THURSDAY'S CELTIC CUP match at Grangemouth promises to be one of the most exciting track and field meetings in Scotland for many a year. Scotland, Wales and Ireland will fight it out for the inaugural awarding of the trophy on a 3-2-1 points scoring format, with double points available for relay events. The Celtic nations will be joined by a Bank of Scotland Development Team and several high profile guests for the meeting which will be televised live by BBC 2 Scotland 7-9pm, live on Astra channel 990 for cable viewers and streamed live via http://www.bbc.co.uk/ on the web. Free admission is still available, although capacity is limited so spectators are advised to arrive early to ensure they collect any remaining tickets at the booths at Grangemouth Stadium if they wish to witness a world-record attempt, see Olympic medallists in the flesh and a strong Scottish team take on powerful international opposition on home soil. Over 2,500 tickets have already been snapped up and organisers are hopeful of a 4000 capacity crowd. Below is an event-by-event preview: 17:15 WOMEN’S HAMMER The opening contest of the Celtic Cup will see Scottish record-holder Shirley Webb (SCO) face AAAs Champion Eileen O’Keefe (IRL) and the UK’s fourth ranked athlete Lesley Brannan (WAL). 18:40 TEAM TRIPLE JUMP In a brand new format, male and female competitors will unite to form team totals per round. With just four rounds each competitor will be ultra-keen not to foul and let their team-mate down. For Scotland, youngsters John Carr and Gillian Kerr will fancy their chances. Team totals of around 18.00 metres will be a good target.
19:00 – BBC ON AIR
19:05 WOMEN’S 200M Team captain Lee McConnell will be hoping to give Scotland maximum points over a distance she rarely races. Elaine McCaffrey (IRL) and Melanie Stephenson (WAL) will form the international opposition. 19:15 MEN’S 600M Recently crowned Scottish 800m champion Graeme Oudney (SCO) faces a stiff field including former World Indoor 400m champion Tyree Washington (USA), who guests and Brian Murphy (IRL) and James Nasrat (WAL), both of whom are the faster athletes on paper. 19:25 MEN’S 100M Olympic 4x100m gold and 200m silver medallist Darren Campbell will guest in what could well be the final time he ever competes over 100m. Former World indoor 400m bronze medallist Paul McKee (IRL) is also in the line-up. 19:30 WOMEN’S ‘HIGH5’ HIGH JUMP Employing an innovative format, each athlete will nominate five heights before the competition and will be limited to five jumps in total. As with conventional high jump the greatest height wins, but the element of risk will add extra interest. Commonwealth silver medallist Julie Crane (WAL) and European finalist Deirdre Ryan (IRL) are closely matched. It should also provide a valuable competition opportunity for 18-year-old Jayne Nisbet (SCO). 19:35 WOMEN’S 800M Scottish champion Jo Ross (SCO) will be looking to cap a fine season with another victory. On paper, she should have the beating of international rivals Victoria Barcello (WAL) and Laura Scriven (IRL). 19:45 WOMEN’S 4X1500M RELAY $4000 is up for grabs for the winning Celtic team and $2000 for anyone breaking the current world-record of 17:09.75, currently held by Australia. A Scottish team led by Susan Scott, with able support from Nicola Gauld, Freya Murray and in her last ever race, Hayley Ovens could go close. The British Milers Club (BMC) are also sending guest teams who have every chance of threatening the time or Ireland’s European record of 17:19.09 ($1000 bonus, only if world record is not broken). Their senior team includes GB internationals Jo Fenn and Katrina Wootton, whilst their junior team features the prodigious Emily Pidgeon who was controversially omitted from the GB team currently competing at the World Junior Championships in Beijing. Meanwhile, the Irish also have a powerful quartet, all four members of their team (Deirdre Byrne, Roisin McGettigan, Mary Cullen, Aoife Byrne) competed at the recent European Championships. 19:50 TEAM LONG JUMP Run along similar lines to the triple jump with male and female competitors teaming up to post total distances. For Scotland, 2002 Commonwealth Games fourth-placer Darren Ritchie will be making his farewell appearance. Gillian Cooke will partner him. Local schoolgirl Jade Nimmo has also been given the chance of a lifetime. The 15-year-old will team up with former Olympic and World silver medallist James Beckford of Jamaica in a special guest partnership. 20:10 WOMEN’S 100M The legendary Merlene Ottey lines up as a guest runner. The eight-times Olympic medallist is now 46, but the Jamaican-born athlete who now competes for Slovenia, still had enough speed to reach the 100m semi-finals at the recent European Championships and to win gold at the recent Scottish Championships. Anna Boyle (IRL) took bronze at the 2005 World Student Games and should provide solid opposition, whilst four-times Scottish champion Susan Deacon (SCO) will be looking for the home crowd to lift her. 20:20 WOMEN’S 400M AAAs silver medallist Gemma Nicol (SCO) will be pushed hard by Welsh champion Faye Harding and Ireland’s Michelle Carey, who recently reached the 400m hurdles semi finals at the European Championships. 