Pitreavie played host to the Scottish National Senior Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials last weekend (17/18 June 2010).

Unfortunately the weather conditions put paid to any strong performances on the track with the wind blowing at +6 metres per second, however there were wins for Claire Gibson(800m), Freya Murray(5,000m), Ally Hay(1500m) and Chris Baillie(110mH) on the track and James Campbell, Mark Dry and Angus McInroy in the field.
It was also good to see Kris Robertson(400m), Gemma Nicol(400m), Mark Mitchell(800m), Morag McLarty(1500m), Nony Mordi(Triple Jump) and James Campbell(Javelin) all win titles, while Ross Toole was second in the 1500m. These seven athletes were all part of the Commonwealth youth Games Team in Bendigo in 2004.
In the field, James Campbell the star attraction with a throw of 80.38m in the javelin, breaking the Scottish and Native record. This throw ranks him 4th in the Commonwealth. James was a member of Team Scotland for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo in 2004 and he was awarded athlete of the Games following his gold medal winning performance. He will now be hoping to go to Delhi in October and enjoy similar success.
Discus thrower Angus McInroy came into the weekend’s competition in a relaxed mood having clinched his second qualifying round last weekend in Italy, smashing the 19-year-old Scottish record with a throw of 58.77metres. His winning throw of 56.76metres was some way off the record but McInroy was delighted to have posted a third qualifying distance given the conditions.
He said, “I am very pleased with a win today and especially pleased with last weekend. I felt I could have thrown further today but you always think that. The more excited I get, the more my technique goes so it’s important to stay focused.”
Hoping to be selected and looking ahead to October’s Commonwealth Games, he continued, “As long as I make the top eight anything can happen in Delhi.”
Mark Dry also achieved a Commonwealth Games qualification distance in the hammer.
The deadline for all athletes aiming for a place in Team Scotland for Delhi 2010 is the 1st August so time is ticking for those still to prove their credentials.

Commonwealth Games Scotland and Glasgow 2014 have announced the names of 30 up and coming, talented athletes who are the potential Scottish sports stars of Glasgow 2014 in four years time.

The 30 athletes, 16 coaches and 10 mentors who have been selected for the Achieve 2014 programme, a new initiative designed specifically to enhance the winning opportunities of Scottish athletes and coaches on the world stage. The programme has been created to offer a number oftalented athletes and coaches from the sports on the Glasgow 2014 programme, the opportunity to gain critical knowledge and experience of a senior multi-sport environment to assist their own preparations for success in Glasgow and beyond.

Commonwealth Games Scotland and an award of £20,000 from sportscotland. The national agency for sport is also providing expertise to support the programme, with Commonwealth Games gold medallist, World Champion and Olympian in Judo, Graeme Randall MBE appointed as the Achieve 2014 Director. A number of other staff members have been appointed as mentors.

Post Games studies and reports on athlete success at multi-sport Games have consistently highlighted that the environment experienced is significantly different to that which most athletes and staff encounter at their own single sport championships. Whilst sending development athletes to the Games in the past has often proved to be a negative experience, with athletes unprepared for the big step-up. Raising the Games selections standards has helped improve results over the last two Games, with young athletes now getting a less pressured initial multi-sport experience via the successful Commonwealth Youth Games established by Scotland in 2000. The Achieve 2014 programmes now builds on this concept as a bridge to a full Games experience.

Achieve 2014 will offer the athletes and coaches announced today, the opportunity to travel to the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games for a five day learning experience. Each team member will observe their own or similar sport in competition as well as visit the Games Village to see how their Team Scotland counterparts live and train. They will complete specific learning tasks, daily event logs and, upon return, complete a brief report on their personal experiences throughout the whole event.

