Team Scotland has a proud history in Boxing at the Commonwealth Games with our boxers winning medals at every Games to date. To round off our Sport Focus, here are 12 things you might not know about Boxing at the Commonwealth Games:
1. Boxing was one of six sports included at the first Commonwealth Games (then known as the British Empire Games) in 1930 and, as a core sport, must be included at every Games.
2. Boxing is the only sport in which Scotland have won medals at every Commonwealth Games. Scottish boxers have also won medals at every Youth Games where the sport has been included.
3. Scotland have won 63 Boxing medals at the Commonwealth Games; 17 gold, 16 silver and 30 bronze.
4. There is a three way tie for the title of Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games boxer; Josh Taylor, Tom Imrie and Dick McTaggart each won one gold and one silver medal.
5. Glasgow 2014 gold medallists Josh Taylor and Charlie Flynn both won medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games before stepping up to senior competition.
6. John Docherty and Sean Lazzerini became the first Scottish boxers in history to win gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games at Samoa 2015 and both have been selected for Gold Coast 2018.
7. Women’s Boxing events were included for the first time at the Glasgow 2014 Games.
8. 18 year old Vicky Glover will become the first female boxer to compete for Team Scotland at a senior Commonwealth Games when she steps into the ring in Gold Coast.
9. Megan Gordon was Scotland’s first female boxer in any Commonwealth Games event, winning bronze at the 2017 Youth Games in the Bahamas.
10. The Gold Coast 2018 Boxing competition will take place at Oxenford Studios – filming venue for Hollywood blockbusters such as San Andreas, Scooby Doo and Unbroken – the first time the venue will have been used for a sports event.
11. A Boxing bout consists of three rounds of three minutes for both women and men. A bout can be won on points, if a contest is abandoned, the Referee stops the contest, a boxer is disqualified, by walkover and by knockout.
12. Male boxers no longer wear head guards, however women must wear head guards at all times. Boxers must also wear a gum shield and men must wear a cup protector over the groin.
Meet the Boxing team for Gold Coast 2018 in our Athlete Profiles.
Find out more about the sport in the Commonwealth Games on our dedicated Boxing page and look out for our next sport focus as we profile each of the sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme.
Team Scotland’s boxers will be looking to keep up their impressive Commonwealth Games medal record on Australia’s Gold Coast in April. The only sport where Scottish athletes have won at least one medal at every Games since they began in 1930, the class of 2018, with 10 boxers selected to date, will all have their eyes on a podium place.
Look out for all things Boxing on Team Scotland’s website and social channels this week as the sport takes the spotlight in our Sport Focus Series, which features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.
Boxing at the Commonwealth Games
One of the six sports included in the first Commonwealth Games in 1930, Boxing is a core sport and must be featured in every edition of the Games. Scottish boxers claimed a full set of medals at the 1930 Games in Hamilton, Canada with one gold, one silver and one bronze, with Jim Rolland taking the honour as Scotland’s first ever Commonwealth Games Boxing champion.
Scotland has continued to produce champions with 17 gold medallists to date, including household names such as Dick McTaggart, Alex Arthur and, most recently, Josh Taylor and Charlie Flynn.
Women’s Boxing was first included at the Glasgow 2014 Games, however Scotland did not field a competitor, meaning that Gold Coast 2018 will see Scotland’s first female competitor take to the ring.
Find out more about Boxing in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Boxing page.
Team Scotland 2018
Team Scotland have named a strong squad of 10 boxers for Gold Coast 2018 including Glasgow 2014 medallist Reece McFadden, Glasgow 2014 team mates Aqeel Ahmed and Scott Forrest and 2015 Commonwealth Youth games gold medallists John Docherty and Sean Lazzerini. Hamilton based Vicky Glover becomes the first female boxer ever to be selected for Team Scotland at a Commonwealth Games with Mitchell Barton, Nathaniel Collins, Robbie McKechnie and Stephen Newns all making their Games debut.
Click here to meet the full Boxing team for Gold Coast 2018.
A total of 98 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in Athletics, Boxing, Beach Volleyball, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Triathlon and Weightlifting.
Further selections, including any final selections for the Boxing team, will take place in February 2018.
Show Your Support!
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!
Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.
Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.
Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.
