With only two days to go until the start of competition, General Team Manager Vicky Strange says Youth Team Scotland is ready and raring to go. Training sessions for all seven sports started today and the feeling in the camp is great.
“Our advance party arrived on Sunday, and we welcomed the rest of the team last night”, said Vicky. “The athletes have been training today and everyone is really happy with how their preparation is going. It’s only been 24 hours, but we have already embraced the Commonwealth Youth Games, and the learning experience has well and truly begun.”
She continued: “We had a great Team Camp last month, and I’m delighted to see that the atmosphere has carried over to the team hotel in the Isle of Man. The buzz around the camp is noticeable, and it’s only going to get better when competition starts on Friday!”
UK School Games, double-silver medallist, badminton player Josh Neil said: “Today has been great, and quite relaxing. We’re all getting into being part of Youth Team Scotland, and I’m looking forward to competition starting. My goals are to play well and get the experience to move forward.”
Swimmer Emily Jones said: “The hotel has been great so far and we’re getting a great taste of the Games. We are sharing a room with athletics athletes so it’s the first time we’re getting to really meet competitors from other sports.”
It’s a busy day for Youth Team Scotland tomorrow (8th September) with Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison joining the team to announce the athlete selected to be the flagbearer for the Games. The chosen athlete will carry the saltire for the team at the Opening Ceremony, which takes place at the Bowl Stadium tomorrow evening. Swimmer Craig Benson, cyclist Grant Ferguson and sprinter Tom Holligan were shortlisted as potential flagbearers at the Team Camp having achieved significant success over the past year.
The weigh-in for the boxing competition takes place at 7.00am, when the draw will be made for the opening round. The preliminary bouts will take place tomorrow, but all athletes are expected to be ready for the opening ceremony.
We have arrived! All of our athletes and staff are now on the Isle of Man, ahead of the Commonwealth Youth Games getting underway later this week. I can’t believe how quickly time has passed since we first started planning for the Games, but I’m so excited to finally be here.
We left Stirling this morning at 7.30am, which meant an early start for the team. Of course our swimmers are usually just finishing their first training session by that time, so it wasn’t a major shock for them; but for the rest of us it was an early one. It was great to see some of the athletes’ parents again, who had come down to see us off.
After leaving Stirling we had pick-up points at Bothwell, Abington and Southwaite before arriving at the ferry port in Heysham. 71 of us travelled down today, split between two busses and a van. Our Cycling team manager Graeme Herd kindly offered to drive one of Scottish Cycling’s vans down to the Games, which was ideal for transporting the bikes, and one or two other pieces of kit.
We had a bumpy ferry journey to put up with between Heysham and Douglas, but most of us took the opportunity to catch up with a bit of sleep. When we arrived in the Isle of Man, we were met by some friendly faces in General Team Manager, Vicky Strange and my fellow Deputy General Team Manager, Elinor Middlemiss.
Our team hotel – the Clairmont – isn’t far from the ferry terminal, and we were whisked round with our bags in no time at all. We met our team liaison officers too, who will be on hand to assist us around the Isle of Man. Checking everyone in was simple, and we managed to show the athletes the spaces we will be using in the hotel. Our rooms are great, and I’m sure we’re going to have a great week here.
We took the whole team up to the Palace Hotel for dinner, which will be the dining area during the Games. It will be the only time that we get to dine as a whole team, so it was nice to bring everyone up together. Tomorrow will be all about training and orientation, but for now I think we’re all in need of some rest.
It’s been a long day, but we’re in great shape and I know I speak on behalf of everyone on the team when I say we can’t wait for the Games to begin!
P.S.
I’d like to say a big thanks to Mackie’s Coaches for getting us down to Heysham, Steam-Packet ferries for getting us across the water and the rest of the staff for helping to make the journey as smooth as it could be.
Scotland’s reputation in amateur boxing continues to rise, and the performances of Mark McKeown have certainly contributed. The Bantamweight boxer picked up a bronze medal in the European Youth Championships in Dublin; adding to his bronze won at the GB Championships and a silver from the Mostar tournament in Bosnia earlier this year.
Mark overcame some strong opposition through the rounds in Dublin, showing some great determination and skill. His first bout against AIBA World Championship Silver Medallist, Aleko Tchadashvili finished 20-11; an impressive start for the Coatbridge based fighter. Solid performances saw him proceed to the quarter final stage, where he narrowly lost out to eventual winner Radzhad Butaev (Russia) 13-10.
