Published: Thursday, 26th February, 2009 3:55pm

Hurdler crowned West Fife's sports personality of the year

by Simon Harris

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SHE"s captained her country to Celtic Cup success in front of the Sky cameras and won a bronze medal in the Olympic trials but likeable hurdler Eilidh Child seemed to be as pleased with her latest honour as much as any of the others.

Scotland"s 400 metres hurdles champion Child was named Dunfermline & West Fife"s sports personality of the year for the second successive year on Wednesday night – the first time in more than 20 years that anyone has retained the title.

'I"m really chuffed,' she told Press Sport moments after receiving the award.

'It"s good because it"s been someone from athletics for the past three years so I thought the odds were maybe against me.'

Child was always the subject of short odds on the track during a 2008 in which she became both English and Scottish champion at under-23 level in the 400m hurdles, finished third in the Aviva Olympic trials and broke the 57-second barrier to lower her PB to 56.84.

'I was pleased with how the year went,' she admitted.

'I didn"t PB until the end of the season and I had hoped to do it maybe more towards the middle.

"Although I got the bronze at the trials I didn"t think I ran the race brilliantly so I was probably most pleased with getting the 56.84 at the Scottish.'

Since September Child has hooked up with athletics coach Stuart Hogg, who is also training West Fife Olympic 100m runner Nick Smith and his training partners, Paul Hession and Allan Scott, who have both been to the Olympics.

'It"s going really well,' she reported.

'I used to train on my own but now it"s four boys and me.

"They have all gone to the Olympics so it"s good to train with people who are at that level.'

Still under 23, Child has got the European Under-23 Championships to look forward to this year in Kaunas, Lithuania.

'I was fifth in 2007 so I"m hoping to go there and get a medal,' she said.