Team Scotland’s Wrestling quartet took time out of their training schedule this morning to meet with students from St Andrews Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast. They shared stories about how and why they got into the sport, their Games experiences and even showed them a few moves on the library reading mats.
Commonwealth Games debutant, Joe Hendry, was one of the wrestlers there to help inspire the children, just like he was inspired by Team Scotland during Glasgow 2014.
As a judoka in his teenage years and through university, Joe moved onto professional wrestling and is known on the circuit as ‘Joe Hendry, the Prestigious One’!
Watching the Opening Ceremony on TV on 23rd July 2014, Joe saw Team Scotland parade around Celtic Park and decided he wanted to be part of that experience. Four years on in team camp on the Sunshine Coast, Joe’s dream is now a reality.
He was asked to be part of a BBC documentary three years ago that wanted to see what would happen when a professional wrestler took up amateur wrestling. He fell in love with the purists’ version of the sport and decided to continue training long after the TV cameras had been turned off.
Fast forward to 2017 and Joe holds the title for both the Open and Closed British Championships.
“I wanted to be in this sport and to be taken seriously as an amateur wrestler. Pro wrestling is built around the roots of freestyle, so I feel they complement each other and this has given me a better understanding around the roots and fundamentals of the sport.
“I’ve had to leave some of my old workout routines behind, but I am seeing the changes and the results”.
He explains that they are both hard but in different ways. Freestyle is more of a challenge in the moment, but professional wrestling is more of a grind and takes more of a grind on your body over time.
Pro wrestling is hard mentally as you have to overcome a lot of politics and challenges to get to the top; while freestyle is shorter intense bursts of mental and physical focus and being part of a team set up gives you that extra support.
Joe currently juggles both forms of the sport and, to balance the added preparation for the Commonwealth Games, he has had to reduce his professional schedule. This makes it harder financially but that has to be weighed up against chances of injury and focusing on the main task at hand.
“This sport doesn’t leave a lot in your pocket at the end of each month, so I might not be a wealthy guy, but I feel very rich in terms of experiences and I can say I’ve done, or am doing, everything I have wanted to.”
The last three years have been ‘all go’ for Joe and there’s not been a lot of time for socialising with friends and family.
“You have to take your opportunities and you can’t worry about having too much to do. You should only worry when there’s no fans, no media and no shows. You need to embrace it when it’s there.”
Keeping his eye on the prize, Joe is aiming for another title to add to his collection.
“If you’re not here for medals then you shouldn’t be here. You have to aim for the highest possible level.
“When the Games are over, I will look to compete in freestyle wrestling on a more regular basis if I can. I’d love to keep it going and this experience with Team Scotland is a dream come true.”
Team Scotland’s eight-strong group of Badminton players was the first to take to the courts in the $105m Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre, the venue which will host the Badminton competition for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Players tested out the five competition courts during an afternoon session, swapping the Gold Coast heat for the air-conditioned indoor sports hall.
The same venue hosted the 2017 Total BWF Sudirman Cup in May of last year, meaning the 2018 Games marks a second visit to the facility for some of the players.
The Badminton team hit the ground running, taking part in their first training session on the same day they arrived in the Gold Coast – meaning they were the first country to hit shuttles on the competition courts.
Martin Campbell, Men’s and Mixed Doubles player from Glasgow, said: “We were at the Sudirman Cup event here in 2017, but it’s amazing to see how different the hall looks now – it’s a great set-up.
“This will be my second Games, however there will be some pretty big differences compared to Glasgow! In 2014 I was still relatively early in my Badminton career and was the youngest member of the squad. This time around I have a lot more experience under my belt and know that puts me in the best possible position to go out there and make a mark.
“As a team, we’re playing really strongly and I know we’ll do our best – and if that means walking away with medals then we’ll obviously be very happy with that!”
As one of sixteen teams invited to compete in the Mixed Team Event, Scotland will play in all six medal events in this year’s Badminton competition, with the other five events consisting of Singles and Doubles for both Men and Women, and Mixed Doubles.
