Liz McColgan rose from a council estate in Dundee, against all the odds, to find widespread international acclaim as an athlete, notably for her silver medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Her career accomplishments were achieved not only through natural talent but from sheer grit and determination.
Extracts from the accompanying The Greatest Scot television programme are being added to these biographical notes as the programme is broadcast between November 9 and 13. If you live outside the UK, you will not be able to see these, but you may enjoy other videos about some of the subjects which are available via links in the text. Here is an interview with Liz McColgan.
Born Elizabeth Lynch, she showed precocious talent from an early age and, as a junior member of the Hawkhill Harriers Club, won the Dundee Schools Cross Country Championship in 1976. This was the first step on the road towards a glittering career which spanned over 15 years and took her to every corner of the globe.
Lynch first came to the public's attention in 1986 when she took gold in the 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. Coupled with making a name for herself on the world stage, she also helped prove that not only was Scotland capable of hosting such a games, the country was also capable of producing talented athletes who could compete among the very best.
She married Northern Irish steeplechaser Peter McColgan in 1987 and assumed what was to become one of the most famous surnames in sport. She has three children.
Undoubtedly McColgan's finest hour came at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. She was listed to compete in the 10,000m event with a field crammed with top quality competitors, including Ingrid Kristiansen who had dominated the 10,000m for the previous two years and was the clear favourite to win again in Seoul.
Surprisingly Kristiansen retired early in the race with a foot injury, leaving McColgan and Olga Bondarenko to fight it out for victory. The Scot led until the final stages, but was out-sprinted by Bondarenko, who subsequently broke the Olympic record. McColgan claimed silver for Great Britain.
She went on to win the Commonwealth Gams gold again in 1990 in Auckland, New Zealand, and marathons in New York City (1991), Tokyo (19920 and London (1995). She was the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 1991.
She now coaches up and coming athletes, owns a health and fitness centre near her home in Carnoustie and still runs every day.