Assigned to each Achieve 2014 team member will be an athlete or coach mentor, who will work closely with them prior to, during and after the 2010 Games to ensure the time spent in Delhi is utilised to achieve a robust, performance related outcome. Amongst the mentors named today are 2006 Commonwealth Gold medallist shooter Susan Jackson; two time Badminton medal winner, Elinor Middlemiss and former hammer thrower, Shirley Webb who is also a member of the Glasgow 2014 Athletes’ Commission.
Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said:
“As we mark four years to go to the start of the 2014 Games I am absolutely delighted to announce our Achieve 2014 team who will get a taste of things to come in Delhi this year.
“As we have known for many years, some athletes rise to the big multi-sport occasion whilst others are overwhelmed by it and in 2014 competing on home soil will bring huge opportunities but also additional pressures. Investing in our future talented athletes and coaches is money well spent to help ensure that our athletes have the best preparation possible and can compete with distinction in 2014 and beyond.”
Graeme and his team of mentors are confident that the exciting young talent they have to work with will benefit hugely from the experience.
Graeme Randall MBE said:
“It is great to see the programme coming to life now we have selected our team.Different sports have chosen to use the programme in different ways depending on their stage of development, with some sports only nominating athletes whilst others have just selected coaches and some both. However they are all looking for the same outcome – to enhance their chances of success in Glasgow.”
Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive John Scott said:
“Glasgow has Four Years to Go until the Opening Ceremony at Celtic Park, and it’s fantastic to see these up and coming athletes getting the experience and support they need to achieve their Personal Best on home soil.
“Naming these athletes, mentors and coaches today has underlined our approach to delivering an outstanding Games in 2014 – and keeping them athlete centred and sport focused. I am looking forward to seeing these athletes at work in Delhi, and hearing about their learning experiences over the next Four Years as part of the Achieve 2014 programme.”

Minister for Public Health and Sport Shona Robison said:
“Glasgow 2014 is no longer a distant prospect, the venues and infrastructure are rising from the ground here in Glasgow and all across Scotland people are getting involved and feeling the excitement that the Games will bring. As part of this the Scottish Government’s Games legacy plan aims to inspire everyone in Scotland to get involved and take advantage of this unique opportunity to become a healthier nation. This key landmark on the countdown to 2014 will help to encourage people to make lasting lifestyle changes which will improve their health and make Scotland an Active Nation.
“The young athletes of the future announced today as members of the Achieve 2014 programme symbolise our ambition and optimism for the Games. They have a huge opportunity to be part of the Scottish team competing at a major event. I hope that their experience at Delhi 2010 will inspire them and other aspiring Scottish athletes to excel in their chosen events and contribute to future Scottish sporting success.”
It is intended that the programme will run again in 2012 with athletes attending the London Olympic Games and then for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Commonwealth Games Scotland are seeking staff to support and work within Scotland House in Delhi at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. These are voluntary positions and applicants must be available from 25 September – 16 October 2010.

Job descriptions and application forms can be obtained from

Games Scotland House
Commonwealth Games Scotland
University of Stirling
Stirling FK9 4LA
Tel: 01786 466480
info@cgcs.org.uk

Applications close Wednesday 10 August 2010
Should applicants be selected for interview, these will be held in the week of 21 August 2020

The 2009-2010 season has proved to be a fruitful time for Scotland’s number 1 badminton player, Susan Egelstaff.

The Glasgow based 27 year old, who is poised to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games for the third time in Delhi in October, has enjoyed a season-long run of on-court successes and consistently impressive performances both domestically and internationally.

Married life certainly seems to be agreeing with Egelstaff and since her wedding last June to husband Dylan, her achievements have included winning the prestigious Scottish International Championships for the first time and retaining her Scottish National title, lifting the trophy for the fifth time. Ranked 27 in the world, her season culminated with an invitation to the Badminton Europe circuit finals earlier this month where she finished as runner-up to Ella Diehl, the player she defeated in the final of the Scottish International, by the narrowest of margins.

