IT is to be hoped that Lee McConnell got her welly boots packed. A city break to Venice, which is more underwater than ever right now after some suspiciously Scottish-looking storms hit the famous Italian resort this week – not that it stopped some hardy marathon runners - will keep the three-time Olympian and 11-time major medallist away from the FPSG awards in Glasgow tonight.

But some of her thoughts at least will be back home as the sport’s great and good gather in the Hilton hotel to celebrate another storming year of Scottish performances and induct her and 14 others into the hall of fame, including such luminaries as Ian and Lachie Stewart.

“It is a really nice honour to be added to that list,” says McConnell. “It is just a shame I can’t actually be there on the night.”

McConnell knows what it takes to win the night’s top award, the FPSG athlete of the year, but things don’t appear to be getting any easier any time soon. As signs of the sport’s health in this country go, how about the fact that last year’s winners in both the athlete and para athlete of the year category, Callum Hawkins and Sammi Kinghorn, didn’t make the shortlist 12 months down the line.

Zoey Clark, Mark Dry and Eilish McColgan, all of whom won international track and field medals this year at the World Indoors, Commonwealths or Europeans didn’t make it either, while Beth Dobbin and Chris O’Hare found that Scottish outdoor Records at 100m and 1500m respectively wasn’t sufficient to find a place on the shortlist.

The fortunes of the sport in this country has ebbed and flowed but McConnell is correct to point out that in many disciplines these days in order to prove yourself the best in Scotland you also have to prove that you are one of the best in the world.

“It has been another really strong year for Scottish athletics and that has just been fantastic to see,” said McConnell. “And I think really think they will all be gaining confidence from each other’s results.

“They are seeing that people like themselves, people from Scotland, are capable of gaining world medals. Plus, everyone wants to be the best athlete in the country, don’t they? And to be the best athletes in Scotland now you have to deliver these medals. You have to be one of the best in the world just to be the best in Scotland. It is fantastic.”

McConnell is loathe to single out certain performances but who could forget the story of Laura Muir and her coach Andy Young, and that late night taxi dash down to Birmingham to beat the Beast from the East in time to take her place at the World Indoors in Birmingham. Doubling up in the 1500m and 5000m, she promptly banished the memories of her previous 4th placed finishes by taking a brilliant bronze and silver. Skipping the Commonwealth Games to focus on finishing her vet qualifications, she then took her first major title, the outdoor European Championships 1500m in Berlin.

“I really enjoyed seeing Laura doing the double at the world indoors, after driving through the snow to get there,” said McConnell. “I thought that was great to see because she had obviously been there or thereabouts for a medal in the past. That was the first time she had actually taken it, it was a lovely race for her to build on – which she already has done.”

Neither Muir, nor McConnell, making it to the Gold Coast, it was left to others to maintain the standard, not least Team Scotland flag bearer Eilidh Doyle, who added a third Commonwealth silver medal to her maiden individual world indoors medal. Now Scotland’s most decorated athlete by a distance, she will take some catching.

Jake Wightman took his cue from Laura Muir, doubling up in the 800m and 1500m as he racked up his first two medals, both bronze, in both the Commonwealths and the Europeans. Scotland had their first Commonwealth marathon medallist since John Alder in 1970 to celebrate, although it was Robbie Simpson, and not Hawkins, who kept his cool on a day when the cruel Australian midday heat took its toll on the field. Charlotte Morgan shocked the world, and perhaps herself, by being crowned world long-distance mountain running champion.

“Sadly, I didn’t make it out to the Gold Coast, I watched it on TV,” said McConnell. “Eilidh went in there carrying in an injury and it put a lot of pressure on her, but she still managed to come back with another medal, her third in the Commonwealth Games. It was also great to see Jake Wightman coming through and picking up a medal there, plus another one in the Europeans.

“Next year is going to be a good year and it will be great to kick start it with another big event coming to Glasgow in the European Indoors in March,” she added. “Glasgow has really shown that they are capable of hosting fantastic events so I am looking forward to that and seeing what everyone can do. But it is all about the build-up to the Olympics now, it is a very exciting time for athletes.

“They will be relaxed on Saturday night but they are all back into winter training already for the season ahead. It is usually the retired ones who let their hair down a bit more than the ones who are already competing!”

