Reekie hoping she is through low point in career

Jemma Reekie believes she has finally battled through the lowest point of her career after bringing a gruelling summer of athletics to an end in Munich. The Kilbarchan middle distance star has endured a torrid year both on and off the track after struggling with glandular fever and failing to qualify for both the World Championship or Commonwealth Games finals in her preferred 800m event. Ad But Reekie, who narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo last summer, defied her initial instincts to compete at this week's European Championships to finish a brave fifth in last night's 800m final as teammate Keely Hodgkinson won gold.

AthleticsBell has Hodgkinson in her sights10 MINUTES AGO In typical Reekie fashion, the Scottish runner came flying out of the blocks and looked well-poised for a medal for large parts of the race before being reeled in by a star-studded field. Olympic silver medallist Hodgkinson, fresh off the back of her silver medals in Oregon and Birmingham, finally grabbed a long-awaited gold ahead of Renelle Lamote and Anna Wielgosz while fellow Brit Alex Bell finished sixth. Reekie, 24 said: «It's been very, very tough mentally.

»There have been a lot of lows and I'm so lucky and thankful to my team around me. «They've kept going when I've just wanted to cry. »But I've got to take the positives from these three days in a row.

«I'm going to keep going – it can't be worse than what it's been.» Hodgkinson clocked a time of 1:59.04 to saunter over the line ahead of Frenchwoman Lamote and Pole Wielgosz. The 20-year-old narrowly missed out on a world title in Eugene last month before being stunned by Kenyan Mary Moraa at her home Commonwealth Games. That left her still chasing a maiden major outdoor title