20:30 MEN’S MILE World 1500m finalist Alan Webb (USA) guests and is comfortably the fastest on paper. James Thie (WAL), fourth in the World Indoors in 2004 and James Nolan (IRL), silver medallist at the European Indoors in 2000 are no mugs and will push him hard. 21-year-old Alan Wales lines up for Scotland, whilst AAAs junior champion and joint Scottish senior champion Kris Gauson gets a chance running for the Bank of Scotland Development Team. 20:40 MIXED MEDLEY RELAY An unusual race consisting of a women’s 800m leg, followed by two men’s 200m legs and finally a women’s 400m leg. Olympian Nick Smith will run one of Scotland’s 200m legs. 20:50 PRESENTATION OF CELTIC CUP
19:00 – BBC ON AIR
19:05 WOMEN’S 200M Team captain Lee McConnell will be hoping to give Scotland maximum points over a distance she rarely races. Elaine McCaffrey (IRL) and Melanie Stephenson (WAL) will form the international opposition. 19:15 MEN’S 600M Recently crowned Scottish 800m champion Graeme Oudney (SCO) faces a stiff field including former World Indoor 400m champion Tyree Washington (USA), who guests and Brian Murphy (IRL) and James Nasrat (WAL), both of whom are the faster athletes on paper. 19:25 MEN’S 100M Olympic 4x100m gold and 200m silver medallist Darren Campbell will guest in what could well be the final time he ever competes over 100m. Former World indoor 400m bronze medallist Paul McKee (IRL) is also in the line-up. 19:30 WOMEN’S ‘HIGH5’ HIGH JUMP Employing an innovative format, each athlete will nominate five heights before the competition and will be limited to five jumps in total. As with conventional high jump the greatest height wins, but the element of risk will add extra interest. Commonwealth silver medallist Julie Crane (WAL) and European finalist Deirdre Ryan (IRL) are closely matched. It should also provide a valuable competition opportunity for 18-year-old Jayne Nisbet (SCO). 19:35 WOMEN’S 800M Scottish champion Jo Ross (SCO) will be looking to cap a fine season with another victory. On paper, she should have the beating of international rivals Victoria Barcello (WAL) and Laura Scriven (IRL). 19:45 WOMEN’S 4X1500M RELAY $4000 is up for grabs for the winning Celtic team and $2000 for anyone breaking the current world-record of 17:09.75, currently held by Australia. A Scottish team led by Susan Scott, with able support from Nicola Gauld, Freya Murray and in her last ever race, Hayley Ovens could go close. The British Milers Club (BMC) are also sending guest teams who have every chance of threatening the time or Ireland’s European record of 17:19.09 ($1000 bonus, only if world record is not broken). Their senior team includes GB internationals Jo Fenn and Katrina Wootton, whilst their junior team features the prodigious Emily Pidgeon who was controversially omitted from the GB team currently competing at the World Junior Championships in Beijing. Meanwhile, the Irish also have a powerful quartet, all four members of their team (Deirdre Byrne, Roisin McGettigan, Mary Cullen, Aoife Byrne) competed at the recent European Championships. 19:50 TEAM LONG JUMP Run along similar lines to the triple jump with male and female competitors teaming up to post total distances. For Scotland, 2002 Commonwealth Games fourth-placer Darren Ritchie will be making his farewell appearance. Gillian Cooke will partner him. Local schoolgirl Jade Nimmo has also been given the chance of a lifetime. The 15-year-old will team up with former Olympic and World silver medallist James Beckford of Jamaica in a special guest partnership. 20:10 WOMEN’S 100M The legendary Merlene Ottey lines up as a guest runner. The eight-times Olympic medallist is now 46, but the Jamaican-born athlete who now competes for Slovenia, still had enough speed to reach the 100m semi-finals at the recent European Championships and to win gold at the recent Scottish Championships. Anna Boyle (IRL) took bronze at the 2005 World Student Games and should provide solid opposition, whilst four-times Scottish champion Susan Deacon (SCO) will be looking for the home crowd to lift her. 20:20 WOMEN’S 400M AAAs silver medallist Gemma Nicol (SCO) will be pushed hard by Welsh champion Faye Harding and Ireland’s Michelle Carey, who recently reached the 400m hurdles semi finals at the European Championships. 20:30 MEN’S MILE World 1500m finalist Alan Webb (USA) guests and is comfortably the fastest on paper. James Thie (WAL), fourth in the World Indoors in 2004 and James Nolan (IRL), silver medallist at the European Indoors in 2000 are no mugs and will push him hard. 21-year-old Alan Wales lines up for Scotland, whilst AAAs junior champion and joint Scottish senior champion Kris Gauson gets a chance running for the Bank of Scotland Development Team. 20:40 MIXED MEDLEY RELAY An unusual race consisting of a women’s 800m leg, followed by two men’s 200m legs and finally a women’s 400m leg. Olympian Nick Smith will run one of Scotland’s 200m legs. 20:50 PRESENTATION OF CELTIC CUP
