Scottish Olympic legend Liz McColgan issues health warning on social media

The Olympic silver medalist, from Dundee, shared photographs on social media, and said she was now living with the “lasting consequences” of failing to protect her skin from the sun as a young runner.

In a post on Instagram, the 61-year-old said: “I’ve never been one to talk openly about my private health, but sometimes it’s important to share experiences if it helps others.

“As a young athlete, I trained and raced in all weathers. Sun protection was never something I gave much thought to. In fact, I avoided it. I didn’t like the feeling of creams on my skin - I thought they made me sweat more, so I convinced myself I was better off without them. Looking back, that was ignorance.

“Recently, I had to undergo surgery to remove two lesions on my face. It was a stark reminder that the choices we make early on - especially the ones we dismiss as unimportant - can have lasting consequences.

“As athletes, we focus so much on performance - mileage, sessions, recovery, nutrition - but often overlook something as simple as protecting our skin. Yet it’s just as much a part of our overall health and wellbeing as any training session.

“So this is a message to younger athletes, and older ones too: take sun protection seriously. Whether you’re training, racing, or even just spending time outdoors, protecting your skin matters.”

McColgan won the 10,000m World Championships title in Tokyo in 1991. She also triumphed in the 10,000m Commonwealth gold at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh in 1986, and in Auckland four years later.

In between those victories, the Scot won a silver medal in the same event at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.