Eilish McColgan claimed a Scottish Native Record in the 3000m steeplechase final as she finished sixth at Hampden as Kenya finished 1-2-3.
McColgan had hoped for better than the 9.44.65 time which shaved four hundredths from the Native Record, the best mark by a Scot in Scotland, she set at Hampden a couple of weeks ago in the Diamond League. Summing up the race in which fellow Scot Lennie Waite finished 10th, Eilish said: “That’s a Season’s Best and a Native Record so I guess that shows I’m headed in the right direction at the minute because it was not a paced race like the Diamond League at Hampden.
“It is not where I want to be, though. I will keep the season going because it still feels as if it is only just starting.I will try and run a couple more steeplechases and try and get it down to 9.30 something to set me up for 2015. I will do a couple on the flat as well and try and improve. The welcome for Lennie and me was something we will always remember. It all becomes a bit of a blur once the race starts but I want to thank everyone for their support.’
On another hectic night for Scots, there was a ninth place in the high jump final for Ray Bobrownicki, while Guy Learmonth lifted the whole stadium with a superb 800m semi-final performance to finish 3rd, claiming an automatic slot for Thursday’s final and the chance to take on World Record holder David Rudisha for the third time in three nights. A delighted Learmonth said: “That was the best run of my life! I was running for third slot after consultation with my coaches George Gandy and Henry Gray. They told me to forget about time and concentrate on position. I’m loving the support of the crowd and trying to rise to it in terms of my performance. I can’t wait for the final – I will do my very best for Scotland.”
Bobrownicki’s best clearance was 2.21m, with only four men bettering that height, but he had to settle for ninth equal place.
Discus thrower Kirsty Yates is to be commended for a fine PB of 16.42 in the shot which gave her eighth place in the final, with Alison Rodger finishing 10th with 14.76. Yates said: “I was delighted with that big PB of 16.42 with my opening throw. I found it hard after that, I have to admit. You want to PB at championships so to throw that far at the Commonwealth Games is great.”
Earlier in the day, Angus McInroy broke his own Native Record and claimed a final place at the Commonwealth Games for the second time in his career.McInroy threw a Season’s Best 57.28m to beat the record he held himself from four years ago and progress to the final, with Percy eliminated at 56.71m. The morning session on Wednesday also saw progress for three Edinburgh AC athletes as Jayne Nisbet made the high jump final with a first time clearance at 1.85m and Lynsey Sharp and Emily Dudgeon reached the 800m semi-finals. Sharp was comfortable in her heat, finishing second, while Dudgeon’s 2.02.35 was two hundredths away from a PB ahead of Thursday’s semi-finals.
There was disappointment, however, for long jump pair Jade Nimmo and Sarah Warnock; high jumpers Rachael Mackenzie and Emma Nuttall; and Nick Percy in the discus qualifying as those five each failed to progress. Nuttall (1.81) and Mackenzie (1.76) can only now cheer on Jayne in Friday’s final. Nimmo edged out Warnock by one cm in the long jump at 6.23 but only 12 athletes progressed from 27 in qualifying with the Scots falling short.

Photo Credit: Mark Shearman