PITREAVIE AAC star Nicole Yeargin is in a better position to challenge for major medals as she prepares to go for global glory.

That's the view of club president Paul Allan, who is hoping that the 24-year-old can reach the podium when the World Athletics Championships begin in the United States tomorrow (Friday).

Nicole, who is a native of Maryland in the States but is eligible to run for both Scotland, and Great Britain, as her mum, Lynn, is from Dunfermline originally, will be aiming for success in both the women's 400 metres and 4x400m relay.

The talented runner, who only took up the sport six years ago, has enjoyed a fine outdoor season so far, capped by a silver medal at the Müller UK Athletics Championships.

The Manchester meet, which doubled up as trials for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team ahead of the World Athletics Championships, saw Nicole place second behind Victoria Ohuruogu, in a time of 51.69 seconds, to secure her place in Oregon, which is hosting the competition.

After she sealed her place in the squad, Nicole revealed that she ran a personal best time in Oregon last year and said that she was "very excited to go back and see what I can do back on that track".

She will be hoping that her latest experience of major international competition ends better than that of last summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she suffered a disqualification in the 400m heats for a lane infringement, before recovering to help Team GB to fifth in the women's relay, and sixth in the mixed.

And Allan believes that those experiences will stand her in good stead, noting: "She's keeping it going from last year but this is a big one.

"Lots of people will be watching o I hope that she does the business.

"She got great experience last year in competing in a major championships that she didn't have, so I think she's going into this one in a much better position."

The heats in the women's 400m take place on Sunday, with the semi-final slotted in for next Wednesday (July 20), and the final taking place on Friday, July 22, while the 4x400m relay heats and final take place on Saturday, July 23, and Sunday, July 24, respectively.

The World Athletics Championships run from July 15 to July 24, after which Nicole will join up with Team Scotland for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she will run in both the 400m and 4x400m relay.