In recognition of her achievements, Egelstaff has been named the Clydesdale Bank Athlete of the Month for June, receiving £500 towards her training and competition costs in the process. The scheme, being run by Commonwealth Games Scotland in conjunction with Clydesdale Bank as part of its programme of support to Team Scotland, is open to athletes in any of the 17 participating sports who are eligible to represent Scotland at this year’s Games in Delhi.

On hearing the news Egelstaff said: “It’s been a really good season for me and it’s nice to have that recognised with the Athlete of the Month Award. It’s a good confidence booster and it’s also great to get a bit of extra help financially from Clydesdale Bank towards my training and competition costs, especially with the World Championships and Commonwealth Games on the horizon.”

Among her many other achievements, Egelstaff is also Scotland’s most experienced current internationalist having represented her country an impressive 81 times. She helped Scotland’s women to the quarter finals of the European Team Championships in February, reached the same stage of the European Individual Championships in April, and came within a whisker of pulling off a career best victory in March when she almost defeated reigning world champion Lan Lu at the All England Super Series. Looking back on her season, however, it was clear what the highlight was.

“It was amazing to win the Scottish International in my home city. The atmosphere on finals day was fantastic and it really helped me. I played one of the best matches of my career against a higher ranked opponent to win that match and it was great to be able to do it in front of my home support.”

Egelstaff dedicated her win at the Scottish International to then High Performance Coach Dan Travers, but she has responded well to BADMINTONscotland’s revised coaching set-up and developed an excellent relationship with new Head Coach Yvette Yun Luo.

“Training is going really well. Yvette works me really hard but she’s a great coach and even though I’ve only been working with her for six months I can already see how much difference it’s made. She’s been excellent for me.

“We have a new Performance Coach starting too – John Quinn. He was an English international player and has also worked as a coach with Badminton England and the French Badminton Federation so he has a lot of experience of elite level badminton. He starts in July so that will obviously give the High Performance programme another boost.

“The Badminton Europe event was my last tournament until towards the end of the summer so at the moment I’m concentrating on training well and keeping myself focussed and in good shape and it’s great to work with so many good people. I have real confidence in the team around me.”

The Athlete of the Month award is a timely boost in Egelstaff’s preparations for the World Championships in August and of course the Commonwealth Games in October, where she will be a genuine medal hope.

She already has two Commonwealth bronze medals to her name, winning a team bronze in Manchester in 2002 and medalling in the individual events in women’s singles four years ago in Melbourne. This year she will be hoping to celebrate her birthday in style – she turns 28 in October during the Games – by increasing her already impressive medal count.

“It will be totally different in India compared to what I experienced in Melbourne and Manchester, but that makes it exciting. Obviously the culture is completely different over there but it’s something I’ve experienced before and I’m looking forward to experiencing it again.

“Being able to represent Scotland at a multi-sport event like the Commonwealths is always amazing too. It’s totally different compared to representing Scotland at a badminton specific tournament and I’m really looking forward to it”.

Finally, on her chances of equalling or perhaps even bettering her achievement four years ago in Melbourne: “I’d love to be able to win another medal and that’s definitely what I’m aiming for. The Commonwealths is my main focus over the next few months – everything will be building up to it.

“I’ve definitely got a chance, but it’s going to be hard. There are probably seven or eight players who all have a chance of getting to the semis so it will just come down to how everyone performs on the day. I will have a few tournaments before then though, including the World Championships, so I’m confident I will be well prepared and in good form.”

Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Sir Chris Hoy, has today confirmed to Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) that he is no longer available for selection for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

Whilst he had originally planned to take part, a late clash of events with the new European Championships means that he is now required by British Cycling to compete as part of the Great Britain Sprint Team, in order to qualify for the Olympic Games in London 2012.

Commenting on the news, Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of CGS said: “First and foremost we are bitterly disappointed for Chris himself. He is a fantastic supporter of Team Scotland, competing and winning medals in three Commonwealth Games and he is an inspirational ambassador for Scottish sport. Nobody will be more disappointed than him, not to be in Delhi wearing the Scottish jersey.