The festive cheer continued today for Team Scotland, with news that the women’s Beach Volleyball pair of Lynne Beattie and Melissa Coutts has secured one of the 12 coveted places to compete at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Lynne and Mel began their year with a personal best finish on the FIVB World Tour with 9th place in Sydney back in March, then took gold on home sand at the European Zonal Event held on Portobello Beach in May before topping their season with another personal best – a 5th place finish at the World Tour event in Agadir, Morocco in July.
However a disappointing third place finish at the crucial Gold Coast 2018 European qualifying event in Cyprus in September, led to a nervous wait to see if they would earn a wildcard place at the Games.
The sport of Beach Volleyball will make its Commonwealth Games debut (6-12 April 2018) on the stunning beachfront at Coolangatta and the Edinburgh based duo, who train in all weathers on Portobello beach, will now join their male counterparts Seain Cook and Robin Miedzybrodzki, competing in front of the packed grandstand, set to create a cauldron-like atmosphere against the ocean backdrop.
Lynne Beattie, who turns 32 on Saturday (23 December), captained Team GB’s indoor volleyball team to 9th place at London 2012 – the first time Great Britain had a volleyball team at an Olympic Games. She is now a Regional Development Officer for the Scottish Volleyball Association and said: “It is amazing to hear the news that we have qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. We have had a long wait, but we trusted in the hard work we had put in, on and off the court, and now it has been absolutely worth it to be confirmed as the first ever women’s team to be selected to represent Team Scotland in Beach Volleyball.
“To get this opportunity is a huge reward for us, our team and our sport, but, we are not just satisfied with qualification; we want to be the best we can possibly be when we get to the Gold Coast and now we can look forward to our preparations for that.”
Melissa Coutts (47) was part of the first Scottish team ever to play and win on the World Tour, making the main draw in the Acapulco FIVB event back in 1998. She also played on the professional tour in Mexico in 1999 and is a three time British Champion.
Delighted to have their Commonwealth Games place confirmed, Mel said: “Being part of Team Scotland and competing at the Games means the world to me and will be the pinnacle of many years of hard work. Waiting for the decision was difficult but I was always confident that the right decision would be made and that the best team would be chosen. “Myself, Lynne Beattie, and the rest of our amazing team will do everything we can to make Scotland proud in the Gold Coast.”
Welcoming the news, Margaret Ann Fleming, Chief Executive at Scottish Volleyball, said: “We are absolutely delighted that our women’s pair have now also been confirmed for the inaugural Beach Volleyball competition at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, providing a fantastic opportunity for this performance sport to be showcased. It is testament to all the hard work of the athletes and the sport as a whole that Scotland will be represented in both men’s and women’s competitions.”
Team Scotland Chef de Mission Jon Doig OBE said, “Congratulations to Lynne and Melissa on their selection for Team Scotland 2018. It has been an anxious wait for the pair to see if Scotland would be offered one of the 12 women’s places and I am delighted this has now been fully confirmed. They can now go into the New Year fully focused on ensuring they are ready to compete with distinction at the Games next year.”
BEACH VOLLEYBALL (2):
Name Hometown / Lives
Lynne Beattie Glasgow / Edinburgh
Melissa Coutts Edinburgh / Edinburgh
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) is currently preparing for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 with the target of delivering our most successful overseas Games.
We are delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity for the right person to join us in our preparation for Gold Coast 2018 and beyond to the 2022 Games cycle.
The successful candidate will work with colleagues to deliver the objectives set out in our Marketing and Commercial Strategies. Central to our success will be the delivery of a range of event support programmes for Team Scotland members which help showcase our values and partnerships, as well as developing and supporting relationships with sponsors and other key partners.
The term for this fixed term post will be until the end of June 2018. Salary range £20,000- £25,000 pro rata depending on experience.
Further information can be found by contacting: info@teamscotland.scot or 01786 466 480
Closing date is: noon on 14th January 2018
Interviews will be held in January 2018
We are an equal opportunities organisation and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. Further details of our Equality policy can be found on www.teamscotland.scot/about-us/
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) is currently preparing for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, targeting delivering our most successful overseas Games.
Central to this success is having a well structured and operated organisation, with our Board working effectively with staff, volunteers and partners in their respective roles.
