McArthur receives international call

Orkney athlete Emily McArthur has been named in Scotland’s under-20 squad for the England Athletics U20 Championships and World Athletics U20 Trials.

The prestigious event, which takes place in Bedford this weekend, will see McArthur contest the women’s 800 metres as Scotland’s only representative in the event.

Her selection follows an outstanding season in which she has risen from 50th to 20th in the UK under-20 rankings and is now the top-ranked athlete in Scotland.

A star of last year’s Island Games, McArthur has taken two seconds off the time that earned her a silver medal, recording a personal best of 2:11.66 in February.

McArthur is scheduled to race at 6.45pm on Friday against a strong field that includes under-18 world record-holder Phoebe Gill and England Athletics Age Group Championships winner Shaikira King.

It is thought McArthur could be the first athlete form Orkney to represent Scotland at under-20’s level.