Neil McMenemy

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Neil McMenemy (b. 1967, Inverness, Scotland) was Scotland's national triple jump champion twice during the 1990s.

He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a BSc(Eng) in Chemical Engineering in 1988, and pursued a career in I.T.

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[edit] Sporting career

Neil competed for Central Athletic Club (formerly Central Region Athletic Club) for 20 years from 1977 to 1997 and as of October 2007 holds the club records for long jump and triple jump both indoor[1] and out[2]. He also competed for the British Athletics League Division One club Newham and Essex Beagles [3] Neil made his debut for Scotland in 1990 in Kapfenberg, Austria in the Westathletic Cup against the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Spain and Portugal.[4] His team-mates included a number of Commonwealth Games medallists. He continued to compete for Scotland both at home and abroad (including, Tel Aviv, Hamar and Istanbul) winning the bronze medal in the Istanbul Games in 1994.[5]

His last performance for Scotland was a first place in the Small Nations Cup in Belfast in 1996 against Northern Ireland, Ireland, Wales and Turkey.[6]

Neil was only the third man, after coach, Rodger Harkins and world record holder, Jonathan Edwards to win Scottish national titles at triple jump indoor[7] and out[8]. He was also the first to hold both titles simultaneously. He won two titles indoor (1994 and 1996) and two titles outdoor (1995 and 1996).

His best performances came at the CAU Championships where in 1990 he won the silver medal[9] behind 1994 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Julian Golley and in 1994 where he achieved his lifetime best of 15.13m, [10] the same year in which John Mackenzie set the current Scottish record of 16.17m.

Neil became the scottishathletics national event coach for triple jump in 2003 and continued in this position until 2006.[11] During this time he helped Scottish long jump record holder Darren Ritchie to his first and only national triple jump title in 2005. The next year he coached 18 year old John Carr to the same title. Under his direction Carr also won the junior indoor AAA long jump title in 2006.[12] Carr achieved a senior UK top 10 triple jump ranking in 2006.[13]

He took part in the scottishathletics interim coaching commission to re-establish the commission as a body capable of representing coaches in Scotland.[14]

At age 28 Neil played rugby union, mostly on the wing, for Forrester FP for a season. He was also invited to play for Edinburgh Borderers RFC where he scored 5 tries in winning the Gracie Cup at the Alloa sevens tournament in 1997.[15] The same year he was included in the initial Scotland Amateur Rugby League squad but could not take part due to business commitments.

[edit] International Appearance Summary

  • 1990 Kapfenberg, Austria - Scotland v Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Ireland (7th/8)[16]
  • 1990 Reykjavik, Iceland - Scotland v Iceland, Ireland (2nd/6 - 1st B/3)[17]
  • 1991 Grangemouth, Scotland - Scotland v Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Iceland (4th/5)[18]
  • 1992 Hamar, Norway (Indoor) - Scotland v Norway, Denmark (3rd/3)[19]
  • 1992 Tel Aviv, Israel - Scotland v Israel, Wales, Turkey (4th/4)[20]
  • 1994 Glasgow, Scotland (Indoor) - Scotland v Wales (1st/4, 1st A/2)[21]
  • 1994 Istanbul, Turkey - Scotland v Turkey,Israel, Wales (3rd/4)[22]
  • 1995 Cardiff, Wales - Scotland (Team Captain) v Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Turkey (3rd/5) [23]
  • 1996 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Scotland v Northern Ireland, Wales, Ireland, Turkey (1st/5)[24]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Central Athletic Club Indoor Record Holders
  2. ^ Central Athletic Club Senior Men Record Holders
  3. ^ British Athletics Annual 1997.
  4. ^ British Athletics Annual 1991, National Union of Track Statisticians
  5. ^ British Athletics Annual 1995, umbra
  6. ^ British Athletics Annual 1997, umbra
  7. ^ Scottish National Indoor Athletics Champions
  8. ^ Scottish National Athletics Champions
  9. ^ British Athletics Annual 1991, National Union of Track Statisticians
  10. ^ British Athletics Annual 1995, umbra
  11. ^ Scottish National Coaches Appointment
  12. ^ Article on John Carr March 2006 CSIS
  13. ^ UK Triple Jump Rankings 2006
  14. ^ Scottish Athletics Annual Report - Neil McMenemy joins interim coaching commision
  15. ^ Wee County News, August 1997, Forth Independent Newspapers
  16. ^ British Athletics Annual 1991, National Union of Track Statisticians
  17. ^ British Athletics Annual 1991, National Union of Track Statisticians
  18. ^ British Athletics Annual 1992, National Union of Track Statisticians
  19. ^ British Athletics Annual 1993, umbra
  20. ^ British Athletics Annual 1993, umbra
  21. ^ British Athletics Annual 1995, umbra
  22. ^ British Athletics Annual 1995, umbra
  23. ^ British Athletics Annual 1996, umbra
  24. ^ British Athletics Annual 1997, umbra

[edit] External links