94-year-old to carry Olympic torch

Scotland's greatest Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy, has nominated his 94-year-old great uncle to carry the 2012 Games torch next year.
Andy Coogan, a former champion middle-distance runner from Carnoustie, narrowly missed selection for the 1948 Olympics after he spent two years imprisoned in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, an experience which badly affected his health.
He however went on to become an athletics coach for young people in his local town and his famous great-nephew put his name forward for the 70-day relay to carry the Olympic torch through Britain next summer when he was asked to name someone who had inspired him. "Andy could easily have achieved what I have but for his being held as a prisoner of war. It was taken away from him." said Hoy.
A Second World War veteran who weighed just 6.5 stone when he was released from Japanese captivity, Mr Coogan could never fulfil his own Olympic dream, but his career was notable in Scotland and his love for athletics is still evident today.
Despite having run at Hampden Park and Ibrox Stadium in front of 90,000 people and even beaten world champions, Mr Coogan was quick to put forward a suggestion of his own for an athlete to carry the torch - 60-year-old Ronald McIntosh, a double amputee from Tayside who still competes.
Meanwhile his great-nephew says he has set his sights on winning three more gold medals at the London Olympics and is confident he can emulate his feat in Beijing, where he won a hat-trick of golds on the cycling track. If successful it would take Hoy's gold tally to seven, overtaking the five of the rower Sir Steven Redgrave and making the Scot Britain's most successful Olympian.