With the success that the centre in Edinburgh has fostered in recent years, it seems bizarre to remove the option for athletes to remain there

emotionally happy. To suggest individuals must leave their home in order to pursue their sporting dream is not only unfair, it is misguided. Everything is in place in Scotland to produce world-class judoka – that has been proven. Burton has been hailed by countless athletes as one of the best coaches in Britain. Is British Judo saying his coaching is not good enough to get players to the very highest level? Given his track record, that would be ridiculous. And the quality of practice is evidently sufficient, or else Conway would not have been able to beat some of the best in the world at Rio 2016.

During my days as an athlete, I was The athletics headline that attracted most attention this week was the announcement that Russia will remain banned from competition until after this summer’s World Championships. However, a potentially more important move was that by the IAAF, that switches of allegiance were to be halted with immediate effect until the current rules are reviewed. In recent years, countless track and field athletes have changed nationality, with a significant number switching to represent Bahrain and Qatar, as well as Turkey. The problem is not restricted to athletics but it has been particularly obvious in this sport. This rule-change will not solve athletics’ problems, but it will go some way to restoring credibility to national representation. Other sports, notably rugby union, should take note. TOMORROW Nick Rodger