
Orkney sprinter creates history with double gold at Island Games
It was the only sub-12 race at this year's Island Games, which is taking place in Orkney.
Orcadians have claimed seven medals so far with Paterson's two joined by three silvers and two bronze.
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Paterson came out on top against Shetland's Katie Dinwoodie and Guernsey's Abi Galpin in the 100m.
Dinwoodie then finished third in the 200m with Yyns Mon's Ffion Roberts claiming silver.
Rendall carried her medals with her throughout the week and was thrilled that Paterson could join her in an exclusive club.
The 2025 Island Games has been taking place since July 12 and runs until July 18, having been formally opened by Princess Anne.
24 islands take place in the competition including Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, the Falkland Islands and the Cayman Islands among others.
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The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Paula Radcliffe: Eilish McColgan could break British record
There is, however, according to the woman who has had such a firm grip on that record for over two decades, one candidate who has the potential to come closer to that record than any other, and perhaps even beat it. That runner who is as likely, if not more likely, to finally break the longstanding British record is Eilish McColgan and given the prediction is coming from Radcliffe herself, it holds more weight than most. McColgan may have been a world-class runner for well over a decade but she remains a novice in marathon terms. The 34-year-old Dundonian made her marathon debut earlier this year, in April's London Marathon, and on her first attempt at 26.2 miles, set a new Scottish record of 2 hours 24 minutes 25 seconds. It was a debut that had been eagerly anticipated given McColgan had initially planned to run her first marathon in 2023 before several injury setbacks caused postponement after postponement of her maiden marathon appearance, Finally, though, she got to the start line in April. McColgan's Scottish record-beating run, which also bettered her mum, Liz McColgan's, best-ever marathon time, was particularly impressive when taking into account both her disrupted preparation, and the fact she ran almost the entirety of the race alone having been separated from the leading pack in the very early stages. Radcliffe was an interested observer of McColgan's marathon debut and she admits she was extremely impressed with how McColgan equipped herself over the 26.2 miles in London. 'Eilish's preparation was maybe a little bit short on volume because of the injury issues but she was really smart in taking her time to get on top of everything and not to do a marathon until she was healthy,' Radcliffe says. 'In London, she spent so much of the race on her own and in no man's land so she should be proud of how well she did given those circumstances because, of course, if you're running alone, it's not going to be as quick as if you're running with others. 'I ran alone in the marathon a few times but most of the times I did that, it was because I was leading and that's a very different feeling to when you know the race is moving away ahead of you. 'So the way Eilish did that race is much tougher than any time I did it. 'Ahead of London, she's been pretty vocal about having set herself the target of bettering her mum's time so to get her mum's record, and the Scottish record, was very good for her first marathon.' Eilish McColgan set a Scottish record on her marathon debut earlier this year (Image: Steve Christo - Corbis) Radcliffe and McColgan may have been competing in different eras but the pair share several similarities including their mentalities and the obstacles they've encountered in their careers, namely injuries. Radcliffe was famous for pushing herself to her physical and psychological limit and McColgan is made from the same mould, which she demonstrated in her gold medal-winning run in the 10,000m final at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. And with Radcliffe's career being ended by injuries, she can empathise with McColgan's injury challenges over the past few years which have seen her race schedule seriously disrupted. McColgan has now rediscovered full fitness but it is, says Radcliffe, a razor-thin line between fitness and injury for all elite marathon runners. 'Injuries are part and parcel of being a marathon runner and most marathon build-ups will have niggles. It's about working out where the line is between a serious injury and a niggle,' the former world champion says. 'I loved the mental challenge of the marathon, though, and I think Eilish will too because I think she's the type of person who does relish that. 