Athletice: Scots bobsleigher's Games dilemma

Page last updated at 21:17 GMT, Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Scots bobsleigher's Games dilemma

By David Sharp Cooke represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games Gillian Cooke's successful foray into the world of winter sports has resulted in the loss of her athletics funding. Cooke, who partnered Nicola Minichiello to gold at the Bobsleigh World Championships at Lake Placid, has been penalised for switching sports. The Scot, who has competed at the Commonwealth Games in pole vault and long jump, said: "It was a little disappointing that they cut me off. "But it's not fair to be funded for two sports." Cooke and Minichiello's victory over America's Shauna Rohbock and Elan Meyers was the first world championship gold medal by a British pair in the event since Anthony Nash and Robin Dixon in 1965. I just want to be kept informed of what's going on in the preparations for Delhi 2010 Scottish athlete Gillian Cooke Minichiello, the driver and a World silver medallist four years ago with Jackie Gunn, advertised on Facebook last year for a new breakman. Cooke, 26, from Edinburgh, was a bobsleigh novice but had the perfect athletic credentials for Minichiello's cause having competed at the highest level for Scotland in track and field. "I was doing long jump up until October last year and the driver of the bobsleigh, Nicola, got in touch with me via Facebook," Cooke told BBC Scotland. "She'd been searching the athletics rankings looking for speed and power athletes and she sent out a few messages. "I went down to Bath University where there's a push-start track and had a shot there and I really enjoyed it and did a couple more sessions and then went for selection." Cooke was immediately chosen to be brakewoman for Minichiello's GB1 team and the rest is history. As for her athletics career: that is on hold after a foot injury sustained during training last summer, an enforced hiatus which led to the unexpected bobsleigh opportunity. Unfortunately, Cooke's gold-winning switch from summer to winter sports led Scottish Athletics to pull the plug on her funding, which may jeopardise her plans to compete at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. "I just want to be kept informed of what's going on in the preparations for Delhi 2010 for the Commonwealth Games," Cooke said. "They've been in touch and they've all congratulated me so there's no hard feelings at all." If Delhi turns out to be a leap too far then the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, also next year, may come calling for the multi-talented Scot.