“It’s been a really great season for me”, says McKeown. “Dublin was obviously the highlight though. I thought I fought really well, and I beat the number two in the world which is a great achievement. I was disappointed not to get to the final but I know I fought my best so I am happy.”
Mark’s fantastic performance in Dublin has seen him named as the Commonwealth Games Scotland Athlete of the Month for August, jointly with discus thrower Nicholas Percy. Both athletes will receive £250 from Commonwealth Games Scotland towards training and competition costs.
Congratulating the August winners, Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “The Commonwealth Youth Games will help to develop our young athletes and I have every confidence that we have picked the best team possible for the Isle of Man Games. Some of these athletes will make the step up to the full Games in 2014, but I have no doubt that everyone will make the most of this opportunity. I would like to congratulate both Mark and Nicholas for their achievements over the past month, and I hope to see them repeat their success during the Games.”
Mark has shown over the past months, why he is worthy of a place in the Isle of Man team, but he’s keeping his focus on the Games competition. “I can’t wait for the Youth Games”, he said. “I’m going to be gunning for the gold there that’s for sure. We’ve already had a tournament in the competition venue, and I beat the GB champion. It’s an amazing venue and I’m really looking forward to going back.”
Mark is one of five boxers selected to represent Youth Team Scotland in the Isle of Man. He is joined by Rhys Pagan, Charlie Flynn, Grant Quigley and Kieran Smith. The team will depart for the Isle of Man on Tuesday 6th September, with competition getting underway on Thursday 8th.
2011 has been a year full of medal winning performances by discus thrower Nicholas Percy (16). Following his Youth Team Scotland selection for the Commonwealth Youth Games, Nick stormed to two gold and one silver medal haul at the UK under-17 Championships. In his favoured event the discus, Percy took gold with ease, beating his nearest competitor by over eight metres. Nick picked up a second gold and a new Scottish record of 66.94m in the hammer, before taking silver in the shot-putt.
With the Isle of Man Youth Games getting underway next week Nick is looking forward to continuing his successes. “I’m just staying focused on getting near to a medal in the discus, and if I can make a PB I’d be ecstatic”, he said. “It’s really been a great year and I’m proud of what I have achieved. Qualifying for the final of the World Youth Championships was a highlight for me. I finished 7th and recorded a personal best at the same time, which was fantastic.”
His achievements at the under-17 UK Championships is the latest in a good run of success for the Isle of Wight based athlete, adding to victories at the Scottish under-18 Open Championships and the UK under-18 Open. These incredible performances have seen him named as the Commonwealth Games Scotland Athlete of the Month for August, jointly with boxer Mark McKeown. Both athletes will receive £250 from Commonwealth Games Scotland towards training and competition costs.
Congratulating the August winners, Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “The Commonwealth Youth Games will help to develop our young athletes and I have every confidence that we have picked the best team possible for the Isle of Man Games. Some of these athletes will make the step up to the full Games in 2014, but I have no doubt that everyone will make the most of this opportunity. I would like to congratulate both Nicholas and Mark for their achievements over the past month, and I hope to see them repeat their success during the Games.”
Nick’s family were instrumental in him getting involved in sport, with his mum in particular influential in him taking up the discus. “My mum competed in the 400m at European Junior level, and she introduced me to a number of sports; mainly rugby and athletics”, said Nick. “I showed that my talents were in the throws and things have carried on from there.”
Discus is his strongest event, but he will also compete in the hammer on the Isle of Man, and has shown his talents with the shot-putt too. “Discus takes up most of my time to be honest”, says Percy. “I’ve only trained with the hammer twice this year, but I’ve been lucky with some big throws when it counts. The main aspects are all very similar in the throws, and I think my discus training helps with the other two.”
Nick is one of nine athletes selected to represent Scotland in athletics at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games. He is competing at the UK School Games (1-4 September), before joining Youth Team Scotland. The team will depart for the Isle of Man on Tuesday 6th September, with competition getting underway on Thursday 8th.
The 50 athletes selected to represent Youth Team Scotland at the fourth Commonwealth Youth Games (7-12 September 2011) set sail today for the Isle of Man.
The athletes, aged between 13-18 years, will compete for Scotland in all seven sports on the programme, with many entering multiple events: Athletics (9), Badminton (4), Boxing (5), Cycling (4), Gymnastics (6), Rugby 7s (12), Swimming (10). They will be part of a 1000-strong athlete contingent from 69 Commonwealth nations and territories.
