Athlete Eilidh Child has admitted mixing-it with the boys in her training group has helped her find the form of her life ahead of the European under-23 Championships in Lithuania.

Since joining coach Stuart Hogg and his stable of Olympic trio Paul Hession, Allan Scott and Nick Smith in September 2008, the 400m hurdler has shaved more than a second off her previous best time of 56.84 secs.

The 22-year old ran 55.36 secs at last month's England under-23 Championships in Bedford on her way to finishing second behind England's Perri Shakes-Drayton and subsequently qualified for the trip to Lithuania.

She said: "When I first joined the training group I was a bit nervous, they are all guys a bit older than me but they made me feel very welcome.

"Paul Hession is great to follow because he is meticulous and professional so making sacrifices is no longer an issue for me.

"It helps so much to have a coach like Stuart and to know that you're not the only one who is working so hard."