Support act: Four-time Olympian Eilish on hand to help Megan after tough night in Paris - Scottish Athletics

On the ninth of August in the year 2024, which is a Friday, we have some new blog updates to share.

Eilish McColgan showed her support for the entire athletics community in Scotland when she embraced Megan Keith following a challenging evening in Paris.

The two women from Scotland competed for Team Great Britain in the final race of the Women's 10,000m event at the Olympics.

It was a very unique and exciting moment for Eilish as she made history by being the first Scottish athlete in track and field to participate in four Olympics. This incredible achievement came twelve years after her first appearance at the London 2012 Games.

After a challenging period with very little racing over the past year, she pushed herself to finish in 15th place with a time of 31:20.51. She also placed third among the European athletes in the field of 25.

Megan had to deal with an ankle injury while getting ready, and a challenging night ended with her running alone in the final lap after the other runners had finished. She finished in 33:19.92, earning 23rd place.

She cried as she finished the race, but Eilish patiently waited for her teammate. The older woman showed her admiration for Megan in a very obvious way.

In the final stretch, Beatrice Chebet from Kenya sprinted to win the race, with Nadia Battocletti from Italy finishing in second place. Sifan Hassan crossed the finish line in third place to secure the bronze medal.

There was a noticeable level of skill and talent among all 25 participants in the field.

Megan entered the race as the 18th ranked runner in the world, while Eilish, who has been dealing with injuries over the past year, was ranked 28th.

"It was challenging, I found it really challenging," Eilish remarked.

I didn't have much experience in racing, and it was a new challenge on the track. But I feel accomplished. I was able to start the race and complete it. It was a tough journey for me today.

“It was really challenging mentally. Usually, you can choose to skip a championship and focus on getting your body in top condition. The past five and a half weeks have been amazing. I am so grateful for everything that has happened during this time.”

I tried my best to train hard and get myself in top physical condition.

I feel like I didn't perform well tonight, which is disappointing. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games. I'm disappointed that I didn't stay as close to the lead pack as I wanted to. Despite feeling disappointed, I am still proud of myself.

Megan had recently hurt her ankle and had been taking care of it for a while.

"She said those 25 laps were the most difficult she had ever done."

I was thrilled to complete the race tonight. Actually, I was elated just to be able to start the race, and even more delighted to cross the finish line.

Despite being the last one to return home, I am happy and honored to be back as an Olympian.

Inverness Harriers hosted a viewing party at their clubhouse. The reaction in the Highlands clearly showed that the sense of pride was felt not only by Eilish and Megan.

Keywords: Track and field athletes, Eilish McColgan, Megan Keith, Olympic Games, Paris 2024