The Youth Games concept created by Scotland in 2000, and designed as an effective vehicle for developing young athletes and giving them an early experience of an international multi-sport environment, has a great track record of uncovering future champions at senior level. To date 47 Scottish athletes from a total of 200 have progressed from the youth to the senior Commonwealth Games Team, with 11 going on to win a total of 18 medals for Scotland.
It is anticipated that this positive trend will continue and a significant number of the 50 athletes who compete and win medals in the Isle of Man will go on to compete with distinction for Scotland at Glasgow 2014 and beyond.
Wishing the team luck for the Games, Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of CGS said: “Today is a really exciting day for our team of 50 athletes as they embark on their Commonwealth Games journey. Whilst winning medals is important, the major benefit of the Commonwealth Youth Games is the opportunity it gives to expose young athletes to this level of international competition in a multi-sport environment.
“I am sure Youth Team Scotland will compete to the best of their ability and that we will see a number of talented new faces emerge, who will go on to compete in Glasgow in 2014 when the next Commonwealth Games are held in Scotland. I wish them every success and I look forward to watching them perform and cheering them on over the next few days.”
Amongst the team members travelling to the Isle of Man after a successful season so far, are the two latest athletes to be awarded Athlete of the Month for August by Commonwealth Games Scotland, boxer Mark McKeown and throws athlete Nick Percy.
Scotland’s reputation in amateur boxing continues to rise, and the performances of Mark McKeown have certainly contributed. The Bantamweight boxer, who went to Delhi as part of the Achieve 2014 programme, picked up a bronze medal in the European Youth Championships in Dublin; adding to his bronze won at the GB Championships and a silver from the Mostar tournament in Bosnia earlier this year.
2011 has been a year full of medal winning performances by discus thrower Nick Percy (16). Following his Youth Team Scotland selection for the Commonwealth Youth Games, Nick stormed to two gold (discus and hammer) and one silver medal (shot put) at the UK under-17 Championships and took gold at last weekend’s UK School Games. Earlier in the season he also qualified for the final of the World Youth Championships finishing 7th in a personal best, whilst on home soil he had victories at the Scottish under-18 Open Championships and the UK under-18 Open.
Also going into the Commonwealth Youth Games showing great form is badminton player Josh Neil (also a member of the Achieve 2014 programme), who was runner-up in the boys’ singles final at the UK School Games last weekend, whilst hammer thrower Kimberley Reed took gold at the same event in Sheffield. Swimmer, Craig Benson has also had a great run of form winning gold and silver for Great Britain in the 100m and 50m breaststroke respectively at the World Junior Championships in Peru last month. Cross-country mountain bike specialist, Grant Ferguson, finished just outside the medals, in an impressive fourth place at the Junior Mountain Bike World Championships last weekend and will now contest the road events in the Isle of Man.
Youth Team Scotland will be led by General Team Manager Vicky Strange and a coaching and support team of 24 staff. The team left for the Games early this morning travelling by coach and ferry. They will have a training day on 7 September followed by the Opening Ceremony on 8 September. This will be followed by three days of hotly contested competition 9-11 September.
The Youth Games will also feature a cultural programme on the 12 September to enable athletes to mix and learn about other cultures, before an informal Closing Ceremony. The team will return to Scotland on Tuesday 13 September 2011.
Click here to watch the BBC Scotland Sport Nation preview pack
Head coach Mark McKenzie has named 17-year old former Scotland pentathlete, Jamie Farndale, as the rugby sevens captain for the Commonwealth Youth Games which get underway on the Isle of Man this week (Wednesday 7 September).
The youngster represented Edinburgh’s under-16 rugby sides in 2009 and 2010 while sprinting for Scottish Schools and represented his country in this multi-discipline event against familiar rugby foes Wales, England and Ireland.
Farndale, who now trains full-time with Edinburgh Rugby as part of Scottish Rugby’s elite development programme (EDP), first earned age-grade international notoriety when he scored the winning try for Scotland under-18 against their English counterparts in March.
He said: “First I was honoured just to be selected for a tournament that happens just once every four years but I’m absolutely delighted to be asked to captain the side and I’m looking forward to doing my best for Youth Team Scotland.
“I’m definitely going to keep playing the way I play now and not focus too much on the captaincy. I want to lead by example. Teamwork is vital in rugby, especially in sevens, as the whole team is involved throughout the competition and has to play their part.
“We’ve met with all the other sports and athletes, including some familiar faces that I used to sprint against. It was really interesting because we got to chat about the differences in how we train and prepare, but it brought home the importance of being part of Youth Team Scotland and not individual Scottish teams. It makes for a great atmosphere and is going to be really enjoyable.
