IT does not seem that long ago that Eilidh Child, as she was then, was the lone prominent Scot on the world athletics scene.
Child, who married two years ago to become Mrs Doyle, admits to having developed something of a maternal streak, nurturing a brood that has taken flight over the past few years and is set to soar once more in Birmingham this weekend with at least 20 Scottish athletes in medal contention at this weekend’s British Athletics Championships which double up as trials for the World Championships in London later this summer.
Following the selection of 15 Scottish athletes for Rio last year, the largest contingent to attend an Olympic Games in more than a century, it is clear that an environment has been created in which they are thriving and in an interview with ‘PB’ the sport’s in-house magazine, Doyle has expressed her deep satisfaction at having played a part in that.
“I am so proud of what’s happening in Scottish athletics at the moment,” she said.
“I think I may have been described as the ‘Mother Hen’ figure. I don’t mind that, I’m embracing it. I’m just thrilled being part of it and seeing the exciting progress of so many of our athletes.
“I just want to be around to be with them and enjoy the moments with them. So, yes, I am feeding off the success of others. You check social media and see outstanding results and performances and you just think ‘I want to be part of that; I want to do well, too’. It drives you on to try and add more success.”
She says so even as she enters her thirties having enjoyed a big birthday earlier this year, “I just don’t want to let this go, that’s the truth,” said Doyle.
“It sounds cheesy, maybe, but I love what I do and I love athletics. I love training and I love competing. The older I am getting, the more people ask ‘How can you keep this going?’. But I am stopping and appreciating it a lot more now than a few years ago. When I am at a Championships, there is that bit in my head saying ‘Will I be at the next one?’. So I am making sure I savour it.
“The feeling when you cross the line knowing you’ve worked hard to be there and given everything in the race is a great feeling. I don’t want to give that up any time soon.”
Doyle was among those representing Great Britain at last weekend’s European Team Champs in Lille and she contributed fully with a season’s best run of 54.60 in winning her specialist event, the 400m hurdles.
She is naturally particularly close to the group of brilliant young women who have followed her onto the track at the highest level of the sport and she touched upon the injury issues that are an inevitable part of the sport as she savoured the form they are now showing.
“I have to say, I am particularly excited about ones I know really well like Laura Muir, Steph Twell and Eilish McColgan. I’ve seen all three of those come through some very difficult times,” she said.
“For my own part, I’ve been very lucky in my career that I’ve not had any real big setbacks, like an injury or whatever. You could say the trajectory has probably been quite smooth. Laura, Steph, Eilish, all for different reasons, have had some really tough moments and some really low moments. It has been more of a rollercoaster for them, but I feel as if I’ve been there and seen their journey – so to watch them now is great.”
With Muir, who is missing the championships to protect a broken bone in her foot with which she seems to have run for most of the season before it was belatedly diagnosed and marathon man Callum Hawkins already guaranteed World Championship places and many of their compatriots having already achieved the necessary qualifying teams, this weekend represents opportunities for a string of fellow Scots to join them.
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