Eleanor O’Donnell, making her Commonwealth debut in the Mixed and Women’s Doubles, said: “This is only my second time away from home competing with the national team so I really am very happy to be here.
“We’ve all been training every day since we arrived in the Gold Coast, and my Doubles partner Julie and I had a good few competitions in the lead-up to the Games so I feel we’re in really good shape for the upcoming competition.
“We’ve played quite a few of the other teams before – however we’re not taking anything for granted and will be sure to go out on to the courts each day and give the best performance we can.”
Badminton will be competed across each day of the Games, with the Mixed Team event taking place between 5th – 9th April, and the Singles and Doubles matches between 10th – 15th April.
Team Scotland’s Squash athletes have been hard at work testing out the competition courts ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Located in Oxenford Studios, Queensland’s home of movie blockbusters, the Squash competition will be contested in an impressive purpose-built venue in Sound Stage 9, which was used to film big-screen hits such as Thor and Unbroken.
Scotland’s Squash team had their second day of training in the facility today after arriving in the country on Sunday (25 March). We caught up with the athletes during their session to find out how it felt to hit the courts.
Alison Thomson, Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles player about to make her Games debut, said: “The venue is absolutely brilliant, and there’s a very bold colour scheme in place which is very striking – it’s definitely got the wow-factor.
“Having visited the venue and trained on the main competition court, I’m really looking forward to getting the chance to play in front of the crowds.”
The Squash competition schedule will see matches played every day of the Games from Thursday 5 April until Sunday 15 April, with Team Scotland competing in all five disciplines: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.
Kevin Moran, Men’s Singles and Mixed Doubles player from Paisley, said: “Glasgow’s main competition court was one of the most impressive I’ve seen, and this is definitely on a par with that. The venue looks incredible and it’s great to see how they’ve utilised the space to make sure the crowds get a real show.”
This week also marked the finalisation of the draw and confirmation of seedings for the competition, which sees Scotland’s Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban seeded second for the Men’s Doubles competition.
Alan, from Inverness, said: “With Doubles, there’s no real ranking system so we were happy to see we’d been seeded second for the Games – although we’ve put in a lot of hard work so it’s well-earned!
“We’re up against a lot of good teams in our pool, and we haven’t played them before as Doubles, so we’re set for some good matches early on in the competition.”
In 2016, the pair claimed World Doubles Championships gold against Australia’s Zac Alexander & David Palmer. Defending that title in 2017, the pair had to settle for silver against Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly & Cameron Pilley.
With the possibility of meeting one of Australia’s Men’s Doubles teams on the table again, the scene is now set for an epic showdown between the 2018 and 2014 Games hosts!
Greg, also from Inverness, said: “We’re pretty excited about the possibility of playing Australia again – however we’re very aware of the competition which will come before that which includes some real big threats.
“However we’ve put in a lot of training and hard work, and we’re determined to do Scotland proud.”
In the last 24 hours Team Scotland has been in action in a trio of exhibition matches as they ramp up their preparations for the Commonwealth Games, which get underway on the Gold Coast on Wednesday 4 April.
Still in hard training at their preparation camp on the Sunshine Coast, Hockey, Lawn Bowls and Beach Volleyball have pitted themselves against local and international opposition and the signs are encouraging, with the Games just over a week away.
Up first were men’s and women’s Hockey, who took on strong Queensland outfits under the lights at Ballinger Park. The women got the action underway with a dominant display that at points looked like it would end without reward, until Camilla Brown found the back on the net in the final quarter to secure a 1-0 win.
The men also produced passages of quality hockey, but their opposition were both more clinical and more accustomed to the stifling 94% humidity. Alan Forsyth got on the scoresheet, but in the end Queensland ran out 3-1 winners. The two sides will meet again on Wednesday evening, when the Scots will be looking to reverse the result.
Down at Coolum Beach Bowls Club, Team Scotland’s Bowlers and Para-Bowlers were on fine form, making light work of adapting to the fast Australian greens. Taking on local side Sunshine Coast in the morning and an international select in the afternoon, both teams went unbeaten, to give them a confidence boost before they head down to Gold Coast tomorrow.