“We’ve trained hard as a group and alongside the senior sevens team which has given us confidence in our ability and what we need to do as a team. We’re all really looking forward to getting stuck in.”
Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “On behalf of Commonwealth Games Scotland I would like to congratulate Jamie on his selection as captain for the Rugby 7s team at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man next week. It is always a great honour to be selected to represent your country, but to be further recognised as having the required attributes to lead your team is exceptional and I am sue he will do an outstanding job both on and off the field of play.”
Adam Ashe from Alva, Clackmannanshire has been named as vice-captain.
Scotland have drawn tough opposition in Pool A of the Games, and will face Youth Games’ hosts, the Isle of Man, Australia and Canada at the Bowl Stadium.
In the opposing Pool B, England have been drawn with South Africa, Sri Lanka and Trinidad & Tobago. Each Pool will battle it out before progressing to the medal matches the following day (Sunday).
Scotland’s squad for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games: Adam Ashe (Scotland 7s/Glasgow Warriors EDP/Stirling County), Chris Auld (Austin Friars School/Gala), Will Bordill (Sale Sharks), Chris Dean (Edinburgh Academy), James Farndale CAPTAIN (Edinburgh Rugby EDP/Edinburgh Accies), Robbie Fergusson (Ayr), Alex Galashan (Edinburgh Academy), Neil Herron (West of Scotland), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scotland 7s, Edinburgh Rugby EDP/Heriot’s), Damien Hoyland (Boroughmuir), Shaun MacDonald (Stirling County) and Scott Steele (Watsonians).
Commonwealth Games Chairman, Michael Cavanagh welcomed sportscotland’s announcement today (Wednesday 31 August), launching their Athlete Personal Awards (SAPAs), which will benefit a host of athletes aiming for Commonwealth Games success in 2014.
Managed by the sportscotland institute of sport, this new three-year initiative offers an annual financial award of £3,000, £5,000 or £10,000 to individual athletes who are considered to have the potential to deliver a medal winning performance at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (and or the London 2012 Olympic Games).
In the first of three, annual award announcements, forty-five athletes across 13 sports will receive awards totalling £204,000. Recipients include 2010 Commonwealth Games shooting gold medallist Jon Hammond (£10,000), hurdler Eilidh Child (£5,000) and judo’s 20-year-old rising star Samantha Clark (£3,000).
The individual awards are from the sportscotland Lottery Fund and are in addition to any other funding the athlete may receive from sponsors and benefactors. Awards are intended to help the athlete cover training, competition and living costs. Additional support in these areas can be invaluable for athletes looking to make steps towards Olympic or Commonwealth success.
Commonwealth Games and Sport Minister Shona Robison said: “Scotland will be at the centre of the international stage when the Commonwealth Games come to Glasgow in 2014, and we are looking forward to seeing our athletes shine. The sportscotland Athlete Personal Awards are geared towards supporting athletes with the potential to step up onto the podium, and I am delighted to welcome today’s announcement of the first sportsmen and women to be supported. The awards will help athletes concentrate on doing their best and, most importantly, inspire future generations of sports stars in Scotland.”
SAPA recipient, shooter Jen McIntosh said: “Being a full-time athlete has its challenges, and sport is certainly not cheap and easy. There are a number of pressures on athletes financially, which can take their toll on you. The new sportscotland Athlete Personal Awards will go some way to alleviate those pressures and allow me to concentrate on what is most important; my sport.”
Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland, added: “Every recipient of a sportscotland Athlete Personal Award has been identified through a stringent assessment process as having the potential to deliver a medal winning performance for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
“The initiative has been developed by sportscotland in partnership with our SGB partners to give our top athletes every chance of success come 2014. Being an athlete requires 100% commitment, and with that comes certain pressures and demands, which we hope the SAPAs will help to balance.”
Nominations for an award are made by the athlete’s governing body (SGB). The final decision of who receives an individual award is made by a panel of sportscotland staff led by the Director of High Performance, Mike Whittingham.
With Glasgow 2014 less than three years away, Michael Cavanagh concluded: “A number of our athletes still face significant financial challenges in covering the cost of their training and competition, as well as day to day living costs. This means some of them have to compromise on their ideal training regime, or balance it with work commitments, which is less than ideal.
