McColgan prodigy Tait sets sights on Olympics
The 24-year-old broke McColgan's 12-year Scottish record in the 3000m steeplechase at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition in Oregon last month.
Advertisement
Her form earned her a place on the Great Britain team for the European Athletics Team Championships, where she finished second in the same event on her international debut.
Now Tait, who came through at Lasswade Athletics Club but is based in the United States, has set her sights on next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and a first Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
"I went to watch some of my teammates in Paris last year and I thought it was absolutely amazing what they were doing," Tait told BBC Scotland.
"I would love to be there one day, but I didn't think quite how realistic it would be and then just this year I am like: 'Do you know what, I am actually really close'.
Advertisement
"In a few year's time, I definitely believe that will be possible."
"I have this new found belief in myself and that is definitely credit to my training group in the US and my training partners as well."
McColgan 'always there for me'
Tait was the first recipient of McColgan's 'Giving Back to Track' programme, which was set up three years ago to help young women make their way in athletics.
After plenty of support and encouragement, Tait says breaking her mentor's record was something she had targeted for a while.
"Eilish has supported and mentored me for a good few years now and she always said she thought I would be the one who would take her record down," she revealed.
Advertisement
"Eilish really took me under her wing. I am still in touch with her now, we still go back and forth. She always sends me a congratulations message, she is always there to support me and I am really grateful for everything she has done for me."
Having just completed her studies at West Virginia University, Tait admits she is "still figuring things out" in terms of where she is going to base herself as she prepares for next summer's Commonwealth Games, which she says is her "priority".
As a 13-year-old, Tait went to watch the athletics at Hampden Park when the games last visited the city in 2014.
"I just can't wait to hopefully be a part of it and be part of inspiring the next generation because that was me sitting in the stands watching - so I really hope that can be me on the start line this time," she added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
36 minutes ago
- Business Insider
The NCAA settlement is a big win for football players. For other athletes, the picture is murkier.
DI track and field athlete Sabrina Oostburg isn't celebrating the recent NCAA settlement, which allows colleges to pay athletes directly. The Belmont University student said she was standing next to a volleyball player and two football players when the news came out. One of the football players reacted positively and then turned to the volleyball player to get her take. "It's good for you because you're going to get paid, but some of your female athlete friends might get cut," Oostburg recalled the volleyball player saying. The recent settlement, which ended multiple antitrust cases against the NCAA, sets up a system in which football players will likely get the lion's share of the money. The settlement's back-pay portion, for example, allocates 75% to football, guided by how much revenue the sport brings in. Colleges that opt into the settlement can pay up to $20.5 million to their athletes for the year starting July 1 (with increases in subsequent years). "It's going to be focused on football, basketball," Craig Weiner, a partner and litigator at Blank Rome, told Business Insider. While schools are free to distribute the money to different teams as they wish, there is a clear incentive for them to want to remain competitive in football to generate revenue. That could mean some athletic programs — if we take that 75% figure as guidance — will need to cover $15 million in new expenses to pay football players. Where is the money going to come from? Oostburg said she's worried about cuts to her team and others that don't make money for the college. She fears they could lose roster spots, places where they practice and train, or even snacks. "I think you're going to see cuts potentially in the non-revenue sports," Weiner said. "As far as support, athletic facilities, athletic support. Money that is that is earmarked to help the non-revenue producing sports, because they're going to focus on the money makers." The settlement ruling could create Title IX issues The skew toward football and men's basketball in the $2.8 billion back-pay part of the settlement has already attracted a legal challenge. Dan Ain, an attorney at Reavis, Page, Jump, noted that current and former DI female athletes had filed an appeal. They argued that 90% of the back pay going to former football and men's basketball players was a violation of Title IX, which requires schools to give male and female athletes equitable opportunities. Ain also pointed out that Judge Claudia Wilken, who oversaw the case, said that athletes could sue if they felt there was any infringement on Title IX due to the nature of the revenue share model. "This is new territory for schools," Ain said. "Schools, for the first time, will be deciding how to allocate tens of millions of dollars in revenue share to individual athletes. The expectation right now is that the distribution is going to be grossly unequal between men and women, and that will open schools up to Title IX litigation." Athletes have to run their deals through a clearinghouse Oostburg said she also had concerns about a new clearinghouse that will oversee deals athletes strike on their own with brands, called NIL deals (short for "name, image, and likeness"). Athletes with deals of over $600 will have to report them to the clearinghouse, operated by Deloitte, which will determine the athlete's value. If the deal is higher than their assessed value, it can't go through. Athletes who don't report deals or violate them by taking something of a different value could have their eligibility taken away. For athletes like Oostburg in "non-revenue" sports, NIL deals — often driven in part by their social media footprint — are the biggest money-making opportunity. "That does concern me," Oostburg said. "If I get a deal over $600 and they decide, no, that doesn't make sense for someone like a track athlete like me to get a $1,000 deal."
