Nicole Yeargin: US-based Scot bids to crown startling rise with Olympic spot

Nicole Yeargin won't be able to fly under the radar much longer should the US-based Scot continue her startling progress with Olympic qualification this weekend.

Los Angeles-based Yeargin, 23, only took up athletics five years ago but is now third on the Scottish all-time women's 400m list after posting an Olympic qualifying standard time of 50.96 seconds at the NCAA Championships.

It means she tops the UK rankings going into this week's British Championships, where a top-two finish will secure her place at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Yeargin says her exploits in the US have shaken things up among her domestic rivals here.

"A lot of the people that are on the list and the pro runners, they are probably like, 'Who is this girl coming in, is she legit?' she told BBC Scotland.

"But it is just like the NCAAs, nobody really knew who I was. I am just coming to let you guys know, make my name.

"If you asked a month ago the dream was to make it to the nationals, and go to the Olympics. I placed at the nationals [where she finished 4th], that was definitely a big accomplishment, so my next dream is the Olympics and then go pro from there. It seems like everything is falling in line."

Yeargin's mum is from Dunfermline but moved to the US to work for the British embassy before her daughter was born.

Nicole, who has an American dad, admits opting to race for the homeland of her mother "wasn't a difficult decision".

"Scotland definitely does play a big role in who I am," she added. "I guess that side of my family isn't the most athletic, I think I get my athletics from my dad so they are just astonished.

"I am half Scottish no matter if I grew up in the US or not, it was exciting to tell my Scottish family that I am going to compete for Scotland. I have Great Britain on my chest for you guys so they were happy.

"I will have better opportunities being able to run for Scotland over the US."

Yeargin - who has just completed a degree in real estate development at the University of Southern California - showed plenty of early sporting potential before drifting to athletics.

As well as taking part in gymnastics and football she played as the kicker for the American football Team at Bishop McNamara High School.

"It was for the men's team, the coach knew I played soccer and he saw me in the weights room - I used to powerlift a lot - and asked me to try out," she explains.

"When I first started kicking, it wasn't the best. But I worked hard and in my senior year my percentage for making the kicks was very high and I was the first female to play in our conference against the men.

"I really just joined the track team at the end of my senior year to stay in shape. Then I ended up running a 300m and found out I was fast, and that is how I got here today."