LEEMcCONNELL, the most successful Scottish athlete of recent years, has opted for the 400 metres hurdles as hermain even for the Commonwealth Games.
The 27-year-old Glasgow woman was selected for the 200m, 400m, and hurdles in Melbourne when the squad was announced on Thursday, but despite a traumatic baptism over barriers last year, confirmed yesterday that she is determined to persevere.
The exceptional stride length of the statuesque McConnell has caused difficulties in making adjustments to her stride pattern, but once she resolves this, she has the potential to "take the event apart at the very highest level", as Roger Harkins, her coach, put it.
So, despite being reigning Commonwealth silvermedallist and winner of European bronze at 400m on the flat, McConnell will concentrate on changing.
"It will be difficult working on hurdles over the winter, " she said, "but ideally that's my first choice. If I find it's not coming together in time for the Commonwealths, I'll revert to the flat.
"I plan to go to Australia six weeks early, at the start of February, and will have two races at whatever event I have decided on before the Games.
"It was hard when things didn't go as well as I'd hoped this year, but I'm not one to quit on something. If the hurdles come together, I know I can go far, but the immediate problem is the Commonwealths being in ourwinter, in March, and it will be difficult to get it right so early."
Once Ed Moses discovered he could take 13 strides between all 10 flights, he revolutionised the men's hurdles event, setting the world record. It is much too soon to be talking in such terms for McConnell, but she has visited Sally Gunnell, the women's former world and Olympic champion and world record holder.
"She gave some pointers on which we have devised some routines to facilitate the change down from 15 to 16 strides between flights [leading over the barriers with either leg], " explained Harkins.
"Lee's already making the change much more smoothly, but it's difficult to work on when it's so cold in Scotland.
"However, even if we do have to go back to the flat 400 for the Games, Lee's future is the hurdles. AfterMelbourne, it will be straight back into hurdles training for the European championships next summer."
McConnell, who helped Britain win world championship relay bronze in Helsinki, will have no such distractions in Australia. Scotland has named no 4 x 100m or 4 x 400m squads, male or female. However, she has not completely ruled out contesting the 200m, which she has never done in a championship, though this year she became third quickest Scot ever at the distance.
McConnell ranks eighth and tenth in the Commonwealth respectively at 400m/400m hurdles this year, with 51.15 and 56.06 respectively.
Based on this year's Commonwealth rankings, the third fastest times in both 400m disciplines were 50.79 and 54.60. So, in both events, she has a bit to find to make the medal standard.
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