Latest news with #McColgan
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Eilish McColgan and partner subjected to 'disgusting' racist abuse online
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Eilish McColgan has revealed she suffered racist abuse online after posting pictures of her engagement to former athlete Michael Rimmer. McColgan, who won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and was this week named as an official ambassador for the 2026 Games in Glasgow, has called for social media companies to do more to combat online hate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She would like to see platforms such as X and Instagram use formal identification to prevent the abuse she faces every day. McColgan, 34, says she has become 'numb' to it but appreciates the trauma it causes others. Eilish McColgan, the Commonwealth 10,000m champion, at a Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games photocall at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. | SNS Group Asked specifically about the racial abuse aimed recently at the England footballer Jess Carter during the Euros, McColgan revealed that she and Rimmer had also been targeted. 'For myself, it [the abuse] is always about body image but I recently posted my engagement to my partner and the racist abuse that we received, being a mixed race couple, was honestly disgusting,' said McColgan. 'I've never read anything like it in my life. That was probably pretty eye-opening for me because it was a different type of abuse that was coming towards me that I'd never experienced before. And it's maybe how my parents feel when they read stuff about me. It was me reading that about someone I love, which was difficult to do, so it probably gave me a little bit of a greater appreciation of what my family probably have to go through when they read stuff about me online. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Sadly, that's the downside of social media and the online world that we're in. All we can do is keep standing up for ourselves, voicing our disgust at it, outing people who are maybe not afraid to share their names and stuff online but also ask for verification on social media.' McColgan, who was in Glasgow for the unveiling of the 2026 Commonwealth Games mascot, would like social media users to be verified before being given a platform. Eilish McColgan with Finnie the Unicorn, the official Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games mascot. | SNS Group 'I think social media probably needs to do better, just small verification checks, whether it's uploading a passport, whatever it is,' she said. 'I think it would make a big difference because people won't want their employers seeing what they're saying online. It's harder to hide behind that because there's probably more consequences behind it. I think it stops people from making bad decisions but, as I said, it is part and parcel of just being online.' Carter is part of the England squad that has reached the final of the Euros in Switzerland and said this week she would take a step back from social media after suffering online racist abuse since the tournament began. McColgan expressed sympathy for the footballer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I mean it's obviously not stopping,' said McColgan. 'I don't think it's a new conversation at all. As I said, it's been happening to me for a long long time. It's not right but sadly that's the way the world has gone. 'Honestly, I've become so numb to it. Even speaking about it, I just feel like it's just part of everyday life like I can't stop it so there's no point in me getting all stressed and worked up about it but I do appreciate that for other athletes, it does wind them up and it does actually take a lot out of them emotionally, mentally.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
'Hard to turn down' - Eilish McColgan on her Glasgow 2026 dilemma and doping spectre
Scottish runner who lit up Birmingham 2022 has switched focus to road racing Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... She delivered the defining moment of the 2022 Commonwealth Games but Eilish McColgan is not 100 per cent sure if she will defend her 10,000 metres title at Glasgow 2026. The Dundonian athlete lit up the Alexander Stadium four years ago as she stormed to victory over 25 laps. In doing so she emulated her mother who won the 10,000m as Liz Lynch, her maiden name, at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh then retained her crown four years later in Auckland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Her daughter has further followed in Liz McColgan's footsteps by making the move to road running. She made her marathon debut in London in April and it is where she sees her future. Eilish McColgan with Finnie, the mascot for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. | Craig Watson/Glasgow 2026 There will be no marathon at next summer's Commonwealths in Glasgow, with the city staging a slimmed down version of the Games after stepping in at the last minute to host when the Australian state of Victoria withdrew due to rising costs. It has left Eilish McColgan in a quandary but she admitted the pull of performing at a home games might persuade her to return to the track. 'Obviously I'm not qualified and I don't have a crystal ball so I don't know what the future holds but I think if it had been any other championship anywhere else in the world, I probably wouldn't be gearing towards it because my main ambitions now are certainly on the road,' said McColgan who was this week named as the first official ambassador for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. 'But I think, for me, it's hard to turn down an opportunity to race in Glasgow, a home championship. How often do I get to do that? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'So yeah, I'll definitely be making it high on my agenda to try and be here as an athlete and compete.' McColgan, 34, thought Birmingham 2022 was going to be her Commonwealth Games swan-song. As well as winning the 10,000m, she secured silver in the 5,000m. Not surprisingly, she feels it would have been a good way to say goodbye to the 'Friendly Games'. But Glasgow's late rescue mission has moved the goalposts and she could now find herself competing at the Commonwealths for a fourth time. 'It wasn't something I had originally planned in all honesty. It wasn't in my schedule. I thought Birmingham was a great way to cap off what was a brilliant track career but as I said, it's hard to turn down a home games opportunity. Eilish McColgan celebrates winning gold in the 10,000m at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium. | Getty Images 'I think for me there's just something about being back in Scotland knowing that my family, my friends, people from the community, my club where I have grown up and who have supported me can be here to watch. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Obviously there's a lot of pressure going in as a defending champion - it's not easy to defend it. I don't know many people who have but, yeah, I'll give it my best go.' Mum Liz is one of the few to do the double and family is a huge driver for Eilish. She has fond memories of her late gran watching her Commonwealth Games debut when Glasgow last hosted in 2014 and would love to make more memories for those closest to her. 'The Commonwealths means a lot to my mum and it was probably one of the only races where my granny and grandad - her mum and dad - were in the stadium and were watching her win gold [in Edinburgh in 1986] and then similarly for me there's only been London 2012 and Glasgow and Birmingham, the home championships, where my mum and dad have been in the crowd. 'Glasgow 2014 was the only championships that even my granny came to watch. Unfortunately, my gran's no longer with us but that for me will always be a standout memory, my little granny in the stands with her little tartan beanie on her head cheering me on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There's something so unique about hosting home championships so I think my mum was really proud that I'm here today in an ambassadorial role showcasing how good the Commonwealth Games can be and the legacy that can leave behind.' Gold medallist Eilish McColgan celebratesvictory in the women's 10,000m event at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images While Glasgow 2026 hovers on the horizon, Eilish sees her future as very much on the road. The four-time Olympian was the first Briton home at this year's London Marathon as she finished eighth in the women's elite race on her debut. Her time of 2:24:25 was more than two minutes quicker than the Scottish record set by Steph Twell in 2019 (2:26:40) and also beat her mum's marathon best of 2:26:52. 'That is the priority now moving forward for me,' she said. 'The next big one will be a half marathon in September and then to be honest I haven't actually planned any further than that just because I'm building back my training at the moment.' Ruth Chepngetich, the women's marathon world record holder, had been scheduled to run against McColgan in London but the Kenyan was last week provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit after testing positive for a banned substance. It is a blow to the sport's credibility and McColgan feels the authorities need to look beyond just the athlete involved. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is really disappointing. I think a lot of people now look at that and suspect that doping's rife within the sport. When the top, top person is doing it it is really disappointing but I think the agents and coaches need to be a little bit more responsible as well. I mean this isn't just Ruth doing this on her own. 'There's a deeper team involved here, whether there's coaches, doctors, agents… I think they need to be held responsible in some way. 'The ban is on the athlete but there needs to be something on the coaches and the people that are administrating this to try and cut it down. They're really having a big crackdown in Kenya at the moment which is amazing to see. Kenya Athletics, to be fair to them, have invested a lot of money in catching people and it is obviously clearly working which is great.' Eilish McColgan and Finnie the Unicorn during a Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games photocall at Kelvingrove Art Gallery. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group One of McColgan's first ambassadorial duties for Glasgow 2026 was to unveil the Games' new mascot, Finnie, a unicorn named after the city's famous Finnieston Crane. The mascot was devised with the help of 76 children from 24 schools across Glasgow and its signature feature is a horn inspired by the famous traffic cone on top of the Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern of Art. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I did like that, it's a very Glasgow touch,' said McColgan. Despite its last-minute nature, she is certain Glasgow 2026 will attract some of the sport's biggest names to Scotstoun, the venue for the athletics. 'I keep seeing people saying, 'do you think the top people will show up?' but your Laura Muirs, your Jake Wightmans, your Josh Kerrs, they're there all the time and I think there's something so unique about representing Scotland. 'We're very patriotic, we're a small nation but it's just special. We don't get the chance to do it very often so everyone does turn up. I remember Jake saying when he won the world championships: 'I need to get myself ready now for the Commonwealth Games'.