Following a recent vacancy, we are recruiting for the position of a non-executive Director with responsibility for Governance, who shares our ambitions for Team Scotland and Scottish sport.
This is an exciting opportunity for the right person to help shape our future direction and decision making as we prepare for Gold Coast 2018 and beyond to the 2022 Games cycle.
The term for this voluntary post will be until the conclusion of the current Board appointment period at the CGS AGM in 2019.
Information, including role description and application form, can be found on the Board section of our website or by contacting: info@teamscotland.scot or 01786 466 480
Closing date is: noon on Sunday 14 January 2018.
Interviews will be held in January 2018
We are an equal opportunities organisation and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age
Further details of our Equality policy can be found on www.teamscotland.scot/about-us/
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) today announced that it has selected Birmingham, England as the host city partner of the XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022.
At a special Media Conference staged at the Arena Academy school in Birmingham, CGF President Louise Martin CBE applauded the city’s ambitious and innovative vision to engage and benefit its local community, showcase the best of global Britain and warmly welcome and inspire athletes and fans from right across the Commonwealth.
Birmingham 2022, which is expected to take place from 27 July – 7 August 2022, marks 20 years since Manchester 2002, the last time the Games were held in England.
CGF President Louise Martin CBE said: “We warmly congratulate Birmingham and England on today’s announcement – it is a defining moment for this truly Commonwealth city. With its rich history, cultural diversity, youthful dynamism and ambitious spirit, Birmingham embodies all that we cherish about the Commonwealth, and so the Commonwealth Sports Movement looks forward to collaborating with all the Games partners to showcase the city’s humanity and pride to a global audience over the coming months and years.
“The vast majority of the Games venues are in place, and with extensive experience in the UK of hosting successful major events – including Manchester 2002, London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 – the CGF looks forward to a truly spectacular Games that delivers not only for the 2.4 billion citizens across the Commonwealth but the wider world, too. Today is a fantastic day for Birmingham, global Britain and our resurgent Commonwealth Sports Movement.”
The CGF President also thanked Canada, Malaysia and Australia for the continued interest expressed in hosting a future Commonwealth Games, and confirmed that the Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in these countries have signalled their potential hosting interest in either 2026 or 2030.
Paul Bush OBE, Chair of Commonwealth Game Scotland said: “Many congratulations to Birmingham on being awarded the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The city has always had such a strong sporting pedigree and with its great community spirit, will make a fabulous host for the Games.
“Team Scotland is excited about another Games in the UK, as we believe this will help to maintain the momentum for sport across the country on the back of the hugely successful London 2012 Olympics, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2017 World and Para Athletics Championships and with the Glasgow 2018 European Championships still to come.
“We look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Team England, the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Birmingham Organising Committee to get behind the Games and capitalise on the exciting opportunities it will bring for all the home countries and the Commonwealth as a whole.”
The final, complete Birmingham 2022 bid documentation was submitted by Commonwealth Games England (CGE), the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on behalf of the UK Government, and Birmingham City Council, supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority. The foundations for the Games have now been laid, with the official handover to Birmingham set to take place at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony on April 15 next year.
The Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee will also be the first to benefit from the new CGF Partnerships delivery model – as the CGF takes an increasingly active and direct role in the delivery of the Games through the creation of an integrated delivery team, working in close partnership with the host city and CGA. This will help to deliver the Games more efficiently and economically, and create a strong legacy for future hosts.
Team Scotland is set to step out in style at the Opening Ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games next April, with its new parade uniform created in collaboration with bespoke tartan manufacturers House of Edgar and multi-award winning Scottish fashion designer Siobhan Mackenzie.
With Christmas Day set to mark 100 days until the start of the Games, the exciting new look was unveiled at The Gleneagles Hotel, where the ‘glorious playground’ provided the perfect backdrop for the festive occasion, with track and field stars Lynsey Sharp and Andrew Butchart taking centre stage.
Following the tradition of creating a distinctive new tartan for each Games, the 2018 tartan was designed by Team Scotland in collaboration with House of Edgar of Perth and woven at their Isle Mill in Keith, Moray. It reflects Team Scotland’s brand colours (blue, purple, magenta and green) with the use of green also an acknowledgement of Australia’s traditional sportswear colour.