“He has been placed in a no win situation by the UCI and British Cycling with their late decision and we fully appreciate that he must meet his Olympic qualification obligations. His passion, attitude and commitment on and off the bike has already stimulated a new generation of Scottish cyclists coming through for Delhi and beyond. We wish him well and hope he is able to achieve his ambition of finishing his career representing Scotland in Glasgow in 2014.

“The pressures on athletes competing at the highest level are immense and you can never take it for granted that people will be available or that they will win medals on demand. Despite Chris’s omission we are confident that we will have a strong committed team in Delhi and it now creates an opportunity for other cyclists to step up to the challenge of emulating their hero.”

Scotland ‘s wrestlers were in action at the British Closed Championships held in Glasgow at the end of June, the final opportunity to stake their claim for places on Team Scotland at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Outstanding performances saw Scottish female wrestlers win five gold and one bronze, whilst the men won one gold, one silver and one bronze.

The competition was the final of three qualification events for the India-bound Scottish team. Of the 10 Scottish wrestlers who have now achieved the selection criteria, 22 year old Sean Keogh is one of two to have achieved the targets in all three events along with Jane Clason in the women’s 55kg.

“I wanted to get qualification scores in all three to give myself the best chance of going to India so I’m really pleased about how I did in the qualification events,” said Sean, who competes in the 74kg category.

“It’s really good because I’ve been putting in a lot of training for the last two years and it’s pretty much all paying off now.

“The Commonwealth Games is really important for me because it’s one of the largest sporting events in the world and it’s the only chance you get to compete for Scotland in a multi sport event. So it would be phenomenal to go.”

Consistently good Scottish results across the board are testament to the success of the Scottish Wrestling Association’s programme managed by its Performance & Development Manager, John Keogh, and its National Coach, Volodymyr Gladkov. The wrestling programme started in February 2008, featuring a number of women who had transferred from judo.

“Ten of our athletes have met the qualification criteria for Delhi”, said Keogh. “With seven women qualifying I am fairly certain that we will have a female wrestler in each weight division in India. I am extremely happy with that.

“The British Closed was the final qualifier. We now have to submit our nominations to Commonwealth Games Scotland and then we’ll wait until 18 August to see who is in the team.”

British Closed Championship Scottish Medallists

Women

48kg Fiona Robertson Gold
51kg Donna Robertson Gold

55kg Jane Clason Gold

59kg Kathryn Marsh Bronze

63kg Tracy Connell Gold

72kg Sarah Jones Gold

Men

55kg Craig McKenna Bronze

74kg Sean Keogh Gold

Two wrestlers who did not take part in the British Closed Championships, but previously met the selection criteria, will also be nominated for Delhi: 67kg Ashlea McManus and 66kg Viorel Etko.

The Handover Ceremony consists of the formal handing over of the Flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation and an eight minute creative programme that will formally invite the rest of the world to Glasgow in 2014, as the next Host City for the Commonwealth Games. There will be 60,000 spectators in the JN Stadium in Delhi for the Handover Ceremony, and an estimated 1 billion people worldwide watching on television and online.

The cast have been brought together for two days of briefings, meetings and workshops, and to record the Gaelic chant that will be played as part of the performance.
The Gaelic chant will form part of the introduction to the eight minute piece, and is based on vocables that you would find in traditional Gaelic “waulking” songs. This means that the chant is not comprised of words as such, but is a Gaelic sound.

The Gaelic chant will form a small part of the overall Handover Ceremony, but will be central to the overall creative approach – a mix of traditional Scottish symbols with an urban, modern, stylish Scotland.
Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive John Scott said:
“This is a very exciting time for us and the first time that we have shown anything to the public about the content of the Handover Ceremony. The 346 cast members recruited from all over Scotland, will be recording the Gaelic chant as the first part of the creative piece, that will be played out in the JN Stadium in Delhi.”

