Kenney proud to pull on Scottish vest

WITH only days to go until the 36th IAAF World Cross-country Championships in Edinburgh on Sunday, the Scottish representation in the British team has doubled to two.

In a splendid coup for the organisers, Scottish Athletics has announced that the current UK champion Laura Kenney, who is also the European under-23 5000 metres track champion, has had her application for Scottish eligibility accepted with immediate effect.

The Royal Sutton Coldfield club runner, whose mother is Scottish, recovered from a spell of injury at the turn of the year to win the UK title and World Trial in Nottingham earlier this month and joins Fife AC's Andrew Lemoncello as one of only two Scots in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team.

Both Laura's parents studied at University in Dundee and her father, Paul, having qualified for Scotland on residence, ran in the blue vest in two World Cross Championships in 1976 and 1977, when of course Scotland still had its own team.

Laura Kenney says: "I've been thinking about it for a long time, but getting my first senior vest on Scottish soil in the World Cross-country Championships has made it seem the perfect time and choice."