Students, staff and partners at Stirling University, Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, took part in a range of fun sporting activities to mark ‘Sport Your Trainers’, the annual event which takes place on Commonwealth Day to promote the Galsgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Professor David Lavallee, Head of the School of Sport, and Jon Doig, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland which is based on campus, donned their trainers and joined in with a community Zumba class, which featured a number of Winning Students sports scholarship students.
Other fun activities included a sport your flippers swim class; an extra-long evening indoor cycling class and a series of sports taster sessions in badminton and basketball.
Making the most of the scenic campus, coaches and sports staff from governing body triathlonscotland took on a time trial challenge around Airthrey Loch, while back in the fitness centre, University gym instructors challenged gym members to top the 3km treadmill leader board.
Jon Doig, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Sport Your Trainers on Commonwealth Day is a way everyone can get involved in the build up to the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow in just over two years time. Sport Your Trainers combines fun and fitness that gives it universal appeal throughout the Commonwealth. From athletes to volunteers, it shows that everyone can get involved in the Games coming to Scotland.”
Scottish athletes across many of the 17 Commonwealth Games sports are busy competing for selection for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
If the recent amazing display by the legendary Sir Chris Hoy in the fabulous new state of the art velodrome is anything to go by, it is going to be an exciting summer of sport for Scots on Team GB. It also serves to build the anticipation for a home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
Good luck to all our athletes aiming for Team GB. We look forward to following their progress, cheering them on and applying lessons learnt for Glasgow 2014.
Athletes qualified so far:
Swimming
Congratulations to Commonwealth Games gold medallists Robbie Renwick (400m freestyle) and Hannah Miley (400m individual medley) who qualified for London 2012 on day one of the British Swimming Championships. Great news also came on day two when triple Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Craig Benson finished second and met the qualification time for the 100m breaststroke at just 17 years of age.
Later in the week Robbie also qualified in the 200m freestyle and Hannah added the 200m individual medley place to her schedule. Caitlin McClatchey booked her slot in the 4x200m freestyle relay, whilst Michael Jamieson, edged out in the 100m breaststroke claimed his Olympic place in his preferred 200m breastroke event.
The Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust today announced the first nine recipients of awards up to £1000 per athlete from the PHM Scholarship Support Fund.
This is a new source of additional athlete support funding which is being administered by the Commonwealth Games Scotland Youth Trust, following support from a private individual impressed by the potential of Scotland’s young athletes.
Support has been made available for up to 12 prospective Commonwealth Games athletes under the age of 26, towards their preparation for events leading up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and beyond. Athletes have been selected based on their performances at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Whilst the award is made for an initial one year period, an in principle commitment is made for a further two years, subject to satisfactory progress being made against agreed goals set. This longer-term commitment gives athletes greater security and allows them to focus fully on their training and competition. Care has also been taken to ensure that this funding provides an enhanced level of support and does not duplicate funding awarded by other providers.
Those athletes benefiting from this new initiative are:
Emily-Jones-Web.jpg
Athletics
Zoey Clark (17), Aberdeen – £1000
Tom Holligan (17), Edinburgh – £900
Boxing
Charlie Flynn (18), Motherwell – £800
Mark McKeown (17), Coatbridge – £1000
Kieran Smith (18), Greenrigg – £1000
Cycling
Grant Ferguson (18), Peebles – £850
Badminton
Kirsty Gilmour (18), Bothwell – £950
Swimming
Craig Benson (17), Livingston – £1000
Emily Jones (16), Inverurie – £1000
Six of the athletes won medals at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games, and all of them have had success at junior national and international level and demonstrated the potential to go on to represent Scotland at future Commonwealth Games.
The funding will be put to a range of good uses, but focused on helping with living costs and special dietary requirements, purchasing kit and equipment, assisting with travel costs to training and competition or even for areas of personal development.
Welcoming the new initiative, Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust said: “We are truly indebted to this individual who has recognised the potential that so many of our young athletes in Scotland have. It is fantastic that he has personally stepped forward to support a number of them on an ongoing basis in order to help secure their sporting future. This is a crucial time in their development when it would be easy for external factors such as cost to influence their decision whether to quit, or continue and flourish in their chosen sport.
“I have no doubt that his generosity will help to make a significant difference and allow these athletes to fully focus on realising their sporting aspirations. I know he will follow their progress with interest and will gain great satisfaction from seeing them achieve great things for Scotland.”