“The creative concept behind our performance at the Handover Ceremony will be a combination of a background of a strong Scottish tradition, and modern Scotland – passionate, genuine, and fun.”
Minister for Public Health and Sport Shona Robison said:
“The Handover Ceremony in October will mark a special moment on the journey towards the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“The Handover is our chance to showcase Scotland to the rest of the world. At the same time it will be marked at home by a series of events funded by the Games for Scotland programme. This will inspire people and communities from across the country to get involved and truly make this Scotland’s Games.”
Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said:
“The Handover Ceremony at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games will be a real landmark as we prepare for the Games coming to Glasgow in 2014. The ceremony presents us with an opportunity to showcase what Glasgow and Scotland can do in front of a worldwide audience, and I look forward to a fantastic performance in Delhi.”

Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said:
“The Closing Ceremony for the athletes always evokes a sense of national pride and passion as they reflect on the culmination of the present Games and the passing over to the next.

“This year these emotions will be heightened further by the prospect of a home Games in 2014 and the involvement of the Handover cast members, who will, like the team represent the length and breadth of our country. I am sure our athletes will be extremely proud to be in the stadium supporting the cast members as they collectively share this momentous occasion.”

Kathleen MacInnes, a Gaelic singer who will be teaching and leading the cast in the chant, said:
“It is an honour to be involved in a project like this. I can’t wait to work with the hundreds of cast members from across Scotland in this historic event, and bring the heart of Gaelic culture to an international audience.”

Scotland’s Men and Women hockey teams, who are hoping to have their selection confirmed by Commonwealth Games Scotland in the next few weeks, have both been drawn in Pool A of their respective hockey tournaments at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, with both sides facing a challenging set of fixtures.

A total of ten men’s and ten women’s international teams will compete in the hockey tournament in Delhi, with the teams drawn into two pools of five across both competitions. On completion of the pool fixtures, the teams will then play-off against each other in a head-to-head format to decide the medal positions and final standings.

In the men’s tournament, Scotland would face Pakistan in their opening match, after which they would encounter the toughest match of their schedule when they are pitched against the men’s world number one ranked team, Australia. Malaysia and India make up the rest of the teams in Pool A, with the national side drawn against them in their third and fourth matches respectively. With the four teams ranked higher than the Scots in the World Hockey Team Rankings, Russell Garcia’s men are fully aware of the challenge they would face.

Scotland Women will be hoping for the opportunity to extend their current good form to the Commonwealth Games later in the year where they have also been drawn to compete in Pool A of the women’s hockey tournament. First up for Gordon Shepherd’s ladies would be India, before taking on South Africa and Trinidad & Tobago in their second and third pool matches. In their final Pool A fixture, the women would go head-to-head with Australia again, who they ran close in the recent BDO World Cup Qualifier in Chile, only losing by the single goal.

The women’s tournament will begin on Monday 4th October, with the men’s tournament commencing the following day on Tuesday 5th October. The gold medal match for the women will be Wednesday 13 October and the men’s gold medal match will be on Thursday 14 October. The tournaments will be played on two pitches of the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the Indian capital.

Women Pool A
Australia
India
South Africa
Trinidad & Tobago
Scotland

Women Pool B
England
Canada
Malaysia
New Zealand
Wales

Men Pool A
Australia
India
Malaysia
Pakistan
Scotland

Men Pool B
Canada
England
New Zealand
South Africa
Trinidad & Tobago

For more information about the draw and match schedule, visit http://www.fihockey.org/

The very best of Scottish swimming talent was on show last week (22-27 June) at the British Gas Scottish National Swimming Championships at Tollcross Park Leisure Centre in Glasgow. Along with national titles up for grabs, the event also doubled as Scotland’s Commonwealth Games trials, with competitors looking to post nomination times for the Delhi Games in October.

Thirteen swimmers had already posted nomination times for the Commonwealth Games at the British Championships in March, and while no other names were added to the list for individual events, there was a high level of competition throughout the week. There were a number of impressive performances from Scottish Delhi hopefuls, including David Carry, Hannah Miley, Robbie Renwick, Kerry Buchan and Andrew Mayor.

