In the Sport Focus spotlight this week is Rugby 7s, as Scotland kicked off their World Series campaign in Dubai over the weekend and will be back on the field this coming weekend (9-10 Dec) at the second Series event in Cape Town. All eyes will be on the Robina Stadium on 13-15 April 2018 as Team Scotland aim for their first ever team sport medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
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.
Rugby 7s at the Commonwealth Games
Rugby 7s made its Commonwealth Games debut at Kuala Lumpur 1998 but it was four years later in Manchester that Scotland took to the field for the first time. Now one of the 10 core sports which must be included at every Games, Rugby 7s is a hugely popular addition to the sports programme with a record 171,000 spectators flocking to watch the action live at Glasgow 2014.
Women’s Rugby 7s will be included at the Commonwealth Games for the first time at Gold Coast 2018.
Find out more about Rugby 7s in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Rugby 7s page.
Team Scotland 2018
Team Scotland Rugby 7s are set to make their fifth Games appearance, having been confirmed as one of the 16 teams awarded a place in the Men’s competition at Gold Coast 2018. With a strong 2016/17 World Series season behind them, including a spectacular win at the season finale in London, they will be looking to improve on their 7th place finish from Glasgow 2014 and push for what would be Team Scotland’s first ever medal in a team sport.
A total of 68 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Triathlon and Weightlifting.
Further selections, including the final selection of Rugby 7s players, 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.
St Andrew’s Day (30 November) was a fitting occasion to announce the next 35 Scots, proud to be flying the flag for Team Scotland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. The list includes six past medallists and 21 debutants from the sports of Boxing, Para- Bowls, Shooting, Triathlon and Weightlifting and now join those previously selected in Swimming, Lawn Bowls and Squash.
Boxing name a nine-strong team with Vicky Glover becoming the first Scottish woman to be selected for a Commonwealth Games in the sport. British champion last year, she has recently returned from the World Youth Championships in India where she missed out on a medal only by split decision.
Bronze medallist at Glasgow 2014, Reece McFadden returns to Team Scotland once again and is joined by fellow 2014 representatives Aqeel Ahmed and Scott Forrest. Samoa 2015 Youth Games gold medallist, John Docherty makes the step up into the senior team, having taken the Scottish title in April. Mitchell Barton, Stephen Newns, Robbie McKechnie and Nathaniel Collins, all Scottish champions, complete the line-up. A box-off for the 81kg place is scheduled for December.
Fraser Walker, Interim CEO, Boxing Scotland Ltd welcomed the news and said: “We have much to live up to following one of our most successful ever Commonwealth Games performances at Glasgow 2014. I am delighted and thankful that the Commonwealth Games Selection panel has shown faith in us and confirmed the selection of nine boxers at this stage.
“This is a ground breaking moment for Boxing Scotland with confirmation that Vicky Glover will become the first ever Scottish female boxer to be selected to represent Scotland in a senior Commonwealth Games and there were three further women in the mix. We had no female team members in Glasgow 2014 – this demonstrates how much work we have put into developing female boxing in Scotland and is testament to the performances of our female boxers who have impressed so much during the selection period.
“We have witnessed determination and courage from all the boxers in the world’s toughest tournaments throughout the selection period and our focus now turns to ensuring that our boxers deliver to very best of their ability in 124 days-time when the Games begin.”
Having recently hand cycled her way 2,000 miles from Canada to Mexico, Paralympic Games gold medallist Karen Darke will take to the start line in Gold Coast where Para-Triathlon makes its debut. Since being paralysed from the chest down in a climbing accident age 21, the Inverness based athletes has pushed herself in an incredible series of challenges, alongside her sporting endeavours, including crossing Greenland’s ice cap and climbing Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan, all using just the power of her arms.
Better known as a track athlete, running the 10,000m at both the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 World Athletics Championships, Beth Potter makes her Commonwealth Games debut as a triathlete. Gold at the Funchal Sprint European Cup in September demonstrates her successful transition to the sport. On the men’s side, there is a return to Team Scotland for Marc Austin, who thrilled the home crowd in Strathclyde Park during Glasgow 2014 as part of a three-man breakaway with the Brownlee brothers, while Grant Sheldon, World University Championships gold medallist last year, is also selected for his second Games.
Jane Moncrieff, CEO Triathlon Scotland said: “We are absolutely delighted that our triathletes have been confirmed for individual events and will be joining Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018. We are particularly pleased that para-triathlon will make its debut and Scotland will be represented. We wish all the triathletes the very best, as they continue with their preparations and look forward to getting behind them in April 2018.
The eleven-strong shooting team contains a wealth of experience with Ian Shaw becoming the second Team Scotland athlete (along with Alex Marshall) to make his sixth Commonwealth Games appearance. With silver at Delhi 2010 and bronze at Glasgow 2014, he will be looking for another podium position, particularly after taking the bronze medal at the 2017 Commonwealth Championships, held at the Gold Coast 2018 competition venue in Brisbane.
Five time Commonwealth Games medallist Jen McIntosh and younger sister Seonaid will also be in the medal hunt after an impressive 2017. At the European Championships in Baku, both sisters claimed an individual gold before combining with England’s Katie Gleeson to take gold in the team event. It was a similar success story at the Commonwealth Championships as they finished first and second in the Prone event, with Seonaid also claiming gold in the 3 Position.
With a gold, silver and bronze to his name from previous Games, Neil Stirton will be keen to return to the podium, having missed out in Glasgow, while Caroline Brownlie makes her third Games appearance in the Pistol discipline. 20-year-old Aedan Evans, finalist at the 2017 World Junior Championships, heads a list of six shooters making their debut for Team Scotland.
