Photo by Bobby Gavin
*Second story with more Award winners to come on the website on Sunday.
Jake Wightman is the 4J Scottish Athlete of the Year – after winning the toughest selection decision in the history of the award.
The World Champion at 1500m saw off the considerable challenges of European and Commonwealth champion, Laura Muir, and Birmingham 2022 and European double medallist, Eilish McColgan.
scottishathletics recognised Wightman’s achievement at the 4J Annual Awards with Birmingham 2022 wheelchair marathon silver medallist, Sean Frame, landing the 4J Para Athlete of the Year title.
Sean took the honours from a short-list which also included Samantha Kinghorn and Melanie Woods.
Jake of course bridged a gap of 31 years to Liz McColgan’s World gold and, by chance, his dad and coach Geoff was Guest of Honour with Katharine Merry at the Awards Dinner in Glasgow on Saturday night.
Geoff was named Performance Coach of the Year with Jake having won 1500m bronze at the Commonwealths and 800m silver at the European Championships in addition to eclipsing peerless Norwegian, Jacob Ingebrigtsen, in Oregon.
Eilish collected the Commonwealth Games Achievement award for that epic 10,000m triumph at Birmingham 2022.
It was a special night in Glasgow with awards presented to coaches, clubs, volunteers and Officials as well as athletes and three Honorary Life Memberships.
Eilish McColgan receives her Commonwealth trophy from Leslie Roy (photo by Bobby Gavin)
‘It’s a great honour,’ said Jake.
‘I am delighted and It is a special feeling in a year when Scots have performed so well across a number of major championships.
‘I felt it could easily have gone to any of the three of us on the short-lists because each of us will say ‘that was the season of our lives’. Laura and Eilish have been truly world class in 2022 as well.’
Jake unfortunately missed the Awards Dinner because of a prior engagement at a wedding and admitted he thought the big award may have ben shared.
‘I was sure it was going to be tied,’ he said.
‘The fact that both Laura and Eilish won gold for Team Scotland at the Commonwealths felt big to me – it’s only every four years there’s the opportunity to do that in a Scottish vest and show we are doing well.
‘So I did think all three of us might be joint winners. I think it simply proves we have reached a place where Scottish athletes are serious contenders…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at Scottish Athletics…