Friday 14 July 2000
With one month to go until the start of the Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games in Edinburgh, the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland has announced the 88 strong Scottish team, all under the age of 18. They have been selected to compete in each of eight sports, against teams invited from 13 other Commonwealth countries.
General Team Manager, Alan Lynn, will lead the team with additional support from the newly appointed senior team staff for Manchester 2002, Paul Bush and Allan Alstead. Announcing the team Alan said, "Hosting the inaugural Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games in Scotland is a fantastic opportunity for young Scottish athletes to show off their talent in front of a partisan home support. The overall quality of the Scottish team is excellent and we aim to produce outstanding performances for the Scottish crowd, in the very best traditions of our sporting heroes. The Wilkies' and McColgans' of tomorrow will give their utmost against friendly rivals from across the Commonwealth."
Athletics
A team of 15 men and 15 women will face stiff competition from Australia, England, Northern Ireland, South Africa and Wales at the famous Meadowbank Stadium.
Team:
Gary Carr - Ashford, Kent, Ewan McCrombie, Jason Rogers - Troon, Craig Erskine - Lochgelly, Jon Simpson - Dalkeith, Chris Watson - Cumbernauld, Derek Watson - Cumbernauld, Scott McKinley, Stephen Murphy, Craig Elder - East Kilbride, James Hardie - Forres, Richard Blair - Glasgow, John Fyvie - Aboyne, Gary Hagan - Clydebank, Richard Oparka – Dundee, Gemma Ryde - Dollar, Falkirk, Siobhan McVie - Ayr, Jemma Walker - Dunfermline, Fife, Wendy Davidson - Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Lesley Clarkson - Inverness, Jill Wando - Motherwell, Claire Gibson - Paisley, Freya Murray – Gorebridge, Edinburgh, Jemma Scott - Arbroath, Rachel Hogg - Carlisle, Aileen Wilson - Oakham, Gillian Cooke - Edinburgh, Karen Bell - Elgin, Holly Owens - Glasgow, Lesley Ann Roy - Dunfermline, Fife
Pat Craig (Manager), Charlie Forbes (Manager), Mandy Belch (Physiotherapist), Sandy Robertson (National Coach)
Fencing
There is a quiet confidence amongst an experienced young Scottish fencing team. The girls have all tasted individual glory this year. Liz Wright is currently the British Foil champion at both U17 and U20 level and has represented Great Britain. The boys’ team has similar experience with both Forrester and Zawalnyski starting to make names for themselves on the international circuit. Scottish Fencing President Bob Jamieson is hopeful that the youngsters will perform well, commenting, "We've got two strong teams. England will be our main opponents, and if we chase them to the finals, possibly we can win a couple of medals."
Team:
Nicola Ramsay - Carluke, South Lanarksire, Elizabeth Wright - Edinburgh, Tracy McKenzie - Dunfermline, Gordon Jamieson - Longniddry East Lothian, Brendan Forrester - Edinburgh, Struan Zawalynski - Dingwall
Bob Jamieson (Manager), Pat McKenzie (Coach)
Gymnastics
The gymnastics event promises to be quite a spectacle with men's and women's artistic competitions together with rhythmic gymnastics all taking place in one arena at Meadowbank Sports Centre. The novel format of the competition will leave medal places very open and Team Manger Ian Whyte is confident of a good showing from the Scottish team. "We have a mixture of both youth and experience in the team with several of the gymnasts having represented Great Britain recently. The competition will be tough, but we hope to have several finalists and even medallists."
Team:
Craig Barry - Nuneaton, Warwickshire, Jamie Barlow - Hinckley, Leicestershire, Gayle Campbell - Stenhousemuir, Bernadette Baigrie, Michelle Denholm - Currie, Edinburgh, Sarah Todd - Livingston
Ian Whyte (Manager), Ray Hilton (Coach), Tan Jiaan (Coach), Su Morgan (Coach)
Hockey
The Scottish women's hockey team, captained by Louise Carroll, will take part in a four-nation round robin competition. "This is a great opportunity to compete against countries outside Europe and I believe that the standard of the competing nations will be high. Scotland has an experienced squad with a number having been involved in the under 21 women's programme. I would expect Scotland to be in contention for a top two place in the event", said Brent Deans, SHU Performance Manager.
Team:
Carmin Dow - Angus, Catriona Forrest - Glasgow, Vikki Bunce - Dundee, Louise Carroll - Dundee, Lynsey McFarlane - Glasgow, Fiona Sullivan - Glasgow, Jaclyn Fortune - Greenock, Lyndsey MacRae - Glasgow, Amy Hislop - Bishopbriggs, Glasgow, Gemma MacNair - Haddington, Linsey Thomson - Guardbridge, Fife, Fiona Hinds - High Wycombe, Bucks, Julie Kilpatrick - Glasgow, Louise Sherriffs - Blairgowrie, Sarah Dallas - Glasgow, Abi Walker - Bearsden
Marion Carroll (Manager), Jackie Dunlop (Coach), Alan Morton-Lloyd (Coach)
Lawn Tennis
Tennis has never had the opportunity to take part in a Commonwealth Games competition and is sure to provide some exciting action at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre. Elena Baltacha is, on paper, the strongest of the women's team. Currently coached by Jo Durie and Alan Jones, she is rated number 647 on the WTA Tour computer – her serve is her weapon on all surfaces and her double-fisted backhand can also pin an opponent to the baseline cage. "I'm pleased to be selected – it will be important for my development and really good fun," grinned 16-year-old Baltacha. "We're all friends so we’ll get some team spirit going and I'm sure playing in front of a home crowd and bringing our families along will make a difference." Team-mate Karen Paterson added, "I do know that home advantage is a big bonus so we're going to win. We've got to win. We're Scotland."
