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Liz McColgan, Scotland's former darling of endurance running on the World stage and whose illustrious career spanned two decades continues to build a legacy for endurance running in Scotland. In 2005 McColgan established an endurance squad for young female athletes that has effectively served to trail-blaze the new scottishathletics 'Specialist Squad' concept. Supported by the Bank of Scotland these squads will concentrate on supporting the growth of Scotland's next group of elite international athletes across several event groups with a major competition focus stretching from 2008 to 2014 and beyond.
Over coming months scottishathletics will team up with a number of further coaches of international pedigree as well as retired elite athletes who have delivered at the highest level, to provide mentoring support for squads of athletes and their personal coaches within specific event groups.
In the first instance squads will be established in three areas:
SPRINTS (100m / 200m)
Allan Wells, Scotland's legendary 100m Olympic Gold medal winner from the 1980 Moscow Games will work to support the development of our promising young crop of sprinters and their coaches.
When asked about the opportunity to become involved in helping to shape Scotland's next batch of international level sprinters Wells said, 'I am entering into this with a real sense of excitement. I see this as an evolving role over the coming months and years and a real opportunity for me to put something back directly into the sport in Scotland as we move toward future International Games opportunities.'
MIDDLE DISTANCE (800m / 1500m)
Tommy Boyle, former coach to GB Internationals Tom McKean, Yvonne Murray and, more recently Susan Scott will establish a new focus on achieving success in middle distance. Boyle said, 'I am delighted to have the opportunity to pass on the knowledge of coaching athletes in the highest arenas of competition to a group of enthusiastic athletes and coaches.'
LONG DISTANCE
Liz McColgan, will develop a wider brief over the long distance events with view to building on progression in the last 12 months through her young women's endurance squad. McColgan said, 'I'm really looking forward to expanding the group to include young male distance runners and building on the success of the first year's program and developing a particular emphasis on distance running.'
Reflecting on the two new endurance running developments Mike Johnston, National Endurance Coach commented, 'I'm delighted to have both Liz and Tommy involved with their individual squads. They are two very different people but both have the understanding of what it takes to succeed at the highest level. This represents a great opportunity for Scottish athletes and coaches to tap into their expertise.
Of the specialist sprints squad, Acting Performance Development Manager, Nigel Hetherington, said, 'The name 'Allan Wells' still captures the imagination in Scotland and invokes passion for the time when we were on top of the world in sprinting. I am absolutely convinced that Allan can make a measurable contribution to improving our performance and profile in sprints.'
Athletes for these squads will be individually selected from those who are judged to have the highest potential to benefit from support provided in this way. Personal coaches of all selected athletes will be invited to be directly involved with all activities and support opportunities.
As well as invaluable support from scottishathletics main sponsor, the Bank of Scotland, modernisation funding will be used to pump-prime these initiatives, which will continue to role-out sequentially into 2007 and will encompass several event groups with the further event group specialist squads and mentors being announced in the future.
SPECIALIST SQUADS - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Allan Wells Squad (100m / 200m)
An individualised approach to athlete and personal coach mentoring based on developing the right focus and attitude in training and preparation for building up to and competing in ever-higher levels of competition. Aimed at a small number of 100m and 200m athletes who have the potential to attain a place in future Scottish International teams starting with the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2008 and progressing from there.
Tommy Boyle Squad (Middle Distance)
A structured approach to coach and athlete mentoring based round a group of athletes with potential and desire to succeed in the middle distance events. The project will initially run until 2010 while bearing in mind the requirements of 2012 and 2014. The desired outcome is not only to help the current squad athletes to improve but also to give the coaches the knowledge to succeed on the International Stage.
Liz McColgan Squad (Long Distance)
A squad based approach to providing young athletes with the all-round skills to succeed in distance running under the guidance of the former World 10,000m champion. Following on from last year's launch where the squad concentrated on the specialist needs of young females the group has been expanded to include a number of young men who are showing potential for longer distance events.
For more information please contact Nigel Hetherington on 0870 145 1500.
Source SAF
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