The men’s kilts have also been manufactured by House of Edgar, who previously made the 2014 Team Scotland and Glasgow 2014 official tartans. However to ensure that the women’s outfit showcases a mix of tradition but with a modern twist, Team Scotland commissioned 24 year old Siobhan Mackenzie – named ’Best New Scottish Designer 2016’ to create a stunning new look.
Siobhan trained in kilt-making with master kiltmaker John Culbert at Glenisla and after finishing her degree she worked as an alteration technician for the technical officials at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, which sparked her interest to become involved further with Team Scotland. Now well established on the international fashion scene, her brand’s womenswear and menswear is stocked in the elite luxury store Bergdorf Goodman in New York. She has also collaborated with a host of celebrities, including ‘2017 Team Scot of the Year’ Judy Murray OBE.
Siobhan has been particularly keen to demonstrate how the contemporary kilt she has designed, with the tartan cut on the bias on the front and vibrant purple pleats on the back, not only creates a fabulous parade uniform for Team Scotland’s women, but will work well afterwards as a beautiful evening outfit and for on-trend casual wear.
Siobhan Mackenzie said: “I’m truly honoured as a young female entrepreneur to have had the opportunity to design for the women of Team Scotland. I have injected my innovative design style into the womenswear look with the end goal in mind being not only that I want to represent a modern day Scotland but also that I want the female athletes to walk out into the Opening Ceremony feeling great in their outfit!
“Watching Team Scotland walk into the stadium will certainly be a very proud moment in my career.”
James Dracup, Managing Director of House of Edgar added: “House of Edgar is delighted to partner Team Scotland in producing a wonderful new tartan for Scotland’s team at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast 2018.
“The cloth has been woven at our factory in Keith in the Scottish Highlands and all men’s kilts hand made at our factory in Paisley. We are proud that the Scottish team will be wearing an authentic Scottish tartan, produced in Scottish factories and very excited that our fabric is to be shown in both a traditional and through the collaboration with Siobhan, a more contemporary format at the Opening Ceremony. We wish Team Scotland every success at the Games.”
In tune with the relaxed Gold Coast style and to suit the likely warm weather conditions, the kilts will be worn with a bespoke matching polo shirt.
As the last Commonwealth Games hosts, Scotland will be the first team to walk out into the Opening Ceremony at the Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast on 4 April 2018.
Lynsey Sharp, who memorably battled back from illness to win silver in the 800m at Glasgow 2014 was thrilled to model the new women’s kilt and said: “It’s absolutely beautiful and I think it’s definitely something I will wear again. I love Siobhan’s designs so I was really excited to hear she was designing the women’s outfit for Team Scotland.
“The parade uniform is always a huge talking point, everyone is going to be excited to see it and try it on, and I am sure they’re going to be really proud of it. The parade wear brings everyone together and makes you feel like one team and it will be fantastic to see everyone wearing it together at the Games.”
26 year old Andy Butchart from Dunblane, who will make his Team Scotland debut in Gold Coast and started his career as a personal trainer at the Gleneagles Hotel’s leisure club said: “The tartan looks so, so good, the colours have come out really well. You can definitely see it’s Team Scotland and having the green line there to represent going to Australia is a really nice touch that makes it special for these Games.
“It’s going to be a really proud moment to march out first into the Opening Ceremony next April and I’m sure the rest of the team will agree with me on that.”
Team Scotland Deputy Chef de Mission Elinor Middlemiss, who project manages the team kit added: “After months of planning it is really exciting to see the parade uniform come to fruition and we are delighted with the new look created by our partners at House of Edgar and Siobhan Mackenzie.
“It is always important to make sure the female team members don’t feel like an afterthought when it comes to the parade uniform, so it has been brilliant to work with such an exciting young designer like Siobhan and see her bring such a contemporary twist to their kilts and I am sure they are going to love it.
“A big thank you also to the Gleneagles Hotel for providing us with such an iconic backdrop for our reveal photography. As hosts of the Ryder Cup in 2014, the new European Championships golf event in 2018 and the Solheim Cup in 2019, we share a passion for world class sporting events. Both organisations are underpinned by a strong Scottish heritage, coupled with the drive to stay at the cutting-edge, this was a perfect fit for us.”
