The governing body for athletics in Scotland has urged teenage track and field prospects to follow the hard-working example of World Championship finalist Eilidh Child.
Scottish youngsters produced the country’s best medal haul since before the turn of the century from the England Athletics U15 and U17 championships in Bedford last weekend.
Seven golds came back north as part of a cumulative tally of 21 medals, which takes in two won at the Combined Events fixture in Stoke in August in the same age-groups.
It was yet more compelling evidence of green shoots of recovery for athletics in Scotland but those at the top are now urging the athletes and coaches involved last weekend to make the vital conversion from promising junior to established senior athletes.
Child, who has picked up medals at the Euro Indoors and the world champs during 2013, can count English Age group medals among the trophies from her early years.
Scottishathletics coach Mark Pollard said: “There were a lot of impressive performances over the weekend and credit to Scottish athletes and their coaches for their dedication and effort which makes it possible I think many punched above their weight.
“By that I mean they came up with winning performances on the day when it mattered or they produced a PB performance or finished ahead of competitors with better PBs than them on paper.
“We also had youngsters there who were looking to gain experience of competing at that level and the weekend in Bedford will serve them well and lessons will have been learned as they look to progress in the future years.
“The total medal haul is definitely positive for the athletics community in Scotland and demonstrates that our coaches are more than capable of preparing their athletes to perform ‘on the day’.
“I think those athletes, coaches and parents involved this weekend should be taking the positives from their experience and looking ahead to set goals and targets at U20 level and beyond.”
Seven golds in Bedford were landed by Alisha Rees (two), Ben Greenwood, Kathryn Gillespie, Aidan Thompson, Katie Purves and Ben Robbins.
Scotland’s seven silver medals were supplied by Michael Olsen (two), Caitlin Edgar (two), George Evans, Gavin McArdle and Kelsey Stewart. The five bronze winners were Natalie Robbins, Morro Bajo, Stewart Millar, Jemma Reekie and Anna Gordon.
The 21-medal total tops the 20 medals secured by Scots in the 2003 version of the England U15/17s. Looking back at 2003 reveals that Child was one of our gold medallists with a personal best of 41.97 in the 300m hurdles.