Eilish McColgan emulated her mother Liz by winning an incredible 10,000m gold for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
Thirty six years after her mum had claimed the first of her two Commonwealth golds on home soil in Edinburgh, McColgan triumphed after a thrilling sprint to the line against Kenya’s Irine Cheptai.
In what was her fourth Commonwealth Games and fourth different event in as many Games, it proved a first global title of any kind for the 31-year-old and she hugged her mother in emotional scenes with a Saltire flag draped over her shoulders.
McColgan’s time of 30:48:60 set a new Games record, easily eclipsing the previous best mark - the 31:27.83 recorded by Kenya’s Salina Kosgei two decades ago.
“It’s just been such an up and down year with Covid, another illness and a couple of other niggles,” McColgan told the BBC afterwards. “I knew the fitness was somewhere in me but I could not have asked for anything more tonight to have my family here.
“The crowd on the last 200m, it was like vibrating through my body. I have never sprinted like that in my entire life and without the crowd I could never have finished like that. I knew if I could stay with them I could close well and it is an absolute dream.
“This is my third Commonwealth Games and my fourth event, so I finally found an event. To win it tonight is just incredible.
“Your family know the ups and downs and how difficult the journey is. This is my fourth attempt over four events and I have come sixth every time. I was ready to win a medal today but in that last 200m you could see I wanted gold.”
Her proud mum Liz added: “Obviously the crowd was amazing but as a mother to witness your daughter win is amazing and in the same event - she just ran the race I always knew she was capable of running. It was amazing to watch and very nerve-racking, but it’s been a long time coming and she put it together tonight.
“I know how hard she works and it’s fantastic it came together and she won.”