“These awards are extremely welcome and will go a long way toward enabling athletes to focus clearly on realising their potential and winning medals for Team Scotland in 2014.“
Recipients of SAPAs – August 2011
ATHLETICS
Andy Frost – £5000
Eilidh Child – £5000
James Campbell – £5000
Mark Dry – £5000
Stephanie Twell – £5000
Eilish McColgan – £3000
Lynsey Sharp – £3000
BADMINTON
Susan Egelstaff – £5000
BOXING
Aston Brown – £5000
Josh Taylor – £5000
CYCLING
Grant Ferguson – £5000
Katy Winton – £5000
HOCKEY
Abi Walker – £3000
Emily Maguire – £3000
Laura Bartlett – £3000
Niall Stott – £3000
Stephen Dick – £3000
Vikki Bunce – £3000
JUDO
Graham Trinder – £3000
James Millar – £3000
Samantha Clark – £3000
ROWING
Polly Swann – £3000
SHOOTING
Jennifer McIntosh – £10000
Jon Hammond – £10000
Shona Marshall – £10000
John MacDonald – £5000
Matt Thomson – £5000
Neil Stirton – £5000
SQUASH
Alan Clyne – £5000
Lisa Aitken – £5000
Harry Leitch – £3000
SWIMMING
Craig McNally – £5000
Cameron Brodie – £5000
Doug Scott – £5000
Jak Scott – £5000
Kathryn Johnstone – £5000
Lucy Ellis – £5000
TRIATHLON
David McNamee – £5000
Kerry Lang – £5000
WEIGHTLIFTING
Graeme Kane – £5000
WRESTLING
Alex Gladkov – £3000
Craig McKenna – £3000
Jayne Clason – £3000
Kathryn Marsh – £3000
Sean Keogh – £3000
Kirsty Gilmour will have the distinction of being the only member of a 50-strong team to have competed in a senior Commonwealth Games, when Scotland competes in the fourth Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man from September 7-12.
The 17-year-old from Bothwell, who represented Scotland in Delhi 2010, is one of four badminton players in the squad. The others are Prestwick’s 16-year-old Josh Neil, Edinburgh’s Matthew Carder (18) and Giffnock’s Caitlin Pringle (17).
Neil and Pringle have non-competitive experience of a senior Commonwealth Games, having been selected to travel to Delhi last year as part of the Achieve 2014 programme, which offered a number of talented athletes the opportunity to gain critical knowledge and experience of a senior multi-sport environment to assist their preparations for success in Glasgow and beyond.
The badminton team will be coached and managed by John Quinn and Team Leader Julie Hogg.
Carder is the reigning Scottish National under 19 singles and mixed doubles champion while Gilmour has won national titles at every age group bar under 11 and is the only member of the Youth Games badminton team to have represented Scotland at senior level.
Neil has also sampled significant junior success. He won the singles at the UK School Games last year, a title he will be defending this year the week before the Youth Games begin. He is also the current Under 17 national singles and mixed champion, while some of Pringle’s recent successes include the Under 17 and Under 19 national doubles titles in 2009 and 2010.
BADMINTONscotland Performance Manager, Gareth McKenna said: “The players have been training hard throughout the summer and are looking forward to the Commonwealth Youth Games. The Badminton event will have a very strong field from around the Commonwealth, however the players have prepared well and they know what is expected of them.”
Team Leader Julie Hogg added: “Competing in the Isle of Man will be a great opportunity for players to be part of a multi-sport environment and it will stand them in good stead in years to come. They are all aware of the challenges ahead and I am confident they will compete to the best of their abilities.”
Badminton is one of seven sports in this year’s Youth Games, the others being athletics, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, rugby 7s and swimming.
Sixty-nine of the 71 Commonwealth countries are expected to compete in the Games and for many of the young athletes it will be a stepping stone to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The badminton events take place from September 9-11 with the first two rounds of the five events on day one and quarters and semi-finals on day two.
At the UCI Junior World Track Championships in Moscow last week (17-21 August 2011), Scottish Commonwealth Games cyclist John Paul came out on top of the podium for Great Britain in an impressive performance in the Junior Men’s Sprint competition.
Having battled through the early stages, John Paul faced the formidable German Max Neiderlag, who broke the Junior 200m world record in qualifying. John bucked the qualifying form in the first of the semi final match sprints. Neiderlag squared the match in the second sprint, forcing a decider, which Paul won to progress to the final, where Paul faced Frenchman Julien Palma.
The diminutive Paul didn’t mess about in the final, beating his opponent 2-0 to grab Sprint Gold. It was also a straight 2-0 in the bronze final, with the scintillating German Neiderlag beating Russian Nikita Shurshin for bronze.
This concludes a fantastic summer of racing for the 18 year old from Oxfordshire who also took double Gold at the European Junior Track Championships in the Sprint and the Kierin.