The photographs of the parade uniform were taken by Glasgow photographer Alistair Devine, highly acclaimed for his Team Scotland hero images, shot for the team’s Go Scotland! campaign leading up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Eighteen year old Ross Connelly from Cumbernauld was the top Scottish performer at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships as he struck bronze in the 57kg weight category, capping a fantastic year which has also seen him take bronze at the Junior Ontario Cup in July.
Three Scottish wrestlers, including Glasgow 2014 bronze medallist Vio Etko, travelled to the event in Johannesburg, South Africa, event but it was Connelly who shone at the milestone event on the road to next April’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
Team Scotland caught up with a delighted Connelly as he travelled back to Scotland, hoping his performance might land him a place on the plane to Australia next year.
What were your aims heading to South Africa?
My aims heading out to South Africa were just to perform to the best of my ability and to take one match at a time. I also wanted to test myself for the first time against Commonwealth competition.
Talk us through how the competition unfolded…
With regards to the competition I was placed in a pool alongside two South Africans and New Zealand. My team mate Vio, India, Canada and Pakistan were in the other pool. I won my first match against New Zealand. I then lost to a physically strong South African in the semi-final. However due to him making the final I was able to wrestle for 3rd/5th later in the day. I wrestled the other South African for 3rd and managed to win 12-2.
How pleased were you to come away with a medal?
I was delighted with my medal, although I wish I could have been in the final. I am still very happy as I felt I had worked hard throughout the year to prepare for this tournament.
As a young member of the team how important was this competition as a learning opportunity?
This tournament was a great learning opportunity for me. This was my first time I have competed against guys that may be at the Commonwealth Games in April so for me it was good to be exposed to this. Also it highlighted some of my strengths and weaknesses which will allow me to improve and work on these in the future.
It must set you up well for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games?
I would like to think it has set me up well for the Games in April, however the team has not been selected yet so I just need to continue training hard and hope I make the team!
If selected, what will your goals be?
It would be a dream come true to be selected. I would aim to prepare the best I can in order to perform my best come competition day. I would also just try and learn from those around me at the Games in order to continue to develop.
What are your ultimate ambitions in the sport?
My ultimate ambitions in the sport are to be the best I can be, to stay healthy and continue to have fun!
Part of the Achieve programme for Glasgow 2014, which gave young athletes and coaches the chance to experience the Games environment, Connelly will be hoping to book his spot on Team Scotland when the Wrestling team is selected in February.
All this week Wrestling is in the spotlight as we countdown to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games – look out for #TeamScotSportFocus on Team Scotland’s website and social media channels
Fresh from success at the Commonwealth Championships in South Africa, Scotland’s wrestlers are in the spotlight this week as our featured sport in the run up to Gold Coast 2018. With Team Scotland places still up for grabs, every result counts before the selection period closes on 14 February.
Our Sport Focus Series features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.
Wrestling at the Commonwealth Games
Wrestling was one of the six sports included in the first Commonwealth Games in 1930 and while Scotland fielded no wrestlers that year, we didn’t have to wait too long for success. While Edward Melrose remains Scotland’s only Commonwealth Games Wrestling gold medallist to date, with victory in 1934, Glasgow 2014 saw a real return to form for Scottish wrestling as Vio Etko and Alex Gladkov each took bronze medals. They were the first medallists in the sport since Olympians Graeme English and Calum McNeil won bronze meals at the 1994 Games and took Scotland to 9th on the All-Time Commonwealth Games Wrestling medal table.
Women’s Wrestling was first included at the Delhi 2010 Games and with Scotland sending a full compliment of female wrestlers to both Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014.
Find out more about Wrestling in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Wrestling page.
Team Scotland 2018
Building on the back of the medal success of Glasgow 2014, Scotland’s wrestlers will once again be pushing for the podium in Gold Coast. Glasgow medallists Vio Etko and Alex Gladkov could make a return to Team Scotland for a second Games and 18 year old Ross Connelly, bronze medal winner at the Commonwealth Championships this month, is one of several young athletes looking to make their mark.
A total of 96 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in Athletics, Boxing, Beach Volleyball, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Triathlon and Weightlifting.
Further selections, including the final selection of the Wrestling team, will take place in February 2018.