Team:
Steven Milne - Aberdeen, Russell Allan - Jordanhill, Glasgow, Ryan Mayfield - Giffnock, Glasgow, Elena Baltacha - Enfield, Mhairi Brown - Kirkcaldy, Karen Paterson - Edinburgh
Euan McGinn (Manager), Karen Ross (Coach)
Squash
Eight countries will be contesting the medals at the National Squash Academy, Heriot-Watt University, which also plays host to the Games Village. Commonwealth gold medallist, Peter Nicol, plans to be on hand to cheer on the Scottish youngsters, all keen to follow in his successful footsteps.
Team:
Alistair Livingstone - Ipswich, Iain Young - Westhill, Aberdeenshire, Steven Baker - Glasgow, Amy Johnston - Aberdeen, Caron Lawrie - Cooper, Fife
Neil Dickson (Manager/Coach)
Swimming
One of the last sports to select their team following last weekend's national championships, the swimmers will take part in what promises to be an exciting contest at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. Australia clearly presents the strongest challenge having selected their team from amongst those who just failed to qualify for the Sydney Olympic Games. Director of Swimming, Martin Woodruff is fully aware of the challenge that lies ahead and said, "We have a team of talented young swimmers who have a blend of distance and sprint expertise, which is needed to cover all events. We have set the team some realistic goals and they will be striving to finish in the top three over all."
Louise Coull, Kirsty Balfour and Lee Macdonald have all been selected for the Great Britain European Junior Championships this year.
Team:
Chris Whitcombe - Aberdeen, Lee Macdonald - Stirling, Alasdair Hall - West Dumbartonshire, Robert Lang - Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, Ross Martin - East Kilbride, Robert Lee – Linlithgow, Sam Hunter - Birkhampstead, Herts, Fiona Rennie - Nottinghamshire, Louise Coull - Cumbernauld, Kirsty Balfour - Edinburgh, Rowena Cornish - Arbroath, Laura McGarvey - Johnstone, Carey Abel - Elgin
Robert Hammond (Manager), Ian McGregor (Coach), Heather Albin (Coach)
Weightlifting
Following the successful staging of the British Championships last year, Meadowmill Sports Centre, East Lothian will host the weightlifting event, which includes the snatch and clean and jerk competitions in eight different weight categories.
A team of 11 lifters from Nauru will be taking part, in their first competition in the UK. Their progress is being charted by an accompanying television crew.
Team:
Thomas Granger - Easterhouse, Glasgow, Brian Smith - Glasgow, William McLean - Glasgow, Gary McLean - Easterhouse, Glasgow, David Brown - Forfar
George Byng (Manager), Alex Richardson (Coach)
Louise Martin, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland and the driving force behind this exciting new event, commented, "We have high hopes for the Scottish Team announced today. But most importantly, we hope that our young athletes will enjoy the experience and that it stands them in good stead for the future, hopefully going on to represent Scotland in Manchester in 2002."
Tickets for all sports are available through the Games Ticket Hotline on 0131 336 1804 and entry for under 18s is free, adults £5.00.
- In a System 3 survey conducted in January 1999, the Commonwealth Games ranked top alongside the Olympics as the international event in which the Scottish public saw international success as important (83% saw it as being important as opposed to 77% for the Football World Cup of European Championships).
- Scotland has participated in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in 1930 during which time they have won 270 medals including 65 golds.
- Scotland's most successful tally was the 1986 Games in Edinburgh when Scotland won 33 medals.
- This is the first time that the Commonwealth Youth Games has been held and is a Scottish idea designed to celebrate the achievements of youth as part of the Millennium celebrations. The future of the Games is assured with four cities in Australia bidding to host the event in 2004.
- Funding for the event is coming from the Millennium Commission (£100,000), the Millennium Festival (£47,000) and sportscotland (£160,000).
- Funding events such as the Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games is just one aspect that sportscotland invests in. To date, over £106 million has been awarded through the Lottery Fund to talented athletes, youth and school sport, coaching and sports facilities and equipment.
- Events will be staged at several venues in and around the city including: Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, Heriot-Watt University (Fencing and Squash), Meadowbank Stadium (Athletics), Meadowbank Sports Centre (Gymnastics), Meadowmill Sports Centre - East Lothian (Weightlifting), Peffermill National Hockey Centre, Royal Commonwealth Pool (Swimming). Heriot-Watt University (Riccarton Campus) will also be the site of the Games Village where the athletes and their support staff will be based.
- Each sport is responsible for arranging its competition format and programme.
- Athletes and coaches are available for photographs and interviews by arrangement.
- Media accreditation packs are now available.