Eilidh Child
Eilidh Child
The noise was incredible.
The atmosphere inside the athletics stadium at Delhi 2010 was
always good, especially when Indian athletes were competing. When
India took the lead in the 4x400m final the noise was amazing. Once
I completed my leg of the race all I can remember was the electric
atmosphere in the stadium as India crossed the line. After the race
the girls were saying to each other ‘this is what it could be like
in Glasgow 2014!”
That was one of my standout memories of the Games but obviously
the main highlight was winning the silver medal in my main event,
the 400 metre hurdles. My whole focus going into the Games was to
get myself onto the podium and bring home a medal so when I crossed
the line I was absolutely over the moon.
Although Team Scotland was big, the athletics squad was quite
small so we all got on really well. I’ve got loads of photos that I
took in Delhi and every so often I’ll just go back and have a look
because they’re such good memories.
Since Delhi, I have been working down in Bath with my new coach
Malcolm Arnold in a great group of hurdlers including Dai Green and
Natasha Danvers. I had a really good training squad before I
started working with Malcolm but they were all sprinters so I
couldn’t really relate to anybody. It’s nice to have the company in
my event and have people to bounce ideas off.
At the moment everyone is building towards 2012 but the amazing
thing for us is we’ve got something massive to look forward to
after 2012 in our home country. Because it’s in Scotland and we’re
such a patriotic nation it’s going to be twice as exciting for us
because it’s our little country and we’re doing it ourselves.
I think people will really get into it, people who maybe aren’t
that sporty will be inspired by the Games because it’s right on our
doorstep. I know the crowds will be incredible; it really gives you
a boost. It’s so good for sport as well. I’m a PE teacher and a lot
of kids at my school have been asking about it and they all know
exactly when it is and what’s happening because it’s in
Scotland.
In terms of personal goals, I want to do better than I did in
2010 which was to get the silver so I’m going there for the gold.
It’s still a long way away, I don’t know what shape I’m going to be
in and I don’t know what shape other people are going to be in, but
at the moment, I would say that gold has got to be my only target.
I think it would just be amazing to win a Gold medal at Glasgow
2014.
Winning the silver in Delhi was an incredible feeling. Doing my
lap of honour was amazing and I could see some Scottish flags in
the crowd but I think doing a lap of honour at Hampden in front of
a stadium full of Scots would be the best thing in the world.
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