Show Your Support!
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!
Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.
Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.
Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.
Twenty five stars of track and field received the perfect start to their festive season, with news of their selection for Team Scotland for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Nineteen of the athletes named today were part of the team that rose to the challenge of a home Games at Glasgow 2014 and, spurred on by a capacity crowd at Hampden, delivered their best Commonwealth Games medal haul for 20 years.
Since that tally of one gold, two silver and one bronze, the sport has gone from strength to strength with a record 15 athletes selected for the Olympic Games and six for the Paralympic Games at Rio 2016. Again at this summer’s home World Championships in London there were 16 Scots on the British team, captained by the inspirational Eilidh Doyle, who will compete for a third successive Commonwealth Games medal over the 400m hurdles in Gold Coast.
Doyle’s fellow Glasgow 2014 medallists, 800m runner Lynsey Sharp and hammer thrower Mark Dry, are also named and aiming to replicate their podium finishes ‘down under’. Glasgow 2014 finalists Chris Bennett and Rachel Hunter will join Dry in taking to the hammer circle, where Bennett will draw on his experience from Rio 2016 and the 2017 World Championships.
One of the leading Scottish performances in that World Championships team came from Callum Hawkins, whose fourth place in the marathon equalled the best ever British performance in the event. He will line up alongside Robbie Simpson, a relative newcomer to the event following success as a mountain runner, including bronze at the 2015 World Championships.
In a strong endurance squad, Andrew Butchart will make his Commonwealth Games debut following top eight finishes at both Olympic Games and World Championships, while Olympians Eilish McColgan, Steph Twell and Lennie Waite form a formidable force in the women’s events.
Fellow Olympian Beth Potter is set for an unprecedented double in Gold Coast. Already named to Team Scotland in Triathlon after a hugely successful change of focus at the beginning of 2017, she will take to the track for the 10,000m following the conclusion of her Triathlon competition. In doing so she will become the first athlete to compete in two sports for Team Scotland at a single Games.
17-year-old Holly McArthur becomes Scotland’s first Commonwealth Games heptathlete for 20 years after completing a ‘full house’ of seven individual event personal bests to reach the qualifying score at the European Junior Championships in Grosseto, Italy. Her overall score was her third Scottish junior record in 2017 and, showing exceptional versatility, she capped her performance with a bronze medal as part of the GB 4x400m squad.
Another athlete on the rise in 2017 has been Aberdeen’s Zoey Clark, making a breakthrough over 400m to reach the semi-finals and take silver in the 4x400m at the London World Championships. She will once again run both the individual event and relay in Gold Coast, with Kelsey Stewart and Kirsten McAslan also included in the 4x400m pool.
On the field Team Scotland will be represented by three high jumpers; Allan Smith, David Smith and Emma Nuttall, while Jax Thoirs is selected for his second Games in the pole vault.
The Gold Coast 2018 Para-Sport programme is the largest in Commonwealth Games history and Team Scotland will be well represented on the track. Having broken her own World record to take gold over 200m at the World Para-Athletics Championships in London, going on to take a second gold in the 100m and bronze in the 400m, Sammi Kinghorn steps up in distance to tackle the 1500m and Marathon in Gold Coast. At just 21 years old she is the senior member of a strong Scottish trio in the para-sport events, joined by 17 year old Rio 2016 Paralympic medallist Maria Lyle and 18 year old Amy Carr, who won two gold and a bronze at this summer’s World Junior Championships.
Rodger Harkins, Performance Director at scottishathetics said: “I want to offer my congratulations to the athletes and coaches selected. They have really performed well in the past year and made a commitment to the Commonwealth Games and to a Gold Coast event being held in April. I’m really pleased with the application and planning that’s already being shown and has been shown over the past few months.
“When you take in the way Scottish athletes and coaches have stepped up over the past two years – and their involvement in the Olympics in Rio and then London 2017 – then we see the strength and the depth. Here we are seeing that reflected in a Team Scotland selection for athletics.
“What we have with this selection is a team with a very high percentage of final contenders. The overall selection policy for Team Scotland was predicated on a top six finish in each event and taken over the last three Commonwealth Games events – including Glasgow 2014. So immediately that raised the bar in terms of standards from Hampden, because the selection for Glasgow 2014 was based on a potential top eight finish.”
