European Championships target for Scottish and British record-setting athlete

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A former Larkhall YMCA Harriers runner has set a new British and Scottish under-17 200m record – and hopes it sends him to the European Under-18 Championships in Israel in July.Dean Patterson’s time of 21.40 is within the qualifying time of 21.60, but there are a lot of ducks that will need to be in a row before he heads to Jerusalem for the championships, which take place between July 4 and 7.For now, the Bellahouston Academy and Glasgow School of Sport student is just delighted to be doing so well.Dean, 16, took first place at the English Athletics Age Group Championships in Sheffield recently, setting the British record, and broke the Scottish record at 15 years old at the Scottish Schools’ Championship, both with 21.40.The former Machanhill Primary and Larkhall Academy pupil is also on Scottish Athletics’ Performance Pathway.Mum Eileen, from Ashgill, said: “Dean has achieved the qualifying standard time to be considered for the Under-18 Euros in Jerusalem, but he’s still got to wait to be selected.“Anything can happen; he’s got to be fit and healthy and stay at the top of his game – we’re always conscious that you’re only as good as your last race.“As long as he keeps the right mentality, good training, sleeping and eating habits, there’s no reason why he can’t at least be up for discussion on the selection list.“It would be phenomenal for him to qualify, but he’s part of a long, long list, and really anything can happen.“It’s early in the year, there are a lot of people out there, but you would like to think his time will be good enough.“Nobody was really near his time in Sheffield, so there’s a good chance he will be on that list.“You don’t actually know until the end of June, and I wouldn’t want to make too much