McConnell is one of 15 athletes who will be added to the existing six members of the hall-of fame, part of a project set rolling some time ago by Mark Munro, the chief executive of scottishathletics.

“After several months of discussion, it was agreed to review the criteria for consideration of inductees into the Hall of Fame,” said Munro. “The most significant change has been the focus on an athlete’s career achievement and impact on the sport rather than a one-off performance.

“In many respects, it is righting the wrong of the previous restrictions in criteria and acknowledging the impact of some wonderful athletes on the sport in Scotland which is long overdue.

“Secondly, I would like to congratulate the 15 athletes and their families. It is a wonderful list of Who’s Who of Scottish athletes over several generations.

“Regrettably some of the inductees are no longer with us but we look forward to welcoming their families to Glasgow for the FPSG Awards Dinner. It should be a great celebration of the sport - past and present.”

Here are the thoughts of Dame Kelly Holmes on the five contenders for the FPSG Athlete of the Year Award (in alphabetical order – with full list of categories at foot)

Eilidh Doyle:

‘What a year Eilidh has had in 2018! Eilidh has won a medal at three different events in 2018 and she opened up with that bronze on the track in the 400m at the World Indoors in Birmingham and she soon followed that with silver in the 400m hurdles at the Commonwealths.

‘Injury definitely hampered her build-up for the Europeans but while the hurdles final didn’t go to plan in Berlin, Eilidh bounced back so quickly – as she often does – by making a great anchor leg contribution to GB’s 4 x 400m bronze.

She’s also been a figurehead for Scottish athletics and those leadership qualities shone through from the Commonwealths – when she carried the flag into the stadium for Team Scotland.’

Charlotte Morgan:

‘I don’t know Charlotte and I don’t know too much about the World Long Distance Hill Champs. But I certainly do know that is an outstanding performance by Charlotte to go over to Poland and win individual gold in a really tough race.

‘Running for three hours is hard enough without throwing in hills over 36K! So it looks like an awesome performance and early in the year she won a Masters XC gold, too.’

Laura Muir:

‘Laura Muir has had a cracking year and that was confirmed by a No 1 ranking for 2018 in the 1500m by the IAAF, which is a great achievement.

‘The World Indoors in Birmingham in early March really set her up. To win two medals in three days with a bronze in the 3000m followed by a silver in the 1500m was a great achievement – and especially when snow and ice made travelling so difficult in Britain that week!

‘I think those medals boosted her confidence even more for the European Championships in Berlin and she dominated that 1500m final to win well. To then go and win the Diamond League final really was the icing on the cake for the season and again she came up with a special performance that night in Brussels to win from the front – the way she loves.

‘Laura has already taken a couple of my British Records but I will try not to hold that against her!’

 Robbie Simpson:

‘Robbie Simpson is a name everyone know now after bronze in that Gold Coast marathon at the Commonwealths. I don’t think anyone can argue that Robbie proved he is one of the fittest men in British athletics with that performance in those stamina-sapping hot conditions, which unfortunately struck down Callum Hawkins (and a few others) that day. He’s impressed since then in road and hill races – including winning the Jungfrau Marathon in the Alps.

‘I understand this is the second time in his career Robbie has been short-listed for the main award which is great for him.’

Jake Wightman:

 ‘What can I say about Jake Wightman? What a year! Jake stepped up in 2018 and he was superb at the Commonwealths with fourth in the 800m and bronze in the 1500m – not too many British athletes are taking on that middle distance double nowadays and I know from personal experience how tough that is!

‘Jake then peaked again to get bronze at the Europeans in an amazing 1500m final and the last I saw him in race action he was winning the 5th Avenue Mile in New York against Nick Willis, who has two Olympic medals to his name. Jake really has had a breakthrough 12 months.’

 FPSG Athlete of the Year:

Eilidh Doyle; Charlotte Morgan; Laura Muir; Robbie Simpson; Jake Wightman

U20 Athlete of the Year:

Anna Macfadyen; Alisha Rees; Erin Wallace

U17 Athlete of the Year:

Scott Brindley; Kane Elliott; Ellie O’Hara; Keira Waddell

Masters Athlete of the Year:

Zara Asante; Fiona Matheson; Charlotte Morgan; Alastair Walker

FPSG Para Athlete of the Year:

Hannah Dines; Gavin Drysdale; Maria Lyle; Derek Rae