SCOTTISH sport has suffered more than its fair share of false dawns but it is hard to shake the feeling that 2017 may well be the year our rising crop of athletes finally convert potential into medals. Leading the pack is middle-distance runner Laura Muir but she is not the only one striding out confidently and posting a string of personal bests. Muir will be joined by five others at this week’s European indoor championships in Belgrade – Steph Twell, Allan Smith, Guy Learmonth, Eilidh Doyle and Eilish McColgan – while there are high hopes for several others in the build-up to this summer’s world championships in London, including the Hawkins brothers, Chris O’Hare and Andy Butchart.
McColgan, who will race Muir over 1500m and 3000m this week, believes it is not a coincidence that all seem to be peaking at around the same time. The 26-year-old, who made the 5000m final at last year’s Olympics in Rio, can’t quite explain the process that causes one athlete after another to raise their game but is sure that it has definitely happened. Muir remains the one they are all chasing over distances as diverse as 1000m to 5000m but McColgan believes her younger rival’s form serves as a stimulant rather than a deterrent.
“We’ve always had those promising athletes there, it’s just that quite a few seem to be having a breakthrough year,” she said. “Laura doing well pushes on the general level of competition. It means the times that people are running are now being seen as standard. Her 8:26 [the new European indoor 3000m record set this month] is pushing people and they know they need to be posting around 8:30 in order to compete. I’ve ran a PB this year, Steph Twell has run a PB and so have other girls. There’s definitely a knock-on effect.
“You go through peaks and troughs in athletics. There are sometimes years where you don’t really have anyone running those sort of times and then people come through. This new crop coming through of Laura, Andy Butchart, the Hawkins boys and others, are all from the same generation. It’s a good generation to be a part of and it does push you on to try to better yourself. When you see people running PBs you automatically think, 'I want to be running faster, I want PBs'. I’m not sure how exactly it happens but it definitely invokes others to strive for improvements.
“For those of us who grew up together it’s funny that we’ve all managed to keep it going and make it to senior level. That jump from the juniors isn’t an easy transition. So to make the Olympics with so many other Scots that I knew from back then was really nice. There’s no reason why we can’t build on that. I’m thinking 2017 can be a pretty special year for Scottish athletics.”
Belgrade will be McColgan’s first taste of a major indoor finals, with the Manchester-based Dundonian having been either injured or recovering during previous years. She admits she sees it as “a means to an end” heading towards the outdoor season but hopes it will serve as a worthwhile experience.
“The indoor season isn’t something I focused on much in the past as I wasn’t usually fit and also because my main goal was always focused on making the outdoor teams. I think the majority of athletes are in the same boat. This is a stepping stone towards London in August but I think it’s still worthwhile taking the opportunity. There’s no reason to sit at home this year. I’m fit and healthy so why not make the most if it?
“I’ve not changed my training to make me start to run faster – it’s just naturally happened. I’m happy with how things are going working towards the outdoors. If I can run PBs now then in a few months’ time with even more training behind me I should be able to run faster still.
“My main event is the 3000m and that’s the one I’m focusing on. If I could come away with a PB or even get among the medals I would be really happy with that. The 1500m is really just for training. I’ve no aspirations there as I’ve not done the work in order to run fast over that distance. But running well over 3K is my plan. I definitely feel like I’m in the best shape that I’ve ever been in. I’m on the right road heading towards London later in the year.”
Muir, though, remains the one they have to beat. “She’s a huge inspiration to myself and the rest of the team to see someone so young competing on the world level. There’s no reason why others can’t get to that level, too.
“There’s a lot of pressure on Laura heading towards these championships and even more so to start medalling outdoors. It will be interesting to see if she can do that in 2017 as she’s more than capable. She’s got the times and medals are the next step for her.”
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