Scottish track coach handed three-year ban for manipulative behaviour

September 30, 2025

A Scottish track coach who has worked with some of the world’s top female middle-distance runners, including Canada’sGabriela DeBues-Stafford, has been banned from the sport for three years by UK Athletics (UKA).

Andrew (Andy) Young, a former middle-distance runner, was found guilty by an independent disciplinary panel of manipulative behaviour and disregarding athlete welfare.

According to a UKA statement, Young “required an athlete to compete against the clear advice of a physiotherapist, threatened to exclude athletes from training or races if they did not comply with his demands, and emotionally undermined those who raised concerns about injuries.”

Another charge stemmed from an incident where Young abandoned an athlete at the side of the road following a disagreement, “disregarding their safety and well-being.” Running Magazine