Liz McColgan

Elizabeth ("Liz") McColgan (née Lynch) MBE (born 24 May 1964) is a Scottish former middle-distance and long-distance track and road-running athlete. She won the gold medal for the 10,000 metres at the 1991 World Championships, and a silver medal over the same distance at the 1988 Olympic Games. She was also a two-time gold medalist over the distance at the Commonwealth Games, as well as winning the New York City Marathon, Tokyo Marathon and London Marathon.

Early life

Elizabeth "Liz" McColgan (born Elizabeth Lynch, May 24, 1964) grew up in the Whitfield area of Dundee and was a pupil of St Saviour's RC High School. She joined her local athletics club, the Hawkhill Harriers, at age 12 at the advice of her PE teacher Phil Cairns. Coached by Harry Bennett, she soon discovered a talent for distance running and won her first UK titles at the age of 18.

Following Bennett's death, McColgan self-coached herself in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986.

Athletics career

At the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, McColgan took the gold medal in the 10,000 metres, finishing nearly 12 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor and giving the host country its only gold medal in Athletics. This was followed by a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. McColgan won silver in the 3,000 metres at the World Indoor Championships in 1989. She became the only Scot to successfully defended a Commonwealth title at the 1990 games in Aukland, New Zealand, when she took the gold for the 10,000 metres again, as well as taking bronze at the 3,000 metres. In August 1991, she won gold in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.In November of that year at the New York City Marathon, her first marathon, she won with a time of 2:27.23, beating the record for a debut marathon by three minutes.

In 1992, McColgan won the inaugural World Half Marathon Championships, where she also helped the British team claim the silver medal in the team competition. Later that year, she won the Tokyo International Women's Marathon. In 1996, McColgan won the London Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 54 seconds.

Later career

McColgan finally retired from competing in 1997 after finishing 2nd in the london marathon. She retired due to an injured foot. She currently coaches young athletes, both at the Liz McColgan Health Club and Physiotherapy Centre in Carnoustie, Angus

Personal life

In 1987 she married Northern Ireland-born athlete, Peter McColgan and together they have five children. The oldest of their children, Eilish, won the 2004 British cross country championships in her age-group, was ranked top in Scotland over 800 metres and 1500 metres in her age-group and will compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in the steeplechase. The couple separated in November 2010

McColgan lives at Panbride House on the outskirts of Carnoustie in Angus.

Awards

In December 1991, McColgan appeared on This Is Your Life and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1992 and inducted to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Resources

http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/liz-mccolgan/...

http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/liz-mccolgan/

http://www.ardbruach.org.uk/Lady%20Liz%20McColgan.htm