Bad Wigins wrote:
british education failure wrote:
If you really understood biology, you'd understand not everything is so perfect and easy to understand.
I don't understand how the Scotch and Irish people evolved that pinched round face with small eyes and a mouth that looks like they look like they just bit a lemon. Especially if you say Scotch instead of Scottish.
Oh stop it! I'm Scottish, but it is sort of true, and I'm rolling around on the floor laughing now! In answer to your question, I don't know. There is more Irish/Celtic influence on the west coast, more Pictish from the east where Laura Muir comes from originally, and in the north there is a lot of Norse influence.
Anyway, in terms of excellence, the coaching opportunities have for a long time been excellent in Scotland. A lot of very patient, knowledgeable coaches with a real emphasis on building up young athletes over a period of time with end goals in sight, rather than breaking them down for short term gain. I've seen a lot of coaches here who aren't pushy but who are more interested in athletic development and training speed and speed endurance. Nearly always volunteers. There are a lot of local athletics clubs with large childrens' sections, who enjoy going to athletics meets in the summer and cross country in the winter, often travelling together. The university running scene is also very strong and competitive, but overall there is a strong emphasis on participation rather than elitism, which must be encouraging to many children lacking pushy parents.
There are a reasonable number of tracks (although its worrying what the temporary loss of Meadowbank in Edinburgh will do) but a lot of training takes place on varied surfaces such as cross country and sand dunes in winter too, which is good for developing young athletes.
What I always think is that, despite the stereotypes, there are quite a lot of young, quite tall and thin people here with long legs. Muir is small in Scottish terms. Eilish Mccolgan body types are not at all unusual.