Big County star in hurdle form

Jun 30 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

HURDLING sensation Eilidh Child reckons rubbing shoulders with Europe’s best can help put her career on the fast track.

The Perthshire 400m specialist narrowly missed a placing after hitting top form at the inaugural European Team Championships in Leira, Portugal.

Eilidh (22), who teaches PE at Perth Grammar, was just short of a new personal best as she stormed to fourth place against a field of top class competitors in the globally televised event.

And she helped the GB team to a hard-fought third place finish in the 400m relay after being given an 11th hour call-up to an injury-ravaged squad.

Yesterday, bubbly Eilidh said she was keen to return to make a swift return to the big stage after laying down those impressive markers on her senior GB debut.

“People now realise who I am,” she told PA Sport.

“I have put myself out there a bit more. I’m still nowhere near the top class, but I have given myself a chance.

“Just being among that company is a nice place to be. I was competing against the best in Great Britain last season, now I’m up against the best in Europe.

“It’s a big step up.”

Eilidh, who is coached by former Dundee United and Aberdeen fitness guru Stuart Hogg, said she was proud of her performance in the 400m hurdles final.

“It was close going into the home straight and I was lying third, but the girls who ran faster than me were all above my personal best,” she said.

“The stadium in Portugal was massive, and even though it wasn’t full there was a good crowd.

“It was a team event so it wasn’t all about running for yourself. With every performance counting towards GB’s points there was a great camaraderie.

“Everyone really got behind each other.”

The runner was surprised but delighted to be included in the 400m relay after a host of other athletes, including World, Commonwealth and Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu, were unavailable.

She ended up joining Vicky Barr, Jennifer Meadows and Lee McConnell in Britain’s four-woman line-up.

“They only planned to take four girls out for the GB team, but one got injured at the last minute and never went,” Eilidh explained.

“The substitute was an 800m runner who also got injured and Christine Ohuruogu could not make it either so I was put in.

“I was really grateful because the relay was really fun and exciting, although I went off a bit too slow - which was the opposite of my hurdles - and I probably had too much coming into the home straight.

“I always try to post one or two 400s during the season, but I don’t have much experience at the event.

“I don’t know how fast to run the first 200m because the stride pattern is so different to hurdles, my speciality.”

After playing her part in Britain’s overall third-place finish in the 12-nation Euro Team Championships behind winners Germany and runners-up Russia, Eilidh now has her sights set on individual glory.

This month’s Under-23 European Championships, which are being held in Kaunas, Lithuania, are an immediate target, and she still harbours hopes of competing at the World Championships in Berlin in mid-August.

“I have got the qualifying time for the Worlds now, so everything is coming sooner than I thought it might,” she beamed.

“This season has already gone better than expected.”