Laura Muir is Athlete of the Year

Monday 31st October 2016

Photo by Bobby Gavin

Laura Muir has been named as Scottish Athlete of the Year for 2016 – making it two-in-a-row for the 1500m Commonwealth Record holder.

The 23-year-old has had a stellar 12 months including winning the overall Diamond Race, finishing seventh at her first Olympics and breaking the British Record held by Dame Kelly Holmes not once but twice.

Muir headed a short-list of no fewer than eight athletes which featured seven who went to the Olympics this summer including relay medallist Eilidh Doyle, Scottish Record breakers Andy Butchart and Lynsey Sharp; marathon top 10 finisher Callum Hawkins; European medallist Steph Twell and comeback star Eilish McColgan plus GB hill runner Andy Douglas.

Olympian Derek Redmond, Guest of Honour at our Annual Awards Dinner, made the presentation late on Saturday night at a sold-out celebration for the sport at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

As Laura followed up her 2015 success, there was another double with her mentor, Andy Young, being named as Scotland’s Performance ‘Coach of the Year’. Again, that was a repeat of the 2015 verdict.

Double Paralympic gold medallist Libby Clegg, who has enjoyed such fine success in 2016 following a switch to new guide runner Chris Clarke, was named as Scotland’s Para Athlete of the Year.

Edinburgh AC’s Cameron Tindle, who reached the final of the World Juniors, was named U20 Athlete of the Year.

Giffnock North athlete Erin Wallace, a medallist at the European Youths in Georgia over 1500m, was named U17 Athlete of the Year while Kerry-Liam Wilson of Cambuslang Harriers took the Masters award.

Edinburgh AC won the Track and Field Club of the Year title with Central AC named as our Off Track Club of the Year. Shetland AAC won the Impact Club of the Year title after tremendous progress recently at the island club – celebrating success in a very strong category.

‘I am thrilled and delighted to be named Scottish Athlete of the Year again,’ said Laura.

‘It means so much and the reception in the room was almost over-whelming.

‘There was so much competition for this title and that’s obvious from the length of the short-list. People have been breaking records, picking up medals and reaching finals at global events.

‘It is exciting for everyone that Scottish athletes are doing so well in so many different areas of the sport and I think there is a real team spirit there which is pushing everyone on’

Rodger Harkins, our Director of Coaching, said: ‘Many congratulations to Laura Muir on her award as Athlete of the Year.

‘We said prior to the announcement that it was a really special year and that was why we felt we had to have a lengthy short-list of contenders – to acknowledge many really superb performances.

‘It almost became breaking a Scottish Record or reaching an Olympic final was required to even be in contention.

‘For athletics in Scotland, that’s a massive plus and a big step forward from where we were maybe five or 10 years ago. For those on the panel choosing the winner it was pretty hard choices, however!

‘Laura has been outstanding in so many races in 2016 and she is a worthy winner. She went for it in Rio in terms of the Olympic final and has no regrets about not settling for going for bronze – she was trying for gold.

‘To come back from that, only days later, and break the British Record for the second time in Paris – after that superb run in London prior to Rio – was amazing. It was a Commonwealth Record too and places her in the very top echelon of the world all-time lists. That’s how good a run it was.’