'On race day, I did feel like it was a little bit of a game in terms of you're hurting, but how long can you ignore it and keep going?' The next milestone for McColgan, now she has her hands on the Scottish record is, of course, Radcliffe's British record. To take the Englishwoman's record, McColgan, whose next competitive outing will be at next month's Great North Run over 13.1 miles, will need to slice nine minutes from her debut marathon time which is, clearly, a sizeable chunk. It's not an improvement that'll happen overnight but Radcliffe is confident that as the Scot gains experience over the distance, she'll get closer and closer to the fabled mark. 'I think, and Eilish would probably agree, that at the moment she's still more comfortable and more solid over the 10k and the half marathon distance. But that's absolutely not to say that in the future that can't change,' says Radcliffe. Paula Radcliffe set her current British record back in 2003 (Image: Getty Images) 'I hit the ground running with the marathon - it went amazing the very first time I ran it but that's probably unusual because you look at other really successful marathon runners like Haile Gebrselassie or Paul Tergat and they took a while to settle into the marathon. 'After my first marathon, in my lifetime, I only improved about three minutes whereas other people improved a lot more from their marathon debut so everyone's very different. 'What I've noticed with Eilish, over the years, is it can take her a bit of time to learn a new distance so she just needs a little bit more time to feel really comfortable with the marathon. 'She's now experienced the marathon and I think Eilish has got as good a shot, if not a better shot, than almost anyone else at breaking my British record. 'I don't think it's unachievable for her - the thing about the marathon is getting it right on the day. 'I think she can go quicker than she did in London so it's just a question of how much quicker.'


Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Scotland's only female basketball pundit is PE teacher aiming for the Olympics
Rather than taking the traditional coaching path after retiring from the Caledonia Gladiators, former pro player Rona Lightbody chose a lesser-travelled route for former players - sports commentary. From the basketball court to the commentary booth, Rona Lightbody is far from your average PE teacher. And now, the former professional basketball player turned commentator is on a mission to raise the profile of the women's sport across the UK in her role commentating on games on BBC and DAZN. The Glasgow-based mother, who retired from East Kilbride-based Caledonia Gladiators in 2023, is now championing the game from the sidelines, having become Scotland's only professional female basketball commentator. Rona began her career with amateur club St Mirren but spent the majority of her playing time with the Lady Rocks, which made space for what is now Caledonia Gladiators - Scotland's only professional basketball franchise. As a skilful and determined player, known for her tenacious playing style, her career took her to Spain to play for Reus Ploms followed by a stint in London before she eventually returned home to Scotland in 2019. After becoming pregnant in 2023, half-way through her first professional season with Caledonia Gladiators, Rona made the decision to step away from competitive sport. Rather than taking the traditional coaching path, she chose a lesser-travelled route for former players - sports commentary. She has commentated on over 50 professional games and has worked for both the BBC and streaming site DAZN. Rona is now setting her sights set on broadcasting at the Commonwealth Games, and possibly even the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She said: 'What started out as a hobby and a way to pass time during lockdown has turned into an actual career opportunity. I would love to be involved in the Commonwealth Games and potentially even the Olympics, representing Scotland as our only female basketball broadcaster. 'Commentating on basketball isn't like a football game. It's much more fast-paced, and there is an art to picking the moment to highlight. Having played for 25 years, I know the game incredibly well, so I am able to pinpoint the aspects which are the most exciting to spectators. 'Preparation is key. You've got to know your stats, your player stories, and be ready to narrate the flow of the game in real-time. And there's a lot more pressure when commentating on the men's game, as people naturally view female commentators differently in the context of men's sports.' Rona first found a passion for broadcasting during Covid when she was asked to commentate on Caledonia Pride games by Lisa Palombo, head of professional teams at Caledonia Gladiators, to help promote the game. With basketball's popularity rising and women's sport gaining unprecedented visibility, she believes there's a collective responsibility to champion the game's benefits. She said: 'Rome wasn't built in a day, but we have seen so many positive developments in women's basketball in recent years, and Caledonia Gladiators have been instrumental in making the game accessible beyond the school system. 