Megan Keith sealed a perfect end to her Commonwealth Games with a brilliant bronze in the women’s 5000m on a chilly night at Scotstoun.
Keen to make amends for the 10,000m on Monday, Keith took the race by the scruff of the neck around 3000m, and led for long stages, pulling a group of five clear from the rest. Still in the lead with 350m to go, there was a clear top three emerging with Australia’s Rose Davies and Jessica Hull. Davies would add 5000m gold to her 10,000m gold, with Hull second, and Keith pushing on to claim bronze much to the acclaim of the home crowd.
With family and friends in the crowd, including her 100-year-old Grandfather Dr Murray Kirkwood, it was a night to remember for the Inverness-born athlete who added Commonwealth bronze to her European 10,000m medal from two years ago.
“I’m happy and surprised that it’s a 5000m medal that comes out of this, but I’ll take it. The crowd helped me every lap. There being three Scots in there was wonderful because, while I don’t think I let the pressure get to me on Monday, the focus wasn’t solely on me tonight as the one home chance, which was quite nice.
“When I made my move the crowd really got behind me and coming round the bend I knew they were screaming for who was going to win, but I also knew they were screaming for me to not let that medal go, so I ran my heart out on the home straight.”
Eloise Walker clocked a PB of 15:13.15 for 15th, while Laura Muir fought a mid-race stitch to finish 16th in 15:19.75.
Callum Newby and Joel McFarlane continued their decathlon competition with the high jump and 400m during the evening session, after ending the morning session with Newby sixth on 2507 points, and McFarlane eighth with 2373 points.
In the high jump, Newby found the going tough, and after clearing 1.85m on his last attempt, 1.88m was cleared first time around, but that’s where it would end with three fouls at 1.91m. McFarlane also cleared 1.88m but on his third attempt, and that’s where his high jump came to a close. The duo were roared on by the crowd in the 400m, both giving their all to clock times of 48.59 – a PB for Newby – and 49.30 for McFarlane. Newby finishes the day in sixth on 4084 points, while McFarlane is eighth on 3916 points.
In a fast heat that saw Adaejah Hodge (IVB) set a Games record of 22.01, Alyson Bell put in a solid display but bowed out of the women’s 200m semi-finals after finishing fifth in 23.42.
