sports in that it is eye-wateringly expensive. Guest estimates the cost for her coming season will be well in excess of £100,000 which is considerably more than most activities UK Sport support.
However, after the best season GB’s alpine skiers have had in terms of results across the board, there is something unfair about withdrawing almost every last penny thus effectively telling Guest and her fellow skiers that their careers are over.
A crowd-funding campaign has been launched by the skiers, but that is clearly not a long-term solution.
UK Sport are happy to spend tens of millions of pounds on numerous sports that are almost guaranteed to pay the funding body back in terms of medals.
Sports like rowing and equestrian are funded to the hilt because Olympic medals have become a regularity but global medals in skiing by anyone British is a far less likely outcome due to the strength of the Nordic countries.
However, is this reason enough to stop funding the country’s top skiers? I’d argue not.
British alpine skiing is in its healthiest state for some time, possibly ever. But by withdrawing funding, UK Sport have effectively signed a death warrant for the elite side of the
sport.
TOMORROW James Morgan