Monday 21 July 2008
With the selection process now complete for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing this summer, Scotland can be proud that it is being well represented.
The Olympics will start in 18 days time (8-24 August) and Scotland will have its highest number of competitors for several years. 31 athletes, which equates to around 10% of the British team, will compete in twelve sports and for 17 of them it will be their first time at an Olympic Games.
Swimming tops the sports with 10 swimmers, the most ever selected for a single Games. Many on the list, which includes Edinburgh’s Gregor Tait and Kirsty Balfour and Aberdeen’s David Carry, became household names when they won an impressive 12 medals between them at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006. However the competition in the Beijing pool will be somewhat fiercer and the Scots will have to be at their absolute best to reach finals and give themselves a chance of reaching the podium.
Daniel Keatings becomes Scotland’s first ever gymnast to qualify for the Olympics and hopes are high that he can reach the final on the pommel horse.
The canoe slalom team is made up entirely of three Scots, with silver medallist from Athens, Campbell Walsh, leading the charge in the whitewater of Shunyi. Also taking to the water in her third Games is Aberdeen rower Katherine Grainger. With two silver Olympic medals already to her name, she will go in search of the ultimate prize in the women’s fours.
The dojo will see three Edinburgh based judo players in action. Sarah Clark and Michelle Rogers will have past Olympic experiences to draw on, whilst Euan Burton will be making his debut in the under 81kg category.
Hand eye co-ordination will be the name of the game for another three Scots. Fencer Richard Kruse will be hoping to better the quarter final placing he achieved in the foil event in Athens in 2004, whilst archer Simon Terry returns to the sport some 16 years after winning two bronze medals in Barcelona. At the shooting range Jon Hammond will have his sights set on three rifle events.
On the hockey pitch Stephen Dick and Ali McGregor have beaten off the competition to make the final squad.
Despite being reigning Olympic champion, Chris Hoy has been in the unusual position of having to change his specialist event, when the kilo was removed from the Olympic programme. Always one to rise to the challenge, Chris has been honing his technique in both the keirin and individual sprint as well as playing a key role in the team sprint and enjoyed remarkable success at the recent World Championships in Manchester where he won two gold and one silver medal. Now selected for his third Olympics, Chris will be joined by fellow Scot Ross Edgar, competing in his second Games.
With Wimbledon over for another year, Dunblane tennis brothers Andy and Jamie Murray are also excited about making their Olympic debut and playing together in the men’s doubles.
Track and field was the last sport to book seats on the plane to Beijing with Scotland’s Lee McConnell included in both the 400m individual and relay events while Andrew Lemoncello, Susan Scott and Allan Scott all received last minute call ups for Team GB. Meanwhile marathon runner Hayley Haining will have to wait to see if Paula Radcliffe is forced to withdraw on injury grounds to guarantee her call-up.
A further five Scots have been selected as reserves in a range of sports.
The Paralympic Games will follow on from 6-17 September and 15 Scots have secured their places on Team GB in six sports, including 11 first timers.
Edinburgh’s Jim Anderson, a multiple Paralympic medallist in the pool, competes in a remarkable fifth Games alongside fellow swimmers Andrew Lindsay, Sean Fraser, Mhairi Love and Charlotte Henshaw.
Another well known name on the Paralympic scene is visually impaired cyclist Aileen McGlynn who hopes to repeat her form of four years ago which resulted in a gold and silver in Athens.
On the track, Paralympic veteran Stephen Payton will be joined by the exciting young talent of sprinters Libby Clegg and Neil Fachie.
Graeme Paterson, Jonathan Paterson, Keiran Martin and Mark Robertson have teamed up to be selected for the 7-a-side football squad whilst youngster Gordon Reid and Kevin Simpson have made the wheelchair tennis team.
Last but not least the Borders’ Kate Murray must wait to find out if she has achieved her Paralympic dream but is on target to compete in the archery competition in Beijing which would take Scotland’s tally to 16 Paralympians.
Most of Scotland’s athletes competing at the Games as part of Team GB have been supported at some stage on their athlete journey by the expert support services provided by the Scottish Institute of Sport and have benefitted from Lottery funding through sportscotland and UK Sport’s World Class Performance Programme.
Welcoming the selections sportscotland Chair Louise Martin CBE said: “Scottish athletes are better supported than ever before and I am greatly encouraged and excited by the work of the Scottish Institute of Sport in helping to prepare some of Scotland’s best athletes ahead of the Games. Perhaps even more pleasing is the healthy number of Scots on Team GB - nearly 10% of the team.
“I would just like to take this opportunity to congratulate all Scots on their selection for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games teams. For all of these athletes winning a medal would be the ultimate prize. With rigorous selection standards in place it is a great achievement to be selected and I am sure they will all go to Beijing determined to realise their own potential as well as represent their country with pride.
“Sporting success is an inspiration to every successive generation of young people, so Scottish success in Beijing won’t just lift the confidence of our country as a whole, but will hopefully encourage young Scots everywhere to achieve sporting excellence and set no limits on their goals and aspirations.
“We will be following their progress with great interest and we wish them all the very best of luck.”
- The Scottish Institute of Sport is the high performance arm of sportscotland and currently supports around 200 athletes.
- The Institute was founded in 1998 to identify and develop Scottish sporting talent, helping athletes to deliver world class performances.
- A hub of expert support, the Institute aims to deliver cutting edge programmes in coaching, technical support, sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, performance management and planning and career and lifestyle guidance.
- A hot house of innovation, the Institute is responsible for developing Scotland’s sporting technology to put Scottish athletes in the strongest competitive position.
- For more details of Scots selected as part of Team GB and ParalympicsGB and practical examples of how the Scottish Institute of Sport is providing expert support to Scottish athletes go to www.sisport.com
Athletes selected for Team GB
Olympic Games
Archery (1)
Simon Terry
Athletics (4)
Lee McConnell
Andrew Lemoncello
Susan Scott
Allan Scott
Hayley Haining (reserve)
Canoeing (3)
Fiona Penny
David Florence
Campbell Walsh
Cycling (2)
Ross Edgar
Chris Hoy
Fencing (1)
Richard Kruse
Gymnastics (1)
Daniel Keatings
Daniel Purvis (reserve)
Hockey (2)
Stephen Dick
Alistair McGregor
Niall Stott (travelling reserve)
Laura Bartlett (travelling reserve)
Judo (3)
Sarah Clark
Michelle Rogers
Euan Burton
James Millar (reserve)
Andrew Burns (reserve)
Rowing (1)
Katherine Grainger
Shooting (1)
Jonathan Hammond
Swimming (10)
Kirsty Balfour
Hannah Miley
Caitlin McClatchey
David Carry
Todd Cooper
Euan Dale
Kris Gilchrist
Andrew Hunter
Robbie Renwick
Gregor Tait
Tennis (2)
Andy Murray
Jamie Murray
Athletes selected for ParalympicsGB
Paralympic Games
Athletics
Elizabeth Clegg
Neil Fachie
Stephen Payton
Cycling
Aileen McGlynn MBE
Football
Graeme Paterson
Jonathan Paterson
Keiran Martin
Mark Robertson
Swimming
Andrew Lindsay
Charlotte Henshaw
James Anderson MBE
Mhairi Love
Sean Fraser
Tennis
Gordon Reid
Kevin Simpson