The day concluded in true Australian style with two twilight Beach Volleyball matches on the stunning Mooloolaba Beach, as the sport prepares to make its Commonwealth Games debut. The experienced pairing of Lynn Beattie and Melissa Coutts got the action underway in a best of three sets game against Team England, and they wasted no time in winning the first 21-13.
Roared on by boisterous Scottish support, which included the hockey and netball teams, the pair played some sublime volleyball, taking the second set 25-23 to seal the match and a morale boosting victory.
Of their performance Beattie said: “This is going to be really good preparation for us before we head down to Coolangatta next week. The Sunshine Coast Council have been fantastic and this has been an amazing place to train.
“We knew a couple of the girls were planning to come down to support us but that was just phenomenal. You hear from people who have been to the Commonwealth Games before and they talk about the ‘One Team’ and that’s what it was all about tonight.”
Rounding out the evening in front of a full-house were Robin Miedzybrodzki and Seain Cook. Inspired by their teammates’ performance they came out all guns blazing to win the first set 21-15. Their opponents, the Queensland Select, put up a good fight, but taking the second set by the same scoreline the Scottish pair were good value for their victory.
Elsewhere, Team Scotland’s boxers have been sparring against locals from Queensland and beyond, whilst Athletics and Basketball are all set for competitive action over the coming days.
The Commonwealth Games Village officially opened today and Team Scotland’s Squash and Badminton players were the first to check into their new home for the next three weeks. They were greeted by a flurry of activity at the Welcome Centre including a big thumbs up from Games mascot Borobi.
Alan Clyne, Greg Lobban, Kevin Moran, Lisa Aitken and Alison Thomson also had the honour of meeting Australia’s Minister for Commonwealth Games, Kate Jones, who was proud to declare her Scottish roots.
The Minister went on to visit Scotland’s accommodation to admire the branding with an aboriginal theme and accepted a gift of a pewter Quaich from Deputy Chef de Mission, Elinor Middlemiss.
Lisa Aitken from Montrose said: “The first thing I noticed about the Village was the heat – coming off the plane straight from Scotland meant it was a pretty big change! We got the red carpet treatment – all the volunteers and officials were there to greet us and make sure we got settled in okay.
“Seeing the Village so quiet was really quite strange but also pretty special as not many athletes will have that opportunity.
“It’s just really amazing to be here – there’s such a laid-back vibe and I can’t wait to relax in the deck chairs or get in the outdoor pool after we finish competing.”
Alan Clyne from Inverness added: “To be among the first athletes in the Village was really special. I know from experience that the place will get busier and busier with other athletes and team officials arriving in the next few days, so having the opportunity to explore while we’re among the only people here is brilliant.
“The dining hall is bound to be a big hit with all the athletes as it’s always one of the first places everyone wants to visit! The gym is also great – although I’m not looking forward to the ice baths – and the games room is really cool.
“Having been in three other Commonwealth Villages, the thing which stands out for me is ‘The Backyard’ parkland space, and we’re all looking forward to getting out there for a run this afternoon to test the path!”
Scottish Gymnastics has revealed what their artistic gymnasts will be wearing when competing for Team Scotland at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Team Scotland leotards were designed in partnership with Scottish Gymnastics and their competition kit makers, Milano Pro Sport, using colours and elements, which are important to both Commonwealth Games Scotland and Scottish Gymnastics.
A full artistic gymnastics team of ten men and women are now training at the Team Scotland preparation camp in Sunshine Coast before they move into the Athletes Village ahead of their competition.
This is the first time Scotland has fielded a full “home-grown” and home-based women’s team, with all five female gymnasts coming through Scottish clubs and developing in the Scottish Gymnastics performance programme.
Team Scotland gymnast Shannon Archer is looking forward to donning her competition kit. She said: “All three leotards are really different but I love them all. They are unique, as the new designs and colours are not predominantly blue, as they’ve been before, and incorporate purples and other colours. Plus, they’re all really sparkly which we love!
