Proud Keith wins bronze in front of 100-year-old grandad

Image source, PA MediaImage caption,

Megan Keith thrived with the pressure off in the 5000m to claim bronze

ByAmy CanavanBBC Sport Scotland at Scotstoun

Published11 minutes ago

Megan Keith's grandad had two goals. To make it to 100 years old and then to watch the Commonwealth Games.

Dr Murray Kirkwood achieved both - and even saw his granddaughter win a bronze medal in the women's 5000m at Scotstoun.

He's no stranger to the ground. As an ardent Glasgow Warriors fan, he delivered the match ball before Franco Smith's side hosted Benetton in March, days before he became a centenarian.

He's had some memorable nights round these parts, but watching Megan tear to the podium should eclipse them. Well, so she hopes...

"He's a bit of a phenomenon," Keith, who finished a disappointing ninth in the 10,000m earlier in the week, told BBC Scotland.

"He worked hard to get here tonight, hopefully he's had the week of his life.

"He's proud of me whatever I do but I was so happy to put in a performance I can be proud of alongside him.

"When he delivered the match ball, he said that was the night of his life, so I was trying my best to rival that tonight... I'll have to go and ask him for his verdict!"

Image source, SNSImage caption,

Megan Keith's grandad, Dr Murray Kirkwood, delivered the match-ball before Glasgow Warriors' URC match against Benetton in March

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Given Keith herself was a tad surprised she scooped up a medal here, her grandad's take on the event ought to be a good one.

The 10,000m is her preference, but the longer distance final did not go to plan on Monday and she finished seventh.

The Inverness athlete said she was faced with the 'can Megan win a medal?' talk earlier this week, but with that weight of expectation lifted - combined with experience of the home crowd and "the help of two other Scots in the race" - she was freed from the shackles to soar to a classy and courageous run.

"If you look at Monday on paper, that was pretty disappointing," the 24-year-old added.

"I don't think you'd put me in the running for a 5km medal since the 10km is normally closer to being my strength, so that definitely helped, the removal of that pressure.

"I think I knew if I felt horrendous and dropped out or fell off the pace again it wouldn't really matter so I may as well shoot my shot."

And shoot she did. Biding her time in the middle of the congested pact, Keith made her move with four laps to go, weaving past early pacesetters from Kenya and Uganda.

She was afforded a bit of breathing space with two hurls around the track to go. But as expected, the exceptional Australian duo of Rose Davies - who made it a double gold at these Games with her 10km - and Jessica Hull, the 1500m Olympic silver medallist, entered another gear in the final lap.

While the cameras focused on the tremendous tussle between the pair in the matching yellow vests, the majority of the crowd had their eyes a wee bit further back, bawling at Keith on the final stretch.

She was home safe and sound. And swiftly searching for a saltire.

Once that was draped over her shoulders, and she'd caught up with fellow Scots Eloise Walker and Laura Muir, who finished 15th and 16th respectively, she was darting back around the track - the wrong way, this time - in search of her grandad.

He was eventually found for a quick hug, but a bigger debrief - and the declaration, surely, that this topped any other Scotstoun occasion - is still to be had.