Scots Bring Home Five Medals from European Championships in Berlin
Five Scottish runners have won medals over the final few days of the European Championships in Berlin.
A record 17 Scottish athletes – the SALSuper17 – were chosen to be part of the British Athletics team this year. Four Scots were selected to run the 1500m event, a reflection of the country’s current middle-distance strength.
On Friday, one of those runners, Jake Wightman, took bronze in the men’s 1500m, a match for his bronze medal in the same event at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games this spring. Wightman finished in a time of 3.38.25, while fellow Scot Chris O’Hare finished ninth.
On Saturday, the Scots pair of Zoey Clark and Eilidh Doyle – running the first and final legs respectively – helped power their team home for a bronze medal in the women’s 4 x 400m relay in a time of 3.27.40.
But the best was yet to come in the final hours of the meet on Sunday night, as Laura Muir led from the front to take the women’s 1500m title in a time of 4.02.32: her first outdoor gold at a major championship and her fifth major podium placing in the last year and a half.
Speaking after the race, Laura told Scottish Athletics: "I wanted to make it a true 1500m race, not an 800m race. That’s why I took it on further out; I just had to trust my pacing to judge it right, but I did and I’m really happy.
"It’s one thing being fast on paper, but in 1500m there are so many different ways to win, so to come here and deliver gold is great."
Not to be outdone, Eilish McColgan powered home in just under 15 minutes (14.53.05) for a silver in the 5000 m shortly after her teammate’s win.
Image: Eilish McColgan by Sue Gyford (Scotish Athletics)