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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Lauren Gilmour

Eilish McColgan gold medal brings ‘a tear in the eye’, says Nicola Sturgeon

PA Wire

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it brought a “tear in the eye” to see Scottish runner Eilish McColgan win the 10,000-metre Commonwealth Games final.

McColgan won gold at the Games in Birmingham in a record time of 30:48:60 to match her mother Liz McColgan’s gold at the 1986 Games in Edinburgh. It is her first major title.

Ms Sturgeon tweeted: “What an absolutely amazing night for Team Scotland – congratulations to all our medal winners so far in these Commonwealth Games.

“Every medal is special, but what a tear in the eye to see Eilish Mccolgan match her mum’s 1986 gold.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “Incredible! What a story!”

Channel 5 newsreader Dan Walker said his “whole family were screaming” for the last 600 metres.

Wrapped in a saltire, McColgan shared the emotional moment with her mother and her partner who were cheering her on from the stands in Birmingham.

Speaking to the BBC afterwards, she said: “It’s just been such an up and down year with Covid, initially, then another illness and a couple of niggles at the wrong time… but I honestly couldn’t have asked for any more tonight to have my family here.

“The crowd, in that last 200 metres, I can’t even explain it. It was vibrating through my whole body.

“I’ve never sprinted like that in my entire life. Without the crowd, I wouldn’t have finished like that. I just wanted it so bad.

To witness your daughter winning is just amazing and to win it in the same event I won it in
— Liz McColgan

“It’s just an absolute dream.”

Liz McColgan joined her daughter and said: “For me as a mother, not even as just a coach, to witness your daughter winning is just amazing and to win it in the same event I won it in.

“She’s just ran the race I always knew she was capable of winning. It was amazing to watch, it was very nerve-racking to watch. It’s been a long time coming and she put it together tonight and I’m just really, really pleased.”

Team Scotland won three other gold medals on Wednesday: Duncan Ross won his fifth medal for the men’s 200-metre medley, Sarah Adlington for the 78kg and higher women’s judo, and Rosemary Lenton and Pauline Wilson for the women’s para lawn bowls.

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