PITREAVIE star Nicole Yeargin has continued her impressive outdoor season form by setting a European qualifying standard time.

The talented 24-year-old, who competed at last summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, was in action at the FBK Continental Tour meet in, Hengelo, Netherlands, on Monday, running in the 400 metres.

Yeargin, who was born and raised in the United States but chose to run for both Scotland and Great Britain as her mum, Lynn, is from Dunfermline originally, placed third in the event, behind Cuba’s Roxana Gomez (51.18 seconds) and Dutchwoman Lieke Klaver (51.34).

Her time of 51.56, however, was good enough to meet the qualifying standards for both Team Scotland and this summer’s Commonwealth Games, which begin in Birmingham on July 28, and for British Athletics and the European Athletics Championships.

Maryland native Yeargin, who made the Team GB squad for Tokyo just five years after taking up athletics, competed in the 4x400 women’s and mixed relays and 400m at the Games.

Although she suffered a first-ever disqualification in the heats of her individual event, she helped GB to fifth and sixth repsectively in the relay events,and she told Press Sport of her ambition to reach the next Olympics, and run at the Commonwealth Games, European and World championships.

The European competition takes place from August 15-21 in Munich, Germany, while the World Athletics Championships, for which the qualifying standard Yeargin has to meet is 51.30, takes place prior to Birmingham in Oregon, USA.

Elsewhere, a Fife AC athlete who trains at Pitreavie could also be in the mix for Birmingham after she achieved a qualifying standard time.

Annabel Simpson, who trains with a running group led by Steve Doig, coach of Paralympic T20 1500m champion Owen Miller, reached the standard for selection consideration in the 5,000m and, last Friday, ran a PB of 9:05.41 at the Glasgow Athletics Association Miler Meet with a fine 3,000m run.

Speaking to Scottish Athletics, she said: “I don’t know what will happen about the Commonwealths but I’m not concerned about it – I’m just trying to run PBs and bring the time down.

“If you keep doing that, well, you know you are making good progress.”

In addition, former Pitreavie star Jack Lawrie is the new Scottish national record-holder in the men’s 400m hurdles after clocking a time of 50.07 during a race in Austria.

After taking down a 21-year-old mark, he said: “I’m really chuffed to get the Scottish record after waiting so long. I’m gutted I didn’t get the Commonwealth standard (49.87) on the night. I will keep trying for that over the final couple of weeks of the qualifying window.’