Rising Scottish athletics star Ross Baillie died in hospital in Bath yesterday after suffering a seizure triggered by a nut allergy while eating a sandwich.
The promising 21-year-old hurdler, who was preparing for the European Junior Championships, had been in a coma since Wednesday.
A finalist in the Commonwealth Games 110 metres hurdles in Kuala Lumpur last summer, Baillie, from Glasgow, was in Bath to train alongside Colin Jackson and his coach, Malcolm Arnold.
Swimmer Mark Foster, who was with Baillie when he bought the coronation chicken sandwich that cost him his life, said that the athlete knew as soon as he tasted it that it contained nuts.
Foster said: "He knows he has a nut allergy. He tried to cough up the nut, he tried to make himself sick but in the end I had to drive him to the hospital." Baillie was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath where a spokesman said: "Ross Baillie tragically died in the intensive care unit at 11.0 a.m. today. His family were at his bedside."
British Sports Minister Tony Banks led the tributes: "Ross' death is an appalling tragedy. He was an immensely talented athlete with an extremely bright future.
"Colin Jackson himself described Ross as his natural successor and that is no small compliment.
"My thoughts are with Ross' family - the enormous loss felt by British athletics is only a tiny fraction of what they must be feeling now."
Baillie had broken the Scottish 110 metre hurdle record at the Commonwealth Games and was tipped for gold in the junior championships for which he was preparing.
He ran for Britain at the World Indoor Championship in Japan in March this year and had twice broken the indoor 60 metre hurdles during the winter.
UK Athletics performance director Max Jones said: "On behalf of the British team and UK Athletics, I would like to extend our utmost sympathy to the family and friends of Ross Baillie who, tragically, died earlier today.
"This is a shocking loss of a young athlete so full of talent. It comes as a great shock to us all. As a mark of respect, the athletes this weekend will be wearing a black symbol."
Baillie's younger brother Chris, 18, is also a hurdler and is tipped to follow in Baillie's footsteps.
Peanut allergy kills people every year. About one person in 200 suffers from the condition.
