Noticeboard: Lynsey; Rio; Women in Sport; BUCS; CYG

Friday 1st May 2015

That memorable Hampden moment for Lynsey – and Bobby Gavin’s great photo

Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2015

Lynsey Sharp is busy preparing for the 2015 season – with the World Champs in Beijing a major target for the Scottish 800m talent.

But, before memories of Glasgow 2014 and the European Championships in Switzerland fade further, the Edinburgh AC athlete has another accolade to add to her lengthy collection.

A ‘Young Scot Award’ in the Sports category at a special dinner on Thursday evening highlighted Lynsey’s Commonwealth Games performance, when she claimed silver at Hampden under amazing circumstances.

Lynsey, 24, had been short-listed with fellow Team Scotland member, Para swimmer Erraid Davis, and GB rhythmic gymnastic Amy Clark. Carol Sharp was on hand on Thursday night to collect the Young Scot award on behalf of her daughter.

The nomination read: ‘Lynsey is one of Scotland’s top athletes and her silver medal in the 800m will go down as one of the stand-out moments of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

‘She was ill the night before her race and ended up in hospital on a drip. But after just a few hours’ sleep, she competed and brought the Hampden roof off with her unexpected glory dash. Lynsey ran with the words “get out, strong, commit” written on her hand. Her emotional outpouring at the finish line won her the hearts of the nation.’

Commonwealth Games athlete Meggan Dawson-Farrell helped make the Sports category award to Carol as one of the special guests on the night.

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Derek Hawkins

The Rio Olympics are more than 12 months away but already elite athletes are making plans to see if they can make it to South America.

The IAAF published initial qualifying standards recently and now UK Athletics have followed on from that with the marks which British athletes need to seek to make to be picked for Rio.

Here’s the British Athletics website story with standards

British Athletics have not issued a Selection Policy at this time, but will follow-on with that later in the year.

The marathon standards will interest a number of Scots with 2.14 required by the men and 2.31 for the women. Derek Hawkins was just outside 2.14 at Glasgow 2014 but is planning a marathon in Germany in the autumn with Susan Partridge due to compete in Chicago around that time, too.

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Ayrshire College are holding two ‘Women into Sport and Fitness’ events later this month.

Come along and find out what opportunities there are for you, as a female, within the sport and fitness industry at Ayrshire College!
Hear from successful past students, current students and industry speakers. You can also take the opportunity to apply for, and be interviewed for one of our Sport and Fitness Courses during the event.

The first is on Monday 18 May between 3–5pm at the Skills Centre for Excellence, Irvine Royal Academy; with the second date being Thursday 28 May between 5–7pm at the Townholm Campus, Kilmarnock.

Irvine event: Monday 18 May:
If you would like to attend please register your interest with Sean Blakely
sean.blakely@ayrshire.ac.uk 01294 555 304

Kilmarnock event: Thursday 28 May:
For more information and to register your interest contact Fiona Oswald on:
fiona.oswald@ayrshire.ac.uk or 01563 549051

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Rhona Auckland

BUCS timetable and start-lists online

The British Universities and Colleges track and field champs take place this weekend – from Saturday to Monday in Bedford.

Scottish students from a n umber of our educational institutions are heading south looking for early-season PBs, final places or podium recognition.

Commonwealth Games relay runner Zoey Clark is among them with the SUCA 100m and 200m winner set to undertake her first 400m since last July. Clark has won bronze at BUCS twice previously.

GB international Rhona Auckland is another of Scotland’s elite who will compete in Bedford. Rhona, like Zoey, has qualification for the European U23s on her mind at 10,000m. This weekend, she will race at 5000m.

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Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa. We highlighted some competition opportunities for the athetes in the right age groups for this on this website last week.

There are now a few more for throwers and hurdlers detailed here on the England Athletics website.

Tags: BUCS, Commonwealth Youth Games, Lynsey Sharp, Meggan Dawson-Farrell, Rhona Auckland, Young Scot Awards, Zoey Clark