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Eilish McColgan on rival's failed drug test & "disgusting" online hate
McColgan, who had been meant to run against Chepng'etich in the Scot's London Marathon debut in April until the Kenyan withdrew, felt it was detrimental to the sport but praised the authorities for taking swift action. Speaking in her new role as an ambassador for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, McColgan said: 'I try not to think about it too much because I feel like if I stand on the start line and that's all I'm thinking about then it's a very negative place to be. 'But it is really disappointing. I think a lot of people now look at that and suspect that doping's rife within the sport. 'When the top, top person is doing it, it is really disappointing but I think the agents and coaches need to be a little bit more responsible for that as well. I mean this isn't just Ruth doing this on her own. 'There's a deeper team involved here that are essentially….. I'm not going to say using an athlete but do you know what I mean? Whether there's coaches, doctors, agents, particularly, I think they need to be held responsible in some way. 'The ban is on the athlete but there needs to be something on the coaches and the people that are administrating this to try and cut it down. 'They're really having a big crackdown on Kenya at the moment which is amazing to see. Kenya Athletics, to be fair to them, have invested a lot of money in catching people and it is obviously clearly working which is great.' McColgan also revealed she had been the victim of racist abuse online after announcing her engagement to partner, Michael Rimmer. The 10,000m Commonwealth Games champion has previously been outspoken about receiving hateful comments about her appearance but said the comments about being a mixed-race couple were 'disgusting'. And she hoped more would be done by social media firms and other watchdogs to try to clam down on it. She added: 'The abuse I get is usually about body image but I recently posted about my engagement to my partner. 'And the racist abuse that we received, obviously being a mixed-race couple, was honestly disgusting. I've never read anything like it in my life. 'That was probably pretty eye-opening for me because it was a different type of abuse that was coming towards me that I'd never experienced before. 'And it's maybe how my parents feel when they read stuff about me. It was me reading that about someone I love, which was difficult to do. So it probably gave me a little bit of a greater appreciation of what my family probably have to go through when they read stuff about me online. 'But sadly, that's just the downside of social media and the online world that we're in. All we can do is keep standing up for ourselves, voicing our disgust at it, outing people who are maybe not afraid to share their names and stuff online, but also ask for verification on social media. 'All we can do is continue to call it out, try and educate the next generation on not being an arsehole pretty much.'
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
McColgan prodigy Tait sets sights on Olympics
Not only does Scottish track athlete Sarah Tait boast Eilish McColgan as one of her mentors but she also has taken one of her records. 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.