Excited to be receiving £1000 towards driving lessons and the cost of running a car, triple gold medallist at the Commonwealth Youth Games, swimmer Craig Benson said: “This is fantastic news. This funding will make a massive difference to me helping me to become self-sufficient getting to and from training. The amount of support that my family gives me is huge and to make it easier financially for them would be amazing.”
Fellow swimmer Emily Jones added: “To receive this funding would be a great boost for me. I know I have the full support of my family, but to know that there is support of this kind from an organisation is incredible, it would mean that others have the belief in my abilities, and this would make me even more determined than ever succeed and achieve my goals.”
With a ten year commitment given to the PHM Scholarship Support Fund this is great news for Scottish athletes.
Schools across Scotland will Step Up as part of Glasgow 2014’s annual Sport Your Trainers campaign and forge links with young people across the Commonwealth with support from Scottish pole vaulter Jax Thoir.
In this ground-breaking initiative, Education Scotland is working in partnership with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games to raise awareness among Scotland’s pupils of the 71 nations and territories in the Commonwealth, aimed at inspiring them to create links with schools in other countries and to learn more about each other.
As part of the Sport Your Trainers campaign, Scottish schools will be encouraged to be as active as possible on 12th March Commonwealth Day, by walking, jogging, rowing, cycling, spinning, hopping or even skipping throughout the day.
Ahead of 12th March, Education Scotland used their virtual education network ‘Glow’, to provide information on the Step Up challenge and possible Sport Your Trainers activities. The highlight of the session was a special live online ‘Glow Meet’, with Scottish Pole Vaulter and Glasgow 2014 hopeful Jax Thoirs. Jax took part in an hour long session with youngsters across the country, answering questions about his sport and his ambition to compete for Team Scotland in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Recounting his experience Jax said: “Going to the school was a really interesting experience for me. I enjoyed the chance to raise awareness about my event and to allow people to get to know me. Getting your face out there with Glasgow 2014 coming up is really important and means that I can have as much support as possible when the Games arrive.”
It is with great sadness that Commonwealth Games Scotland hears of the death of Dr Elizabeth McSwan. She made a significant contribution to the management of medical services for the Commonwealth Games, both when held in Scotland and travelling away with the team.
Liz Mc Swan qualified with MB ChB from Glasgow University in 1963, where she had also captained the women’s hockey team.
She went on to work at Dunfermline College of Physical Education as medical officer and lecturer. She was very involved in the then fledgling discipline of Sports Medicine and served as Chair of the British Association of Sports Medicine, Scottish Branch.
Liz was involved in both the 1970 and 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, as a member of the Medical Team which set up and ran the Games medical facilities.
Having previously worked with both Scottish and British Athletics she was delighted to be chosen to go to Victoria in 1994 as one of the two medical officers for the Scottish Team. This was followed in 1998 by her appointment as Honorary Medical Advisor in the preparations for the Kuala Lumpur Games and attending those Games as Head Doctor. She was also one of the general team staff at the Village in Edinburgh for the inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games in 2000.
Outside of sport Liz was also very involved in her own community as an elder at Cramond Church. She was one of the first female Rotarians and went on to become the first lady President of Edinburgh Rotary Club.
CGS Honorary Medical Adviser, Joan Watt said: “Liz was a friend to all and was always prepared to help where she could. She has certainly left her personal mark on the sports medicine profession of Scotland and the UK and will be greatly missed.”
Two Scottish athletes helped to kick-start the innovative scheme that will see over 1,000 pupils and students the length and breadth of Scotland gear up to be part of the ground-breaking Lead 2014 youth leadership and volunteering campaign ahead of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The programme, launched at the University of Stirling – Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, will inspire hundreds of secondary school pupils and university students to use sport as the springboard to hone and develop their leadership skills. It will also provide an opportunity for children across Scotland to engage with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Lead 2014 – a partnership between sportscotland, Youth Sport Trust and Glasgow 2014, – will see pupils from 137 Scottish secondary schools gather during February and March at one of seven day-long conferences hosted by the Lead 2014 partner university in their area.
The pupils will be mentored by university student volunteers in how to plan, organise and manage a Commonwealth Games themed sports festival. The pupils then take their new skills and knowledge back to their communities to organise a sports festival for their local primary schools.
