Eilish McColgan

Eilish McColgan (born 25 November 1990) is a British middle-distance athlete who competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase and 5000 metres.[3] She represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. She represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and in 2018 at the Gold Coast. She is the Scottish record holder in the 3000 metres steeplechase with 9:35.82 in 2013.

Eilish McColgan
McColgan at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1990-11-25) 25 November 1990
Dundee, Scotland
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Weight53 kg (117 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)1500–5000 m, steeplechase
Coached byLiz McColgan
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)1500 m – 4:00.97 (2019)
3000 m – 8:31.00 (2017)
3000 mS – 9:35.82 (2013)
5000 m – 14:46.17 (2019)
10,000 m – 31:16.76 (2019)[2]
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
2018 Berlin5000 m
European Indoor Championships
2017 Belgrade3000 m

Career

McColgan was born in Dundee, Scotland to Liz and Peter McColgan, both athletes.[4] She is a member of Dundee's Hawkhill Harriers Club and is coached by her mother, former 10,000 metres World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Liz McColgan.[4][5][6]

In 2006, she won a silver medal at the Scottish Schools Championships in the 1500 metres and a bronze medal at the International Under-17s Schools Championships.[7] In 2007, she came fifth in the Scottish Senior Championships 1500 metres.[7] At the 2008 Scottish Indoor Championships she won a bronze medal in the 1500 metres.[7]

McColgan was selected for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in India but suffered a major knee injury which it took her a year-and-a-half to recover from.[6] She also missed the 2011 World Championships, held in Daegu, South Korea, after breaking her foot at a Diamond League event in London.[8] Her senior debut for Great Britain came at the 2011 European Team Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. Initially selected as a travelling reserve to cover a range of events, she was called upon to compete in the 3000 metres steeplechase, an event which she had only competed in twice before, and ran a personal best while finishing ninth.[9][10] She came fourth in the 1500 metres at the 2011 UK Indoor Championships and won the silver medal in the 5000 metres at the UK Outdoor Championships.[7] She won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 2011 Scottish University Championships.[7]

She won two gold medals at the 2012 Scottish Universities Indoor Championships, placing first in both the 1500 and 3000 metres events.[7] In June 2012 at a meeting in Oslo, Norway she ran a time of 9:38.45 to beat the Olympic 'A' qualification standard in the 3000 metres steeplechase.[11] McColgan confirmed her qualification for the steeplechase at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London by winning the British trials in a time of 9:56.90.[12] She was the only athlete to finish in under 10 minutes and the only British athlete to have achieved the 'A' qualifying standard.[13][14] After achieving Olympic qualification, McColgan chose not to compete at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland.[15] She competed for Great Britain team for the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women's 3000 metres steeplechase alongside compatriot Barbara Parker.[16] Her time of 9:54.36 was not sufficient for her to reach the final.[17]

At the 2016 Olympics in Rio she reached the final of the Women's 5000 metres. She qualified for the 3000 metres at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships where she finished in a top ten position. In the 5000 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin, she won the silver medal.[18]

In 2018 McColgan won the Great South Run in Portsmouth. She clocked 54:43,[19] in her maiden run at the 10 mile distance. Her mother had won the race twice previously, in 1995 and 1997.[20]

Personal life

She attended the High School of Dundee and studied mathematics and accountancy at the University of Dundee.[21]

References
  1. Eilish McColgan Archived 26 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. rio2016.com
  2. Eilish McColgan at World Athletics
  3. "Eilish McColgan profile". UK Athletics. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  4. "Eilish McColgan: Team GB". British Olympic Association. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  5. Ralston, Gary (24 June 2012). "Liz McColgan 'proud' after daughter Eilish books her spot in Team GB for London Olympics". The Daily Record. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  6. Fulton, Rick (13 October 2011). "Track legend Liz McColgan's daughter aims to follow in mother's footsteps with OIympic glory". The Daily Record. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  7. "Athlete profile: Eilish McColgan". United Kingdom Athletics. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  8. "Four Scots in GB World Championships team". BBC Sport. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  9. "McColgan Makes Senior GB Debut". Commonwealth Games Scotland. 26 June 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  10. Woods, Mark (19 June 2011). "European Team Championships: Personal best for debut Scot Eilish McColgan". The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  11. Smith, Ewan (16 June 2012). "Olympic hopeful Eilish McColgan sneaks into Usain Bolt's loo". The Daily Record. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  12. "Eilidh Child & Eilish McColgan qualify for GB Olympic team". BBC Sport. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  13. Mulkeen, Jon (24 June 2012). "Proctor and Bleasdale break British records at UK Olympic Trials". Athletics Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  14. O'Mahony, Jennifer (24 June 2012). "Olympic trials 2012: day three as it happened". The Telegraph online. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  15. "Mum sets McColgan two-year target". The Scotsman. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  16. "London 2012: Dwain Chambers picked for GB athletics squad". BBC Sport. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  17. "Women's 3000m Steeplechase". London 2012 official website. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  18. https://www.european-athletics.org/competitions/european-athletics-championships/history/year=2018/results/index.html
  19. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/45935249
  20. http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/road.htm
  21. Graham Fraser (2 September 2012). "Eilish McColgan – Life after the Olympics and the Great Scottish Run". STV. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.

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