Gemma Nicol was Scotland's youngest athlete in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and remains a prodigious talent. She topped the Scottish senior 400 metres rankings in 2006 with 53.46, still before her 20th birthday. Last year, she was only 0.11 slower in her opening appearance, but as a result of viral illness, ran only once more all year. "I virtually lost the season," she says.

Nicol was unceremoniously dumped from the World Class Talent funding programme, and no longer receives Commonwealth Games support. "I get nothing," she confirmed yesterday.

Given that she is a hairdressing student and is driving nearly 500 miles each week for coaching with Brian Whittle, the former Olympian and European medallist, money is tight. Her mother, a single parent, bankrolls her. "I miss money for training and support for physio," said Gemma, "but you have to put it behind you, look to the future, not moan, and just show what you can do."

However, the Fifer was encouraged yesterday when her first senior Great Britain vest emerged from nowhere, named by Britain for the Norwich Union international at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall a week on Saturday.

The Scot has the individual GB 400m berth and will face Monique Hennaghan (USA), fourth in Athens and a double Olympic relay gold medallist, and Shereefa Lloyd, who represents the Commonwealth. The Jamaican was a member of her country's silver-medal relay squad at last year's world championships in Osaka.

"If Gemma can run under 54 seconds, that's as good as we are likely to get from anyone else who is available," said a spokesman for the selectors.

Nicol was third in the 60m (7.71) at the national indoor championships in Glasgow at the weekend, and clocked 25.3 in her 200m heat. "I withdrew from the final because I'd a tight quadriceps. It was not worth the risk," she said.

She makes the 100-mile round trip from Dunfermline to East Kilbride to train with national 400m coach Whittle, thrice a week, and twice a week to Grangemouth for weights with Darren Ritchie, the former international long jumper. Two weekends out of three, Whittle's squad, and that of Roger Harkins, train together. Harkins coaches leading 400m women Lee McConnell and Carey Easton, and nothing but good will come of them regularly working together.

This represents an encouraging fresh approach from a new, young generation of Scottish coaches.