Using Glasgow 2014 as the catalyst, Lead 2014 will capture young people’s energy and enthusiasm for sport and enable them to become leadership ambassadors among their peers. It will also help to motivate them to play a significant part in the huge volunteering effort around the Commonwealth Games
Today’s launch saw two of Scotland’s young aspiring athletes lead the way by inspiring young people to rise to the leadership challenge. Triathlete Grant Sheldon and swimmer Cameron Brodie – who are aiming to be part of Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 – staged a sports festival for a group of Stirling school pupils and university students to illustrate the end product of the Lead 2014 campaign.
This is the second year of the campaign and will be a key element in the build-up to Glasgow 2014. In 2011, 900 pupils from 94 secondary schools attended the six university conferences across the country. This year’s programme has been extended to seven universities and has attracted interest from over 1,000 pupils all over Scotland.
Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland met up with the new CGF President, HRH Prince Imran from Malaysia, during his first official visit to Glasgow last week.
The sports champion Prince who now heads the global Commonwealth Games movement believes Glasgow 2014 will be an outstanding festival of world-class sport.
HRH Prince Imran from Malaysia, who was elected as President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) last November, met with Glasgow 2014’s Organising Committee to hear how preparations for the Games are moving forward and to see the planning process which will ensure the Games remains on track.
The Prince, a former Malaysian squash champion and national team member, has been heavily involved in several sporting movements including being current President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia and a member of the International Olympic Committee.
This week’s Glasgow visit gave Prince Imran an opportunity to speak directly to senior members of the Organising Committee to gather information on a number of key delivery areas such as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, venues infrastructure and readiness, the volunteering programme as well as transport and security planning. He was also provided with an update on the legacy of the Games.
HRH Prince Imran commented on the progress being made in advance of Glasgow 2014: “It was heartening to see the pace of progress towards the Games on my first visit to the city and the Organising Committee. I believe what Glasgow and Scotland have done so far is excellent, and I know the city and nation will be great hosts leaving a warm, last impression on athletes, officials and spectators alike.
“I am encouraged by what I have seen and heard and, with the Games on time and on budget, I am confident that we will see an amazing 11days of world-class sport in 2014.
He added: “While there is still much to be achieved between now and the Games, I believe the Organising Committee has the correct plans in place to, not only ensure a fantastic multi-sport event, but to deliver a tangible legacy for Glasgow, Scotland and the Commonwealth Games movement in general.”
The visit of Prince Imran follows a recent inspection by the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Coordination Commission in October 2011. The Commission reported it was satisfied with the strong partnership approach taken by the Organising Committee and Games Partners which is delivering across all elements of the Games. The Commission also believed there was a “clear focus on generating value and legacy for the people of Glasgow and Scotland.”
Construction work on the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, venue for the Swimming competition at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, reached a landmark stage today (20 December) when a truss measuring 78 x 7.5 x 4.2 metres and weighing 152 tonnes was installed by two 500-tonne cranes.
There to oversee the operation was City of Glasgow swimmer and Commonwealth Youth Games medallists Alasdair Stirling, who has high hopes of competing for Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014.
The truss forms the framework of the building for the new six-lane 50 metre warm-up swimming pool at Tollcross. This is being built to add to the existing 10-lane 50 metre competition pool, providing a dedicated venue for swimming events at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Additional work at Tollcross International Swimming Centre will result in the creation of a new community facility to replace the fire-damaged Shettleston Burgh Halls; and the refurbishment of the existing Tollcross Leisure Centre.
The design of the enhanced facility was carried out by Glasgow City Council’s in-house design team.
As part of the programme, 1,000 permanent seats will be added to the 1,000 already existing, with a further 3,000 temporary seats in place during the Games.
Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Glasgow City Council, said: “The installation of the truss is a landmark stage in the creation of the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, not only a competition venue for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, but for future events and training for swimmers at all levels. Six months after the pool closed, work is progressing very well on a facility that can host swimming competitions at the highest level. The new centre will be a fantastic new facility for Glasgow, benefiting the city for generations to come.”
Michael Cavanagh, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Tollcross has seen some exciting international swimming action over the years, but nothing that will compare to the atmosphere when the greatest swimmers in the Commonwealth enter the water here in 2014. Team Scotland swimmers have been extremely successful at the last two Commonwealth Games and I know how much they will enjoy and benefit from the support of a fabulous home crowd cheering them on to victory at a home Games.
