Scottish athlete Susan Scott surges to victory despite lack of funding

Feb 1 2009 By Mark Woods

GLASGOW'S Susan Scott surged to victory in the 1500 metres event at the Aviva International to prove a major point to UK Athletics bosses.

Scott scooped almost £3000 for yesterday's win at the Kelvin Hall but the message sent to the selectors was worth almost as much.

Scott, who no longer gets UK Athletics cash, raised the roof with a brave late spurt to banish her Beijing blues with a win that helped Team GB finish second in the five-team event behind the Commonwealth Select squad.

Susan has now set her sights on earning the qualifying time of 4:11 for March's European Indoor Championship in Turin.

She said: "I really enjoyed it - obviously.

"I just need to improve my tactics at 1500 metres. With every race you get more experience but it was good to get the first one out of the way this year."

It was a high point for the home squad on a day that ended with Craig Pickering ripping up the track in the 60 metres.

Scots star Nick Smith ran as a guest and finished third.

English speedster Pickering ran in an impressive time of 6.57 but that was still five hundredths of a second short of the mark set by chief rival Dwain Chambers an hour earlier in Birmingham.

Pickering has led calls for convicted drug cheat Chambers to be barred from pulling on a GB vest again but Chambers yesterday declared himself ready for duty.

He said: "I'm in shape to break the British record."

His arch-critic Pickering responded in bullish fashion. He said "He's not really the person I have to beat. Plus I can only beat people who are here."

There was a British record for Mo Farah in the 3000 metres as the Somali-born star scooped a £6000 plus bounty for his time of 7:40.99 - crediting two months of training in Africa for his fine form.

Elsewhere, hurdler Andy Turner took a swipe at the sport's bosses for taking away his funding after roaring to victory.

He said: "Other people have had bad seasons and have been given the benefit of the doubt."

There was a home win for Marilyn Okoro in the 800m but, Scott aside, the biggest cheer was reserved for American Lolo Jones - six months after she tripped over the last hurdle in Beijing to see a stick-on gold medal disappear.

After a false start Jones left her rivals in her wake to equal the world indoor season's best of 7.95.

She said: "It's a lot easier when there's no ninth hurdle."