“Between us, we’ll choose which design we’ll wear on team final day, and then each of us we’ll decide individually which one we want to wear for all-around and apparatus finals.
“It’s going to be a great feeling, wearing a leotard with the Team Scotland logo on it, and representing not only Scottish Gymnastics and your club, but also Team Scotland.”
Sam Hendrikson, Head of Performance at Scottish Gymnastics, said: “The men’s leotards incorporate an abstract form of the thistle, while the women’s reflect the elegance of the discipline in new modern and dynamic combinations of materials.
“The gymnasts will go out onto the podium not only the best prepared physically and mentally, but also dressed to match the international stage they perform on.”
On Friday 23 March the majority of Team Scotland completed their marathon journey to Australia, arriving into the pre-Games preparation camp on the Sunshine Coast to an unbelievable Australian welcome.
After a traditional aboriginal welcome to country, athletes were given the opportunity to hold koala bears, a little crocodile and a 10ft snake as they posed for pictures and conducted interviews with local TV.
The team were blown away by their welcome, with young gymnast David Weir commenting: “I don’t think there could have been anything better. We came off the plane a bit tired but it was amazing to meet the animals, although I’m not really too fond of snakes so when its head came at me it was a bit daunting! It was nice holding the koala though and the aboriginal dancers were cool too and it was nice to embrace a bit of their culture.”
Two hours north of the Games host city Gold Coast, the camp in Sunshine Coast will be the base for athletes and staff before they transition down to the Athletes Village, with the sporting action taking place from 5-15 April.
The athletes will use the preparation camp to get over the effects of jetlag and acclimatise to the heat and humidity ‘down under’, before getting down to some hard work and fine tuning their training ready for the big day.
Athletics and Boxing athletes were some of the first team members to arrive in Australia and are now picking up the pace in training. Preparing for his first Commonwealth Games, boxer Robbie McKechnie said: “Today has been our first real hard day, with a running session this morning and then a lot of pad work and some stuff on the bags this evening. We’ve shaken out all the jetlag, so now it’s down to hard work. The gym here is a cracking place to train in and the people are really welcoming. Everybody is looking good and it’s just about sharpening the tools before the Games now.”
Team Scotland is proud to have commissioned Glasgow photographers Stuart Gray and Alistair Devine, for a second successive Games, to produce another stunning series of athlete images.
With the beach theme set to play a huge part in this year’s Commonwealth Games, we chose our own ‘Gold Coast’ – Elie Beach in Fife, as the impressive backdrop for the new group image.
The photograph will be widely used on the team’s branding and promotional materials for Gold Coast 2018, along with the striking image of the track stars Lynsey Sharp and Andy Butchart, modelling the new parade uniform at the Gleneagles Hotel and the women’s Beach Volleyball Pair Lynne Beattie and Melissa Coutts on Portobello Beach, also shot by Alistair Devine.
The photography has been complemented by an Aboriginal twist given to the Team Scotland brand, developed in a collaboration between well-known Gold Coast artist, Leeton Lee and Edinburgh design agency, Brand Oath.
The Team will get a first glimpse of the new branding when they depart from Glasgow Airport, which has come on board as an official Team Scotland supporter.
With a busy year of selection concluded, the stage is now set and the first large group of Team Scotland athletes will head to Gold Coast, Australia today, with a total of 224 athletes ready to fly the flag for Scotland on the international stage when the 21st Commonwealth Games get underway in just 14 days-time.
This is the biggest team Scotland has ever sent to an overseas Commonwealth Games. It includes 93 women, the biggest female contingent to travel to an away Games and in a first for Team Scotland, there will be two female entries in women’s Boxing.
Scotland will participate in all 18 sports on the Games programme and with a number of Olympic, Paralympic, World, Commonwealth and European medallists across the team, there is a strong belief that the target of more than 29 medals is achievable.
Also included in the ranks are 18 Para-Sport athletes, who will compete in six of the seven Para-Sport disciplines, which are fully integrated into the Games. Gold Coast will host the biggest ever Para-Sport programme in Commonwealth Games history with 38 medal events.
