SCOTTISH athletics will be heaving a collective sigh of relief at the news that the British Olympic selectors have looked kindly on all three Scottish borderline candidates for additional places in Team GB.
In addition to 400 metres runner Lee McConnell, who was the only Scot in the first names announced last Monday, high hurdler Allan Scott, 1500 metres runner Susan Scott and steeplechaser Andrew Lemoncello were all informed yesterday that they had bee
n added to the side following dramatic last-ditch performances.
And after former drugs cheat Dwain Chambers failed on Friday to win a court judgment against the British Olympic Association to allow him to compete in Beijing, Craig Pickering and Tyrone Edgar were yesterday called up to join Simeon Williamson in the British 100 metres team. Williamson, the European Under-23 champion, was the only athlete announced in the first wave of selections last Monday, the selectors deferring naming the other two until Chambers' High Court appearance.
Of the Scottish call-ups, none was more dramatic than that of Andrew Lemoncello, who achieved his goal with just three hours to spare before the guillotine imposed by the selectors.
The St Andrews man ran the 3000 metres steeplechase at the Gaz de France Golden League meeting at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday, finishing eighth in 8:22.95 to beat his personal best of 8:23.74 and the A Olympic standard of 8:24.60, which he had not attained this year.
"It's an enormous relief," said the 25-year-old Fife AC member who has been based in the USA for almost four years.
"I'm very happy as my aim has always been to peak in Beijing – it's back to hard training now."
Lemoncello's former roommate at Stirling University, Allan Scott, was probably surer of his place after the previous day, adding a scintillating 13.53sec 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, and then winning the final in 13.41sec with the following wind marginally over the limit.
It was a quality performance under pressure from the 25-year-old Edinburgh-based 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 the 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, the 30-year-old Glasgow 800 metre runner, ran well in Lucerne on Thursday night but had to wait until just after midday yesterday to learn that she was in. She said: "It's been very stressful… It was a nightmare waiting but the outcome makes it all worthwhile."
The full article contains 491 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
