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"Olympians can make Scotland proud" - Sports Minister

Tuesday 31 January 2006

Excitement is mounting as Scotland's members of Team GB make their final preparations for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson was at Braehead Curling Rink today to meet some of the athletes and wish them well ahead of the Games in Turin.

Ms Ferguson said: "After months of training and years of dedication to their sport, Scotland's Olympians and Paralympians are now primed and ready to compete with the very best at the top level of winter sport.

"All of Scotland is right behind Team GB and particularly our Scottish team members. I am sure that the team can build on the successes of the past and make Scotland proud in Turin."

The 2006 XX Winter Games commence 10 February in Turin and close 26 February. Scottish athletes will be competing in the sports of curling, figure skating (ice dance), skiing and snowboarding. The IX Paralympic Winter Games commence 10 March in Turin and close 19 March. Scottish Paralympic athletes will be competing in the sport of wheelchair curling.

The women's curling squad will be skipped by 39-year-old reigning Olympic champion Rhona Martin from Ayr. Joining Martin are Dunfermline's Debbie Knox (5th) former team mate from the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics gold medal-winning squad, 2002 World Champion skip Jackie Lockhart of Aberdeen (playing at 3rd), reigning Scottish Champion skip Kelly Wood (2nd) of Stirling and former World Junior Champion Lynn Cameron (Lead) of Perth.

The men's curling squad will be skipped by 27-year-old David Murdoch, 2005 world silver medallist from Lockerbie. Joining Murdoch are Euan Byers and Craig Wilson, also of the Lockerbie area, Ewan MacDonald of Inverness and Bridge of Earn's Warwick Smith. All of the men have medalled at both European and world level. In December the squad won bronze at the European Championship in Garmisch.

Last year's World Champion wheelchair curlers, skipped by Fife's Frank Duffy, are also fresh from a win at the 2005 Czech Open Championship in Prague. Angie Malone from Carrick, and Vice President of the Braehead Wheelchair Curling Club, is the squad of five's female representative. Duffy and Malone are joined by Michael McCreadie of Lochwinnoch, Tom Killin of Edinburgh and Ken Dickson of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Following their impressive twelfth place finish at the World Championships earlier last year, brother and sister ice dance pair John and Sinead Kerr from Livingston also gained selection for the Winter Olympics in February 2006. The Kerrs finished eighth at the European Championships just two weeks ago and have their sights firmly set on a top-ten finish in Turin.

Skiing for Team GB in Turin will be Aviemore Baxter brothers Alain (Slalom, Giant Slalom) and Noel (Slalom, Giant Slalom and Combined), Finlay Mickel (Super G and Downhill) of Edinburgh and Roger Cruickshank (Super G and Downhill) of Fife; in fact, four-fifths of the men's ski team are Scottish. This year's Games will be both Cruickshank's and Mickel's Olympic debut.

Lesley McKenna, cousin to the Baxters, is one of three named to the Team GB women's snowboard team. McKenna, who has swiftly recovered from last year's ankle injury and is determined to improve on her Salt Lake performance, will be aiming high in the halfpipe.

Dougie Donnelly, Chairman, Scottish Institute of Sport, said: "I am delighted to congratulate the Scots - all but one of whom are Institute athletes - who have been selected to represent Team GB at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Turin. It will be my third Winter Games as BBC commentator and for the first time I will have a vested interest as Chairman of the Institute in following the progress of the 17 Scots who make up almost half of the GB team. On behalf of the board, staff and fellow Institute athletes we wish the competitors, their coaches and support staff who have contributed to their Olympic or Paralympic quest, the very best of luck in achieving all that they hope for."

Julia Bracewell OBE, Chair, sportscotland, said: "On behalf of sportscotland I would like to congratulate all of the Scottish athletes who have been named for Team GB in Turin. I am sure all of Scotland will be cheering them on in a few weeks' time and I would like to wish them well in their events. Getting to the Olympics is the culmination of years of hard work and intense competition and we are happy and proud that sportscotland has been able to support these athletes throughout their sporting careers."

Scottish athletes will be representing Team GB at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin in the sports of:

Curling

Women

  • Rhona Martin (Skip)
  • Jackie Lockhart (3rd)
  • Kelly Wood (2nd)
  • Lynn Cameron (Lead)
  • Debbie Knox (5th)

Men

  • David Murdoch (Skip)
  • Ewan MacDonald (3rd)
  • Warwick Smith (2nd)
  • Euan Byers (Lead)
  • Craig Wilson (5th)

Figure Skating

  • John and Sinead Kerr (Ice Dance)

Skiing

Men

  • Alain Baxter (Slalom, Giant Slalom)
  • Noel Baxter (Slalom, Giant Slalom and Combined)
  • Roger Cruickshank (Super G and Downhill)
  • Finlay Mickel (Super G and Downhill)

Snowboarding

Women

  • Lesley McKenna (Halfpipe)

Scottish athletes will be representing Team GB at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Turin in the sport of:

Wheelchair Curling

  • Frank Duffy (Skip)
  • Michael McCreadie
  • Tom Killin
  • Ken Dickson
  • Angie Malone
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