City of Glasgow’s Robbie Renwick reflected on a tough week: “I’ve been swimming constantly, I’ve not been rested this week at all, I’ve just been training through it and trying to get as fit as I possibly can for Delhi. I’ve got the European Championships in August so hopefully I’ll win some medals there and build my confidence for the Games in October. I can’t wait to go. It’ll be hard work but so worth it.”

It was another fantastic week for Hannah Miley (Gairloch) who is relishing the opportunity to represent Scotland in Delhi: “It would be amazing. It’s one of the things I’m really looking forward to most. It’s a great honour to represent GB but I’m Scottish. I’d love to actually represent Scotland and sing the National Anthem at one of these events. It’s a difficult thing to describe, but it’s a huge honour and I just can’t wait.”

Andrew Mayor (City of Newcastle) spoke about the importance of meets like the Scottish Championships in the run up to the Commonwealth Games: “Two day meets are perfect to swim hard and tough but you don’t really train your body to go through heats and finals, and you don’t get the experience of a five, six, seven day meet. To have the British and then the Scottish Championships you have two fiercely competitive meets. Having meets like this in the run up to a major Games is so, so important.”

Summarising the week, National Coach Doug Campbell commented: “We’d hoped to be nominating around 20 swimmers to Commonwealth Games Scotland for selection and it now looks like there will be 13 swimmers who achieved individual qualifying times, plus one EAD swimmer and two additional swimmers who helped the men’s relay qualify. The swimmers and coaches will now need to re-focus for the rest of the season with ASA Nationals and European Championships both on the agenda this summer before Delhi in October. Those who qualified I’m sure will swim to their maximum potential and achieve their goals.”

Campbell has previously warned of keeping expectations in check after the swimming squad claimed 12 medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, which was a truly exceptional performance. He believes a target of about five medals in India is more realistic from the swimmers with the possibility of an additional medal coming from diving.

The following swimmers have posted nomination times for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and will be nominated to Commonwealth Games Scotland for selection. The full team will be announced on 18 August 2010:

Women
Kerry Buchan
Lucy Ellis
Megan Gilchrist
Kathryn Johnstone
Caitlin McClatchey
Hannah Miley
Corrie Scott

Men
David Carry
Sean Fraser (EAD)
Kris Gilchrist
Andy Hunter
Michael Jamieson
Andrew Mayor
Robbie Renwick
Jak Scott
Lewis Smith

The very best of Scottish swimming talent will be on show next week (22-27 June) at the British Gas Scottish National Swimming Championships at Tollcross Park Leisure Centre in Glasgow.

The event, which also doubles as Scotland’s Commonwealth Games trials, will see the swimmers with one clear goal – to secure their place on Team Scotland for the Games in Delhi in October. Over recent weeks, athletes and coaches have been making final preparations to ensure they are at their competitive best to meet the qualification standard for the team.

Fresh from breaking the meet record for 400m IM on the Monaco leg of the Mare Nostrum Tour, Hannah Miley will be looking to continue her good form. She will be joined by Robbie Renwick, David Carry and Kris Gilchrist, along with some of our up and coming talent including Lucy Ellis, Jak Scott and Sara Hamilton, all of whom will be looking to secure National titles and make the grade for the Commonwealth Games Team.

Looking forward to the event, Chief Executive of Scottish Swimming, Ashley Howard said: “Next week will see Scotland’s best swimmers in action at Tollcross, competing not just for national glory, but to ensure they meet the qualification standard for the Commonwealth Games. Scottish Swimming wishes all our athletes and coaches the best of luck, and we look forward to an exciting six days of competition.”

Michael Cavanagh, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland added: “Swimming is a key sport at the Commonwealth Games and I know just how important these trials will be for our top swimmers. I would like to wish all the athletes and coaches the very best of luck and I am sure we will see some fabulous performances worthy of places on Team Scotland.”