THERE are now four Scots in the British athletics team for next month's Olympic Games, after a string of fine performances at the eleventh hour.
Last week it looked like only 400m runner Lee McConnell would travel to Beijing, the lowest Scottish representation since two athletes were selected for the 1968 Games.
But at the weekend high hurdler Allan Scott, 1,500 metres runner Susan Scott a
nd steeplechaser Andrew Lemoncello were all informed that they had been added to the side.
None was more dramatic than that of Andrew Lemoncello, who achieved his goal with just three hours to spare.
Remarkably, the Scottish contingent could swell to as many as six – although that would be at a stretch. Hayley Haining is on stand-by for the marathon should Paula Radcliffe decide she is not fit enough to run, while Scottish Athletics are trying to persuade world junior 1500 metres champion Stephanie Twell to represent Scotland, the country of her mother's birth.
St Andrews runner Lemoncello finished eighth in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the Gaz de France Golden League meeting at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday evening, his time of 8:22.95 seconds beating his personal best of 8:23.74, set last year. But more importantly, it beat the 'A' Olympic standard of 8:24.60 which he had not attained this year. At the British trials in Birmingham the previous weekend, he finished only third.
"It's an enormous relief," said the 25-year-old Fife AC member who has been based in the USA for almost four years, the first three at Florida State University and latterly at Flagstaff, Arizona.
"I'm very happy as my aim has always been to peak in Beijing – it's back to hard training now."
Lemoncello endured some agonising moments in the vast French stadium waiting for his time to go up before eventually making his way to the media room where he discovered the good news.
"It was hard, as I had to try keep my own pace," said the man who missed out on the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne because of his US college commitments.
Lemoncello's former room-mate at Stirling University Allan Scott was probably surer of his place the previous day after adding a scintillating 13.53 seconds 'A' qualifying standard for the 110 metres hurdles at the Loughborough European Permit Meeting to the four 'B' standard times he had accumulated this season. He went on to win the final in 13.41 seconds with the following wind marginally over the limit.
It was a quality performance under pressure from the 25-year-old East Kilbride athlete whose family had held off buying their tickets for Beijing. "I'm hoping that there are still some tickets available for families of team members," said Scott, a member of Glenrothes coach Stuart Hogg's sprint group.
Hogg, who also guides Irish 200 metres record-holder Paul Hession, is already going to Beijing with the Irish team.
Susan Scott can probably claim to be Scotland's unluckiest athlete, having twice finished fourth in the Commonwealth Games 800 metres despite beating the Scottish record on each occasion and missing out on the 2004 Olympic Games by 0.3 seconds. The 30-year-old City of Glasgow runner feared a similar fate after finishing second in the 1500 metres trial last week.
Victory over one of her rivals, Hannah England, in Lucerne on Thursday night, though just outside the 'A' time of 4:07.00, probably helped Scott's case. "It's been very stressful not just for me but for the whole family," she said. "It was a nightmare waiting but the outcome makes it all worthwhile – the Olympics has always been my dream."
Her father Bob was equally delighted. "We had a few black moments this morning as she missed out on Athens," he said. "But she's got her luck this time and we're over the moon about it."
The full article contains 661 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
