Commonwealth Chris puts Scotland first

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TRACK sensation Chris O'Hare has turned his back on Harvard University in a bid to win gold for Scotland.

The 17-year-old from West Linton has been offered four American scholarships over the summer to progress his athletics career.

But the Scottish Under 20s number one, who has been selected to compete at the forthcoming Commonwealth Youth Games in India at 1500 metres and 5000 metres, is staying on home soil for his higher education.

The 2012 Olympic hopeful told the Peeblesshire News: "It is a great honour to be asked to go to Harvard University.

"The environment at Harvard would have been very much studying before training and I'm looking for athletics before the academic side of University life, or at least on an equal footing. I wouldn't have got that at Harvard."

Harvard has a long tradition of producing top athletes - with three of its students winning five golds at the very first modern Olympics in 1896.

The UK Cross Country Under 17 Champion also recieved scholarship offers from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, the University of Arkansas and Iona College in New York.

An offer to attend St Mary's Uiversity in London - where the England Institute of Sport is based - was also made to the progressing middle-distance runner.

But the former Peebles High pupil has opted for a place at Edinburgh's Napier University to study Sports Science and Exercise Physiology.

And he will stick with the succesful Dave campbell running school at Meadowbank with other up-and-coming stars such as Douglas Selman, Scott Hughson, Fraser Scott and Ross Matheson as well as older brother, Ryan.

Chris will lead a 10-strong Scotland athletics team to India in October for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune.

He dipped beneath the qualifying times for both the 1500 metres and 5000 metres over the summer.

And hopes to go even faster during his first major championships.

Chris added: "A medal would be a dream come true but I'm not sure how realistic that is. "My times are already quite good and if the races are run fast I would hope to go even quicker.

"Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 is definately my long-term goal although I'm not ruling London out even though it may come a bit too soon."

Delighted coach Dave Campbell is relieved his star pupil isn't going stateside. He said: "I'm pleased Chris is staying with us.

"We have a good squad of runners in Edinburgh and Chris is a strong part of that squad.

"Chris is an exceptional talent and I'm sure he will do well in India."

The Commonwealth Youth Games run between October 12 and 18.

Young athletes from 71 nations, including Jamaica, Kenya, Australia and Namibia are taking part.

This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 22 Aug 08

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