Eilidh Doyle

Eilidh Doyle (pronounced AY-lee /eɪli/; née Child; born 20 February 1987) is a British track and field athlete who specialises in the 400 metres hurdles and the 4 x 400 metres relay. She represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Doyle is the Scottish record holder for the 400 metres hurdles with 54.09 sec (2016) and the indoor 400 metres with 51.45 sec (2013). She is the 2014 European Champion and a three-time Commonwealth silver medalist (2010, 2014 and 2018) in the 400 metres hurdles. Her other relay honours include World Championship silver medals in 2013 and 2017, and the bronze medal in 2015. She was also a world and European indoor medalist in the 400 metres.

Doyle was born in Perth, Scotland. As a youngster, she twice won the U13 Scottish Schools butterfly swimming title. One of her sisters is a writer, the other used to compete at triple jump and her brother is a footballer.

In 2009, Doyle significantly improved her personal best for the 400m hurdles from 56.84 to 55.32, to finish second at the European U23 Championships in Kaunus, Lithuania, behind fellow British athlete Perri Shakes-Drayton. She also qualified for that year's World Championships in Berlin, reaching the semi-finals. In 2010, she further improved to 55.16 at the London Diamond League in August. Then in October, she won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 55.62.

In 2012, Doyle ran below 55 seconds for the 400 metres hurdles for the first time, with 54.96 on 2 June in Geneva. Two weeks later, she earned Olympic selection, with 55.53 for second behind Shakes-Drayton at the Olympic trials. At the London Olympics, she reached the semi-finals, running 56.02.

Doyle won two medals at the 2013 European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, with silver in the 400 metres behind teammate Perri Shakes-Drayton, breaking the Scottish indoor record in the process, with 51.45. She then added a gold in the 4x400 m relay. The British quartet of Christine Ohuruogu, Shana Cox, Doyle and Shakes-Drayton also improved the UK indoor record to 3:27.56. Outdoors, she broke the Scottish 400 metres hurdles record with 54.22 in Birmingham in June. Then in August, at the World Championships in Moscow, she ran 54.32 in her semi-final to reach the final. In the final she was fifth in 54.86. Alongside Cox, Margaret Adeoye and Ohuruogu, she won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay.

Doyle captained the first ever Scotland team at the Glasgow International match in January 2014. As captain of the GB & NI team at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Sopot, she won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay. 2014 also saw Doyle secure her first 400 metres hurdles British title, and take victory at the first ever IAAF Diamond League meeting in Scotland, the Glasgow Grand Prix. in a European leading time of 54.39. Child also selected to captain the Scottish athletics team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, won a silver medal in the 400 m hurdles behind Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica. Two weeks later, at the European Championships in Zürich, she won a gold medal in the 400 m hurdles, running 54.48. She became the first British woman to win the European 400 m hurdles title for 20 years, the previous British winner being Sally Gunnell in 1994.

In May 2016, Doyle won the 400 metres hurdles at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha in a time of 54.53 seconds, competing for the first time under her married name. On 15 July 2016, she won the Diamond League meeting in Monaco, setting a new personal best of 54.09 seconds. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she reached the final of the 400 metres hurdles, finishing eighth in 54.61, before going on to win a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay.

In July 2017, it was announced that Doyle had been elected by her team-mates as Captain for the GB Team at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.At the Championships she finished 8th in the final of the 400 m hurdles but would go on to win a silver in the 4×400 m relay.In winning the silver medal, Doyle surpassed Yvonne Murray as the most decorated Scottish athlete in Olympic World, European and Commonwealth competition.

In 2018, Doyle started the season of well winning a bronze medal at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. Then at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia she went on to win her 3rd Commonwealth Games silver medal with a time of 54.80 seconds. In July she was named in the GB squad for the 2018 European Athletics Championships to be held in Berlin in August, both as an individual in 400m hurdles and a member of the 400m relay squad.

In August 2019 Doyle announced that she would miss the rest of the season as she was due to have a baby in January 2020, althoughs he planned to return to athletics after the birth.

Doyle has a degree in Physical Education from Edinburgh University and was formerly a full-time PE teacher at Perth Grammar School until she decided to focus further on her training, allowing her to relocate to Bath. Doyle is a supporter of Hearts FC where she has a season ticket.She wears a maroon and white wristband during all her races in support of the club. In October 2015 she married former 400 metre runner Brian Doyle.