Track legend Allan Wells has revealed his role in Lynsey Sharp’s heroic Commonwealth Games silver medal – a feat he has described as ‘extraordinary’.
The 1980 Olympic 100m champion was an international team-mate of Sharp’s father Cameron during their sprint careers more than three decades ago.
Wells visited Lynsey at the Athletes Village during Glasgow 2014 to present her with a special photograph which he hoped would provide her with added motivation at Hampden.
What transpired, of course, was a tale of the unexpected itself as the British 800m champion overcame illness in the 24 hours before her final to claim a dramatic silver medal.
The story is told in the latest edition of PB magazine, which is issued quarterly to 10,000 members of scottishathletics and includes a review of Scotland’s best track and field medal haul at the Commonwealth Games since 1994.
‘Lynsey stepped up big time at these Games,’ said Wells.
‘I was a bit emotional about it all that night at Hampden because there is a real tie there between me and her father.
‘A few days before her final I gave her a special photograph (of Wells and Cameron Sharp) and I was hoping it might help motivate her a little bit more. I hoped it would give her a wee bit of confidence and an edge. It was a sincere gesture and I am glad she mentioned it after winning the silver.
‘I knew Cameron as an athlete very well – I didn’t know him so well as a person. You do know the people you are running with and against. He was a solid character.
‘I think Lynsey does have the competitive streak running right through her; absolutely. I think you can see that in her running.
‘I also think the home crowd factor helped as well. You need to have ability and then you have to be able to bring it out in your performance.
‘And then you need to deal with the pressure of running for Scotland in a home Games and she dealt with all those different aspects.
‘Add in the fact that she had a lot of problems for 24 to 12 hours before and it really was quite extraordinary. I cannot figure out quite how she did it.’
Sharp followed up her August 1 performance at Hampden by winning silver at the European Championships in Zurich a fortnight later.
She lost out to Eunice Sum on that occasion – she has since beaten the Diamond League winner on two occasions – but her 1.58.80 run in Switzerland broke the Scottish 800m National Record that had been held by Susan Scott for eight years.
And scottishathletics have now rubber-stamped that as one of a whole series of Scottish record set during the 2014 season. The governing body’s Track and Field Commission assesses the official paperwork for such achievements before formal acknowledgement is made of the record.
Laura Muir’s National Record in 1500m has also been ratified with the Dundee Hawkhill Harriers athlete recording 4.00.07 in a Diamond League meeting in Paris early in July.
That eclipsed Yvonne Murray’s record which had been set fully 27 years ago in 1987 in Norway – when Liz Lynch posted the second-best run of all-time in the same race (now the third best).
Pole vaulter Jax Thoirs set an Indoor National Record of 5.61m at Grangemouth in July and the Scotland 4 x 400m men’s squad (Kris Robertson, Jamie Bowie, Greg Louden and Grant Plenderleith) set a National Record at Hampden in their Commonwealth Games heat when they ran 3.03..94.
During the summer there were also Native Records (the best by a Scot in Scotland) set by: David Smith (high jump) 2.22; Eilidh Child (400m Hurdles) 54.39; Chris O’Hare (1500m) 3.35.06; Lynsey Sharp (800m) 2.00.08; Eilish McColgan (3000m steeplechase) 9.44.65; Ray Bobrownicki (high jump) 2.24, 2.28; Angus McInroy (Discus) 57.28; Laura Whittle (5000m) 15.33.72; Susan Partridge (Marathon) 2.32.18; Women’s 4 x 400m 3.33.91; Jax Thoirs (pole vault) 5.45.
