Published: Thursday, 27th November, 2008 3:35pm

Former Pars physio backs hurdler

by Simon Harris

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PRESS SPORT and former Pars physio Pip Yeates have helped one of West Fife"s most promising athletes get back on track.

A fortnight ago, we brought you the story of 400 metres hurdler Francis Smith, whose Scottish Institute of Sport funding for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi had been scrapped after an injury-ravaged season.

The Rosyth-based athlete issued a plea for help with the medical, physio, travelling and training costs previously paid for by the Institute and Yeates answered the call, having read his story in the Press.

'He"s going to provide a year"s medical cover for me,' Smith said.

'It means I don"t have to worry about the medical side and I don"t have to find the extra money it costs for the physiotherapy needed to keep an athlete on the track.

'It was a bit of a shock when he called me to say he had seen my story in the Press.

'He said he had seen so many athletes put out of the Institute previously and he said he wouldn"t like to see me become stuck and stop progressing.'

Yeates was able to heal a long-standing hamstring problem at the end of last season which had hampered Smith"s progress.

Smith explained, 'I was not angry at the Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport as all they did was support me, I was disappointed that the selectors of the programme did not take into consideration the positive work Neil Donald (TFIS strength conditioning coach) had put in to make me a fitter stronger person.

'I do thank the Institute and Neil for the support given. I will continue to work with Neil on a personal basis as my coach and I are happy with the way things are going just now and with Philip giving me the medical backing I still have a support team in place.'

Pitreavie athlete Eilidh Child received one of the sport"s top awards at the Scottishathletics annual awards dinner on Friday.

Child was named Scottish under-23 athlete of the year, beating off some tough competition from Cupar"s Nony Mordy.

Her award was in recognition of an excellent season which saw her improve to a lifetime best of 56.84 seconds for the 400m hurdles, win the Englandathletics under-23 championships and Scottish senior championships for the event.

She also picked up the bronze medal at the Aviva National Championships and Olympic trials for the 400m Hurdles.

Child received her award from athletics legend Paula Radcliffe.