Kinross-shire athlete Laura Muir heads into European indoor action at her first major championships for Team GB in Sweden just a year after competing at the Scottish under-20 championships.
The 19-year-old Dundee Hawkhill Harrier is Britain’s sole representative in the women’s 1,500m in Gothenburg, as Eilidh Child takes on the 400m.
Muir has had to take time off from her studies as a veterinary medicine student in Glasgow to compete in Gothenburg and said she is turning down approaches to move to the United States.
She said: “I love my course at Glasgow, working with animals is all I have wanted to do.
“To be able to do well both academically and with my running is great. I could not do one without the other.
“I had multiple offers from American universities offering scholarships to pay a lot of expenses, but I have never wanted to leave Scotland.
“Veterinary medicine is a long course so I do need extra support but we get some of that from Winning Students.
“I did cross-country running at primary school then joined a local club and took it from there. There are lots of hills around the vet school, so that helps build a bit of stamina.”
It is an impressive rise by Muir which scottishathletics bosses believe can help “Inspire a Generation” as the sport in the country builds on London 2012.
Lord Coe was in Glasgow this week to speak about legacy issues as well as how Glasgow 2014 can be a motivating factor for elite Scots and, lower down the scale, there is clear evidence the hard work is taking place to improve overall standards.
Every single national event staged by scottishathletics over the past 12 months has enjoyed a big increase in entry numbers and this weekend 849 teenagers will gather at the Emirates Arena for the McCain Age Group Championships, from under-14 to under-20 level.
It is a remarkable 52% rise on last year’s numbers, with a 68% increase enjoyed at the McCain National Open in January all age groups and the largest entry field for 16 years at the National Cross Country in Falkirk last weekend.
Scottishathletics chief executive Nigel Holl said: “To me there are three things coming together that can all be credited for the busy weekend ahead for us.
“The standard of the venue at the Emirates Arena certainly counts, as does the bounce from London 2012 that we are all still seeing.
“That bounce is lasting only due to the excellent and diligent efforts by athletics clubs the length and breadth of Scotland, they deserve huge recognition. It is clubs that enable these 849 young athletes to be ready to do themselves proud when they step into the inspiring Emirates Arena.
“But thirdly I don’t think we can lose sight of the impact some of our role models have. If you look at the numbers in the under-18 age group at a stage when so many young people discover interest that can draw them away from a sport it is great for them to have role models such as Laura Muir and Allan Smith (Scottish Native record holder at high jump at 20).”
Allan and Laura are only a couple of years older but are demonstrating that they are now verging on the elite end of the sport.