“It is great to see the re-development of the pool well underway and the action coming one step closer.”
Barclay Chalmers, Managing Director of Barr Construction, said: “The truss lift and installation is a major feat of engineering and really quite spectacular to see. Once erected, the 152 tonne truss will support the roof of the existing building and the extension. Following this milestone the new Tollcross International Swimming Centre will begin to visibly take shape.”
Sir Peter Heatly, one Scotland’s greatest ever Commonwealth athletes and administrators, along with two young Scottish sporting talents, officially opened Commonwealth House, Glasgow 2014’s new HQ in the east end of the city on 6 December 2011.
Glasgow 2014, in recognition of Sir Peter’s unprecedented success as a diver and his unique association with the Commonwealth Games, has named its boardroom ‘The Sir Peter Heatly Boardroom’ in his honour.
The celebration at Glasgow 2014’s impressive new premises in the Merchant City was an opportunity to highlight the exceptional career of Sir Peter Heatly and also look to the future of Scottish Sport. Young athletes Vicky Clow and John McCall joined Glasgow 2014 Chairman Lord Smith and Games Partners to officially open the building.
Sir Peter won three consecutive diving gold medals in Auckland 1950, Vancouver 1954 and Cardiff 1958 before going on to become Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) from 1982 to 1990. The self-taught diver from Leith who dominated diving in Scotland for over 20 years has attended all 17 Games from 1950 as Competitor, Manager, Organiser, Chairman of the CGF and, most recently, as Life Vice President of the CGF.
Vicky has already competed at the Commonwealth Games, aged just 16, when she took part in Rhythmic Gymnastics at Delhi 2010. John represented youth Team Scotland at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man, competing in the 110m hurdles.
The HQ will be home to 1044 members of staff at Games-time and the interior of Commonwealth House has been designed in line with Glasgow 2014’s athlete centred and sport focused vision. All 17 Commonwealth sports are portrayed extensively throughout the building, including the use of pictograms and sport terminology in designing and naming all the meeting rooms.
The evening was attended by various guests from across Scotland and provided another significant milestone in the planning and preparation for the Games.
Glasgow 2014 Chairman Lord Smith said: “We are delighted to call Commonwealth House and the Merchant City our new home, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to recognise Sir Peter’s outstanding contribution to the Commonwealth Games and his sporting achievements.
“Commonwealth House will leave yet another tangible landmark after the Games, but more importantly a positive legacy for the city, in a completely refurbished traditional building in the Merchant City.”
Commonwealth Games Scotland Vice Chairman, Fiona McEwan said: “The new headquarters is not only a testament to Glasgow’s commitment to regeneration in the city but it has a vibrant positive atmosphere that clearly states that it is ‘Games on’. Visiting delegates, partners and contractors will be left in no doubt about the OC’s professional approach to staging a truly athlete centred and sport focused Games.
“We are also particularly delighted that Sir Peter Heatly, one of our greatest Commonwealth Games athletes is also being recognised within the headquarters.”
There was great excitement on Thursday night, when Youth Team Scotland scooped the Team of the Year Award at the 2011 Sunday Mail and sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards. Also nominated in the same category were Glasgow City Ladies Football Club and the Glasgow Tigers Speedway Team.
The awards celebrate excellence in Scotland’s sportsmen, women and teams for their outstanding achievements across the sporting spectrum over the last year.
Youth Team Scotland competed in the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man in September and Scottish athletes picked up an impressive 22 medals, which came from a total of nineteen individual medallists. Scotland finished sixth on the medal table; with five gold, six silver and 11 bronze medals.
There on the night to collect the Award were gold medallists Tom Holligan from athletics (Edinburgh) and gymnast Douglas Ross (Johnstone), silver medallist in boxing Kieran Smith (Greenriggs, West Lothian), badminton player Caitlin Pringle and cyclist Stuart McCluskey, accompanied by General Team Manager Vicky Strange and Deputy General Team Manager Elinor Middlemiss.
Commenting on the Award, Commonwealth Games Chief Executive Jon Dog said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised as Team of the Year for the second time in succession.
“Our Youth Games athletes and staff did a fantastic job in the Isle of Man and had a great introduction to Commonwealth Games that will be of benefit to them and Team Scotland in the future. Many of them will now have their sights firmly set on Glasgow 2014.”