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thompson expects 'fireworks' in next clash with Lyles
Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson is in red-hot form heading into the Diamond League athletics meeting in Eugene, Oregon (Jewel SAMAD) Jamaican Kishane Thompson is looking forward to "fireworks" when he next faces American Noah Lyles in a rematch of the Paris Olympics 100 meter final -- whenever that showdown materializes. Lyles edged Thompson by just .005sec in the 100m final in Paris 11 months ago and they haven't faced each other since. Advertisement Thompson, in red-hot form ahead of Saturday's Eugene Diamond League meeting -- in which Lyles isn't entered -- said he's "most definitely" eager to take on the American again. "I'm a very competitive person," Thompson said. "I might not show it, but when it comes to competing with a phenomenal person, I think he's a phenomenal athlete, great rival. "So, yeah, of course, when he's ready to step back on the track and we meet it's going to be fireworks for sure." It remains to be seen whether they will meet before the World Championships, which will be held in Tokyo September 13-21. Advertisement Lyles has yet to race a 100m or 200m this season, but 23-year-old Thompson is riding high after winning the 100m at the Jamaican national athletics trials in a blistering 9.75sec on June 27. "I'm really grateful for that race," he said. "So far we're just working on the execution, bit by bit trying to put everything together. "For early season it's just trying to find that sweet spot, how it feels to compete at a high level while doing he best execution out there as possible. "Also getting that competition vibe going and just enjoying myself." Thompson's career-best time made him the sixth-fastest performer in history. Advertisement Only Justin Gatlin (9.74), Asafa Powell (9.72), Yohan Blake (9.69) Tyson Gay (9.69) and world record-holder Bolt (9.58) have gone faster. "I think I'm aware subconsciously," he said of climbing a list topped by sprinters he calls "the gods of their time". "But I don't let it overshadow anything that I've got to think about." rg/bb/st
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thompson expects 'fireworks' in next clash with Lyles
Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson is in red-hot form heading into the Diamond League athletics meeting in Eugene, Oregon (Jewel SAMAD) Jamaican Kishane Thompson is looking forward to "fireworks" when he next faces American Noah Lyles in a rematch of the Paris Olympics 100 meter final -- whenever that showdown materializes. Lyles edged Thompson by just .005sec in the 100m final in Paris 11 months ago and they haven't faced each other since. Advertisement Thompson, in red-hot form ahead of Saturday's Eugene Diamond League meeting -- in which Lyles isn't entered -- said he's "most definitely" eager to take on the American again. "I'm a very competitive person," Thompson said. "I might not show it, but when it comes to competing with a phenomenal person, I think he's a phenomenal athlete, great rival. "So, yeah, of course, when he's ready to step back on the track and we meet it's going to be fireworks for sure." It remains to be seen whether they will meet before the World Championships, which will be held in Tokyo September 13-21. Advertisement Lyles has yet to race a 100m or 200m this season, but 23-year-old Thompson is riding high after winning the 100m at the Jamaican national athletics trials in a blistering 9.75sec on June 27. "I'm really grateful for that race," he said. "So far we're just working on the execution, bit by bit trying to put everything together. "For early season it's just trying to find that sweet spot, how it feels to compete at a high level while doing he best execution out there as possible. "Also getting that competition vibe going and just enjoying myself." Thompson's career-best time made him the sixth-fastest performer in history. Advertisement Only Justin Gatlin (9.74), Asafa Powell (9.72), Yohan Blake (9.69) Tyson Gay (9.69) and world record-holder Bolt (9.58) have gone faster. "I think I'm aware subconsciously," he said of climbing a list topped by sprinters he calls "the gods of their time". "But I don't let it overshadow anything that I've got to think about." rg/bb/st
