Athletics: Holligan set for his debut senior sprint honours

Though Scottish Athletics have chosen to delay their announcement of the Scottish team to contest the Loughborough International a week on Sunday, it looks certain that 17-year-old Firrhill High pupil Tom Holligan (Edinburgh AC) will step up for his first senior sprint honours, probably in the 200 metres and 4 x 100m relay.

A close second in the 100m to Pitreavie's Ryan Oswald at last Sunday's National Open at Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow, Holligan confirmed his growing stature by defeating Oswald, a former National outdoor champion, by 0.01 second in the 200m in 21.96sec. Oswald, it must be said, had just finished his final exams at Heriot-Watt University in software technology and was short of training.

The two might not clash again until the Scottish Championships at Scotstoun in July but the return should be well worth waiting for, especially if Dunfermline's Nick Smith is there as well.