'The game has been such a big part of my life for 25 years, and I feel a responsibility to do my part to increase the visibility of the benefits it can bring to a community. 'In sport the focus is often on the attracting the youth to sustain growth, but there is also a responsibility to ensure we don't lose experience. When players move on, they often disappear from the game, and that loss of knowledge weakens the ecosystem. 'Coaching isn't the only path; there are so many other ways you can stay involved in the game.' As both a commentator and PE teacher, Rona is passionate about inspiring young people to stay active and engaged with sport. Rona went on: 'I see first-hand the impact sport has on young people, physically, mentally, and socially. It builds confidence, teamwork, and communication. Basketball, in particular, is a great school sport because it's so accessible especially with the growth of 3x3, but I'd love to see more people stick with it beyond school. 'Having Caledonia Gladiators in Scotland really is crucial for developing the game, and they have done a fantastic job in developing the game-experience for fans.' Earlier this year, Caledonia Gladiators became the first women's basketball team in Scotland to attract over 1000 fans to a home game. The historic milestone came just weeks after they secured major silverware, winning the Super League Basketball Trophy Final in January 2025. Lisa Palombo said: 'Rona is a shining example of the opportunities sport can provide women on and off the court. She was always a headstrong player that took everything on with gusto and she has carried that same natural flair she had for playing into commentary. "She was always willing to put her all into the first step without knowing what would come next. We're lucky to have her advocating for the sport and supporting the club in such a powerful way.'


Daily Record
5 days ago
- Daily Record
Livingston runner who beat Laura Muir sets sights on GB place at World Championships
Sarah Calvert stunned elite athlete Muir to win the UK 1500m title A Livingston post-grad medical student who pipped Laura Muir to a major UK title has set her sights on making the GB team for next month's World Championships. Sarah Calvert, 24, became an overnight sensation after beating Muir to the 1500m post by five hundredths of a second at the UK Championships in Birmingham in the first weekend of August, and joked that she knew of her fame when a Wikipedia page appeared. Former Linlithgow Academy pupil Calvert has now set her sights on achieving the 4.01.50 World Championships qualifying standard for Tokyo. She told BBC Sport: 'As soon as I crossed the line, I knew it was crazy. I knew this was the biggest moment of my life. 'Afterwards, I had my first anti-doping test, so that was another good experience. 'Since then, I've had so many messages from people from school, from all my friends, from my parents' friends – it makes it all seem very special. 'My dad sent me a text to tell me I've got a Wikipedia page now. It's just kind of insane. I didn't really expect it to blow up like this. 'It feels incredible. I did not expect this ever to happen, but especially not with being busy in May, studying for exams – that was pretty stressful for me.' Livingston Athletics Club runner Calvert, who is studying at Edinburgh University, reckoned she had 'absolutely no chance' of making the GB team for Tokyo, but said: 'It still seems pretty far off, because I need to run a big personal best, I think I just have to go for it.' Calvert's career was nearly over before it began, as she underwent an operation for the back condition scoliosis aged 15, leaving her sidelined for a year. 'It was a really tough and scary time in my life,' Calvert told Scottish Athletics. 'I had metal rods inserted in my back and, yes, they are still there. 'My family and I went through a lot at that time, and couldn't do any exercise at all for a year. 'I remember at the time thinking 'when will I get back to running again', will I even be able to improve my personal bests? I was thinking 'will I ever run again'. 'Then, getting back, it took so long to be fit. I never knew if I would win races again, and get to the top in my age groups.' Now, aged 25, Sarah trains in the morning, cycles to a hospital placement and trains in the evenings. She said: 'I often worry that I'm compromising running for medicine and then the other way around, but I think I just have to accept that I want to be a runner, and I want to be a doctor at some point in my life. 'So for now, the best way for me to do it is to combine the two. I rarely have to miss training for medicine, so I make it work pretty well.' Calvert clocked a Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 4mins 04.33secs to finish fourth at the Flanders International meeting in Oordegem, Belgium, taking almost four seconds off her personal best. Though outside the World Championships qualifying time, she still has time to chase the Tokyo mark. Sarah's younger sister Isla is also a middle-distance runner.