Second best for Eilidh in Prague run

Jun 12 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

COMMONWEALTH Games hopeful Eilidh Child’s success-strewn season continues, reports Gordon Bannerman.

Competing at Prague’s Josef Odlozil Memorial this week, she finished second in 55.46 seconds, a new personal best in finishing behind world number one Lashinda Demus from the USA, who ran 54.71.

Hurdler Eilidh’s time was a World Championship A qualifying time (55.50) - and she could be breaking new ground for a Scottish athlete.

The field was full of world class athletes, including a

Russian hurdler who was sixth in last year’s Olympic final.

Eilidh is now the European number four and 11th in the world rankings.

She is closing in on the all-time Scottish record, which was just 0.22 seconds outside her Prague time.

Eilidh, from Kinross-shire, flew out on Sunday and returned immediately after the race via East Midlands airport, where she stayed overnight before flying up to Edinburgh.

It was a bit frantic but she made it to work at Perth Grammar School, which was hosting the County Sports at the George Duncan Stadium.

Her next competition is the Scottish Seniors Championships at Pitreavie where she will run the 200m.

A week later she will compete at Bedford in the UK under 23 Championships and European Under 23 Championship Qualifiers.