58% of the team will make their Games debut, while seven athletes were on the Team the last time the Games were in Australia at Melbourne 2006. For Bowler Alex Marshall and Shooter Ian Shaw, Gold Coast 2018 will be an incredible sixth Games appearance.
The youngest athlete on the team is Para-Swimmer Toni Shaw from Aberdeen at 14 years and eight months, whilst the oldest is David Thomas, a Para-Bowls director at 63 years of age. Six athletes will celebrate their birthday during the Games.
There are four lots of siblings selected; cyclists Katie and John Archibald, Jennifer and Seonaid McIntosh in Shooting whilst in Hockey, William Marshall and Kareena Cuthbert and brothers, Alan and David Forsyth. There are also a few dads in team management or coaching roles, with Donald McIntosh, Derek Forsyth and Wrestling coach Volodymyr Gladkov, father of Alex also on the team.
In another first, Beth Potter will become the first athlete to compete in two sports for Team Scotland at a single Games, selected for Triathlon and then will also compete on the track in the 10,000m.
The Commonwealth Youth Games and Team Scotland’s Achieve Programme continue to demonstrate their worth, with 29 athletes having come through these important development initiatives.
Whilst the focus is on the Gold Coast, we welcome back Basketball to the Team for the first time since 2006 with their preliminary matches a three hour flight away in Townsville. Perfectly suited to the Gold Coast, Beach Volleyball makes its Games debut, with Scottish representation in both men’s and women’s Pairs, playing at the magnificent Coolangatta Beachfront venue, down by the New South Wales border.
Commenting on the final team preparations, Jon Doig OBE, Team Scotland Chef de Mission said: “We have always prided ourselves on being the best prepared team possible and this year is no exception. However none of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our sports governing bodies and the sportscotland institute of sport, providing a world class team behind the team.
“We are particularly grateful for the sportscotland National Lottery funding which is supporting our Team Camp on the Sunshine Coast, where the majority of sports will either pass through for acclimatisation, or use it as their final training base ahead of the Games.
“I look forward to Team Scotland athletes creating many memorable sporting moments over the next few weeks and our fabulous role models inspiring all young Scots back at home to get involved in sport and be part of the wider Team Scotland family.”
After months of training and preparation the first large group of athletes will leave Glasgow Airport today, travelling With Emirates Airline to Brisbane via Dubai. Sports on this flight include, Badminton, Beach Volleyball, Gymnastics, Men’s Hockey, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
Back by popular demand, Commonwealth Games Scotland is opening a ‘Scotland House’ alongside the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Scotland House will be hosted at the Mantra on View Hotel, in the heart of the famous Surfers Paradise, just 160m from the beach. The first floor mezzanine level will be transformed into a welcoming home from home, for visiting supporters to watch the action and celebrate Scotland’s sporting success. It will also host a range of events linked to the Games, as well as hosting Team Scotland press conferences and post competition media activity.
Scotland House will also include a tranquil space for Team Scotland athletes and their families and friends to meet in private and relax before and after competition.
Following the official opening on 2 April, Scotland House will open daily until Sunday 15 April inclusive and is being run in conjunction with EventScotland and VisitScotland. There will be an information desk open from 0800hrs to 0930hrs, with Scotland House being fully open from 1000hrs to 2300hrs and later on some evenings where required.
The hotel is close to a G:Link tram stop at Cypress Avenue, only 100m away. This goes to the Athletes Village via a number of Games venues at Broadwater Parklands (Triathlon and Marathon) and Southport (Swimming) or in the opposite direction down to Broadbeach (Lawn Bowls, Netball Preliminaries and the Main Media Centre). Trams will run 24 hours during the Games and can be accessed free of charge with a Games accreditation or event ticket.
Our Scotland House managers Catriona Valentine and Emma Milroy look forward to welcoming you during the Games, along with a team of friendly volunteers.
Keep abreast of the events happening at Scotland House and other useful information on the Scotland House page of our website.
For specific enquiries email us: ScotlandHouse@teamscotland.scot