Also confirmed for Gold Coast are boxer Sean Lazzerini, gold medallist for Team Scotland at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, and men’s Beach Volleyball pairing Seain Cook and Robin Miedzybrodzki.
Lazzerini took a unanimous win over Scottish rival Boris Crighton in a box-off held for the 81kg place on 7 December and will step up into the senior team looking to emulate his Youth Games success.
Fraser Walker, Chief Executive at Boxing Scotland said: “We are delighted that the tenth boxing 2018 Gold Coast team berth has been filled in the 81kg light heavyweight category. The boxers – Sean Lazzerini and Boris Crighton – took on the box-off as Boxing Scotland wanted to ensure it filled the place with the very best athlete.
“A huge thanks must go to GB Boxing for accommodating the bout during its ‘Best of British’ Championships and the contest showed what talent we have at light heavyweight.
“In what was an extremely pressurised environment, Sean won the bout, during which Boris pushed him to the limit, Sean’s addition to the team is brilliant news for Team Scotland’s medal hopes given his previous performance in the 2015 Samoa Youth Games, where he won gold.”
With Beach Volleyball making its debut at Gold Coast 2018, Cook and Miedzybrodzki make history as the first athletes from the sport to be selected for a Commonwealth Games. An impressive win at the official qualifying tournament in Cyprus earlier this year saw them book their place in the 12-team competition, to be held on Coolangatta Beachfront.
Margaret Ann Fleming, Chief Executive at Scottish Volleyball, said: “The 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia has provided Beach Volleyball with a unique opportunity for this performance sport to be showcased. The Scottish Volleyball Association, in partnership with sportscotland and Commonwealth Games Scotland, is delighted that our men’s pair has qualified and will represent Team Scotland at the Games. They are currently are ranked sixth in the Commonwealth and we are confident that the team will compete with distinction.”
Team Scotland Chef de Mission Jon Doig OBE said, “Congratulations to all selected today, as we welcome a great mix of experienced athletes and those who will be part of Team Scotland for the first time. We have a strong tradition of success, right from the first Games, in both Athletics and Boxing, with results continuing real upward momentum since 2014. Beach Volleyball, with its iconic relationship with the Gold Coast, will create new traditions and the recent qualifying success shows Team Scotland will more than hold their own in 2018.”
Today’s selections bring the total number of athletes named to Team Scotland to 96, following team announcements for Swimming and Lawn Bowls in October and Squash, Boxing, Triathlon, Shooting, Para-Bowls and Weightlifting in November. Further selections will be made in the new year, with the full team due to be announced by 1 March 2018.
SELECTED ATHLETES
ATHLETICS (25):
Name Hometown / Lives
Chris Bennett Glasgow / Glasgow
Andrew Butchart Dunblane / Dunblane
Mark Dry Burghead, Moray / Loughbourough
Callum Hawkins Bridge of Weir / Elderslie
Guy Learmonth Berwick / Berwick
Chris O’Hare West Linton / Boston, USA
Robbie Simpson Banchory / Banchory
Allan Smith Edinburgh / Edinburgh
David Smith Barrhead / Birmingham
Jax Thoirs Glasgow / Glasgow
Jake Wightman Edinburgh / Hampton Wick, Surrey
Amy Carr Stockton-on-Tees / Stockton-on-Tees
Zoey Clark Aberdeen / Aberdeen
Eilidh Doyle Kinross / Frome
Rachel Hunter Ayr / Ayr
Sammi Kinghorn Middlethird / Glasgow
Maria Lyle Dunbar / Dunbar
Holly McArthur Kilsyth / Glasgow
Kirsten McAslan Edinburgh / Manchester
Eilish McColgan Carnoustie / Manchester
Emma Nuttall Edinburgh / Loughborough
Lynsey Sharp Edinburgh / Loughborough
Kelsey Stewart Stonehaven / Stonehaven
Stephanie Twell Farnbourough / Aldershot
Lennie Waite Paisley / Houston, Texas
BEACH VOLLEYBALL (2):
Seain Cook Perth / Perth
Robin Miedzybrodzki Edinburgh / Loanhead
BOXING (1):
Sean Lazzerini Glasgow / Glasgow