Kane Hungary for success in latest Team GB selection call

The championships are being held in Gyor, Hungary, and started on Monday, July 2.

Kane lives in Falkirk and is a pupil at St Mungo’s High School. The 16-year-old is described as one of the most talented athletes to come out of the Falkirk area since the late Joe McGhee.

Kane joined Falkirk Victoria Harriers as a youngster at the tender age of ten in 2012, starting his running career by finishing his first 800 metres in two minutes 50 seconds. Still just at the age of 12, he attempted the 1500 metres and his first run was recorded at five minutes eight seconds.

Over the next seven years, and after being carefully managed by his coach Willie Sharp who is himself a reasonable runner, Kane has progressed and improved his time to one minute 52 seconds for 800 metres and an incredibly quick three minutes 47 for 1500 metres.

Kane’s times have put him second in 800 metres across Britain and he broke the under 17 Great British record with a time he set recently in Manchester.

After recording his record breaking run in the Milers Club meet at Trafford on June 12, Kane has now been selected to represent Great Britain in the European Junior Championships to be held starting this week in Gyor, Hungary.

Kane’s heat will be live on subscription channel Eurosport this Thursday at 17:45 UK time.

The youngster is the only Scot competing in Hungary, despite being amongst a 33 strong squad, and competed in qualifying whilst dealing with the stress of exams.

Kane is following in the footsteps of Gary Brown, one minute 47 seconds for the 800 metres and 3 minutes 42 seconds for the 1500 metres and Jim Dingwall, three minutes 48 seconds for 1500 metres, both Commonwealth Games competitors in 1978 and 1994 respectively, and the future looks very bright.

But it remains a case of who knows what the future will hold for Kane. If things go to plan with training and his running times keep progressing, the youngster will find himself a serious contender to become the ninth member of Falkirk Vic’s to compete at the Commonwealth Games when the tournament comes around in 2022.

For now, Kane is set to get into action in Hungary, where temperatures are set to peak at 30 degrees celcius, and pull on the Great British vest for the first time.