Eilish McColgan hopes Doha Christmas parties with world champ mum is key to glory
EILISH McColgan hopes a hot Christmas in Doha will enable her to emulate her famous mum.
The Brit will compete tonight in the women's 5,000m at the IAAF World Athletics Championship. She decided to withdraw from the 10,000m last weekend.
This is the biggest sporting event to be held in the Middle East and will act as a trial run for Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup finals.
McColgan knows 40-degree Qatar well, often spending the Festive period out there with her mum, who is also her coach.
Liz McColgan, 55, became 10,000m world champion in 1991, three years after winning a silver medal at the Seoul Olympics.
McColgan, 28, told SunSport: “My mum has been in Doha for the last four years.
“I usually spend three weeks over there in December and January. I’m used to training and competing in the heat.
“It’s a world apart from what I am used to. There is no snow and no Christmas decorations because it’s a Muslim country.
“We normally watch Christmas films and play games. The turkey has to be brought in specially.
“I’m massively proud of what my mum achieved in athletics. Even now it blows my mind she became a world champion – less than a year after giving birth to me! She is an inspiration.”
Dundee’s McColgan has been training in St Moritz, Switzerland, with only her boyfriend Michael Rimmer, the GB 800m runner, for company.
She says the couple were badly shaken up when their Manchester flat was burgled in May and family mementos were taken.
McColgan, an ambassador for Polar, said: “It’s not nice when it happens. It’s annoying someone has gone into our home and taken stuff. The chances of getting them back are slim.
“We don’t have belongings of much value. We are athletes, not footballers.
“We don’t have anything flash. It’s not like we have flashy cars, watches or handbags. Nothing of any real worth. It’s more sentimental.
“They stole two necklaces from mum. One of the Olympic rings and another of my name in Arabic from Qatar.
“I’m afraid they will melt it down and take the gold.
“They also took two British championships medals. I fear those will be dumped in the river next to our house.”
Eilish McColgan is a sporting ambassador for wearable sports and fitness technology brand Polar. For more information visit polar.com/uk-en
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