SCOTTISH athletes continue to shine at the World Para-Athletics Championship, taking place this week in Doha. There have been medals for Sammi Kinghorn, Kayleigh Haggo and Maria Lyle to name but a few.
This news may have passed you by as our hard-working para-athletes don’t seem to command the same level of respect and coverage as our able-body athletes and in return, I would assume, do not get the same financial remuneration.
However, it is also interesting to read that all is not rosy in the GB Athletics camp as around 20 top athletes, including Laura Muir and Beth Dobbin, have voiced their concern over the British Olympic Association rule 40.
This states that athletes can only have a limited amount of interaction with their personal sponsors during the Games, but athletes feel that this restriction is harming their potential to maximise earnings, in what can be a very short career.
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Basically they are looking for parity with other nations, who have taken a relaxed view of this rule to allow them the opportunity to maximise their marketing potential. This change would not incur any cost from the BOA to the athletes, so I believe it is time to move into the 21st century and give as much help as we can to these athletes.
Highlighting how short a top-level athletics career is, 30-year-old Eve Muirhead said this week that because of continuing issues with her hip she is concerned that the next Winter Olympics in Beijing could be her last. After going through hip surgery in 2018, she had hoped that things would improve. However, she spoke recently about the level of pain felt endured and the time spent in rehab trying to keep on top of it.
Finally, best wishes to Lynsey Sharp, who is taking time out of athletics after a cancer scare. She tweeted: “Last week I had surgery to remove cells which came back today as pre-cancerous. If I hadn’t gone for a smear test I wouldn’t have been able to catch this before it developed any further.” It’s great of Sharp to show young women the importance of having regular health checks. I urge all women to get over their embarrassment and get checked out. Early detection can save lives.
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