The Herald Scotland
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Eilish McColgan: I've run a marathon, now I feel pressure-free
And secondly, she'll almost certainly never tackle a marathon that challenges her as much as her debut did. McColgan has a stellar record on both the track and the road, but having decided she was going to move up to the marathon, it took her literally years to reach the start line. A number of injuries, including knee surgery in late-2023, served to delay and further delay her marathon debut. But finally, at the London Marathon in April of this year, McColgan ran her first marathon. And from almost the second she crossed the finish line, a wave of relief crashed over McColgan and she's spent the past weeks basking in a pressure-free state that she's never before experienced in the entirety of her decade-long elite career. 'This is the first time in my career I'm in no rush to get back into things. It's nice not to feel that intense pressure or stress because so often, I've been rushing to get ready for the next thing,' the 34-year-old says. 'Last year, I was rushing to get back from knee surgery to make it to the Paris Olympics then almost immediately, I felt like I was constantly fighting against time to be ready for the London Marathon. 'So this is the first time ever that I've felt like okay, I've ticked my box for the year and so if I do another marathon in 2025 then great but if I don't then it doesn't actually matter. "It's now up to me what I want to do for the rest of the year instead of feeling like I'm constantly rushing to get ready for the next championship and running out of time. 'It means I now feel the least pressure I've felt during my whole career, and that's really, really nice.' (Image: PA) From the outside, McColgan's run in London was something close to a dream marathon debut; an eighth-place finish, top British female and a new Scottish record of 2 hours 24 minutes 25 seconds was an impressive performance. And given the way the race panned out - McColgan was forced to run almost the entirety of the 26.2 miles alone - the Dundonian appeared to be coping admirably with her maiden marathon run. Appearances can be deceiving, though, and how she appeared to spectators could not have been more contrasting to how she felt. 'From very early in the race, I felt rough. Literally as soon as I started running, I was concerned about how heavy my legs felt and that's obviously a big worry when you've got 26 miles to go,' she says. 'That feeling didn't ever really go away and if anything, it just gradually got worse so mentally I found that tough. I knew it was going to be a very long slog, and it was made even harder given I was running by myself because I had never visualised doing the whole race solo. 'I definitely had moments of thinking of stopping. From halfway, I had cramp in my right quad so in my head I was just telling myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 'So I honestly don't think I'll ever run a marathon that feels as hard as that again. 'It wasn't until I got in that last half mile stretch heading on to the Mall that I actually believed I was going to be able to finish.' Despite her struggles throughout the two-and-a-half hours of the race, though, McColgan admits her first marathon experience was something she'll treasure. Despite having raced on the biggest stages of them all - she's a four-time Olympian and produced one of the most memorable moments of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 when she won 10,000m gold - the experience and the atmosphere of her debut marathon was, she admits, unique. 'London was very different from track racing because people were cheering specifically for me. I could hear people shouting 'Go Eilish', people were shouting my mum's name or were shouting Dundee Hawks. It was very different from the Commonwealth Games when it was very noisy but you can't pick out what people are saying. The crowd was the only thing that kept me going.' Eilish McColgan won 10,000m gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Image: Steve Christo - Corbis) On seeing her finishing time, McColgan's initial feeling was disappointment. She had bettered Steph Twell's previous Scottish record by over two minutes, and her own mum, Liz's, by two-and-a-half minutes. McColgan was, she thought, in shape to go faster but as the weeks since the race have passed, she's begun to realise that finally making her marathon debut after two heavy disrupted years of injury, and battling to the finishing line feeling far from perfect is a remarkable achievement. 'I've been trying to get on the start line of a marathon for two years and it had never happened so of course there was a little bit of doubt in my own mind wondering if it's going to happen,' she says. 'So, on reflection, I'm really proud of finishing it because it would have been much easier to have called it a day early doors.' There is, unsurprisingly, a number of things McColgan will take from her run in London into her upcoming training, and into future marathons. The Scot will focus almost exclusively on the road going forwards and while she remains uncertain quite when her next marathon appearance will be, she's sure of what she wants to achieve on her hermit outing over 26.2 miles. 'Sub 2 hours 20 minutes is a big goal - that's when you start becoming more competitive and giving yourself a chance of being on the podium at the major marathons,' she says. 'I definitely feel like 2:20 could potentially be the next step for me given how tough London felt so next time, if I could feel normal until halfway, I think that would make a big difference to me and to my time. 'I don't know exactly where my next marathon will be but the great thing is there's a major marathon every few weeks so if I aim for Berlin but amn't quite ready, I can push it back to New York or Chicago or even London next year. 'So I feel like I'm in a great position.'