Angus Loudon, Chair of Scottish Target Shooting said: “Scottish Target Shooting is proud to nominate such a strong team for 2018, featuring Jennifer McIntosh, Scotland’s most successful female athlete at the Commonwealth Games based on the number of medals won and other strong medal contenders. As the results from the year, and more recently at the Commonwealth Championships earlier this month have shown, Scottish athletes are in fine form winning medals on the international stage and going into 2018 we hope to match, if not exceed the high standards and successes of the Scottish shooters at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.”
Para bowler Irene Edgar and her Director, David Thomas make a return to Team Scotland having won silver in Glasgow in the B2/B3 Mixed Pairs. Robert Barr, directed by Sarah Jane Ewing, will partner Irene this time around and the pair have already experienced success on the Gold Coast greens, taking silver at the 2016 Eight Nations Championships. In the B6/B7/B8 Open Triples, Michael Simpson is the sole returning member of the team that took 4th place in Glasgow. He is joined by 2015 Singles World Champion, Martin Hunter and 2016 Scottish Champion, Mike Nicoll.
Janice Eaglesham, Chairperson, Scottish Disability Sport said: “Scottish Disability Sport is delighted to announce a strong field of players to compete in two medal events at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Selection decisions were extremely difficult, but the five players and two directors that were chosen have a blend of experience, as well as a strong sense of team unity, which is vitally important for pairs and triples disciplines. I’d like to congratulate those players and directors, who will represent Scotland at the highest level, and we look forward to the Games with great optimism.”
All four weightlifters make their Games debut following a successful Commonwealth Championships, where former World and European record breaking powerlifter Lisa Tobias posted the top Scottish result with 5th in the 48kg category. She is joined by British silver medallist Jodey Hughes, 2015 Australian Champion, Scott Wilson and Scottish U23 record holder Zach Courtney.
Welcoming the newly selected athletes, Jon Doig OBE, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “Huge congratulations to all of the athletes who have been selected for Team Scotland. We look forward to them representing their families, communities and country with pride in 2018.
“Every athlete with a place on the team has met the tough selection standards, just to make the team and it is clear that we have the quality within the team to deliver our goal of having our most successful ever overseas Games.”
Aileen Campbell, Minister for Public Health and Sport, said: “A massive congratulations to the latest athletes announced to represent Scotland at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“By making it to the top of their respective sports, and being chosen to represent Scotland, they have already done a huge amount to make themselves, and all of us who will be cheering them on, so proud – and I have no doubt that will continue when the Games come around.
“Boxing, para-bowls, shooting and weightlifting have all seen great results for Scottish athletes over the years – triathlon and para-triathlon give the chance to make that success even stronger. I am really excited to see the mark all our athletes make on the Games.”
Today’s selections bring the total number of athletes named to Team Scotland to 68, following team announcements for Swimming and Lawn Bowls in October and Squash earlier this month. Further selections will be made over the coming months with Athletics next on 12 December 2017.
SELECTED ATHLETES
BOXING (9):
Name Hometown / Lives
Aqeel Ahmed Dundee / Motherwell
Mitchell Barton Berwick / Berwick
Nathaniel Collins Glasgow / Glasgow
John Docherty Inverness / Montrose
Scott Forrest Edinburgh / Forth, South Lanarkshire
Reece McFadden Motherwell / Motherwell
Robbie McKechnie Kilbirnie / Johnstone
Stephen Newns Cleland, North Lanarkshire / Motherwell
Vicky Glover Glasgow / Hamilton
PARA BOWLS (7):
Name Hometown / Lives
Robert Barr Glasgow / Glasgow
Martin Hunter Burntisland, Fife / Burntisland, Fife
Mike Nicoll Brechin / Jedburgh
Michael Simpson Auchtermuchty / Auchtermuchty
David Thomas Ardrossan / Ardrossan
Irene Edgar Glasgow / Saltcoats
Sarah Jane Ewing Dunfermline / Dunfermline
SHOOTING (11):
Name Hometown / Lives
Aedan Evans Forres / Moray
Calum Fraser Aberdeen / Aberdeen
David McMath Castle Douglas / Dumfries
Ian Shaw Epsom, Surrey / Westbury
Neil Stirton Aberdeen / Aberdeen
Sandy Walker London / London
Caroline Brownlie Bishop’s Waltham / Bishop’s Waltham
Jen McIntosh Falkirk / Edinburgh
Seonaid McIntosh Dollar / Edinburgh
Sharon Niven Armadale / Armadale
Linda Pearson Sheffield / Sheffield
TRIATHLON (4):
Name Hometown / Lives
Marc Austin Glasgow / Glasgow
Grant Sheldon Hamilton / Stirling
Karen Darke Inverness / Inverness
Beth Potter Glasgow / Leeds
WEIGHTLIFTING (4):
Name Hometown / Lives
Zach Courtney Edinburgh / Edinburgh
Scott Wilson Sydney, AUS
Jodey Hughes East Kilbride / East Kilbride
Lisa Tobias Glasgow / Newton Mearns
There was great news for the Scottish Hockey fraternity this week, with Team Scotland officially confirmed in both the women’s and men’s competitions at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The excitement heightened further, following today’s draw (28 November) which revealed that Scotland will go head to head with the top nations from across the Commonwealth next April.
Teams have been divided into two pools of five based on their FIH World Rankings and drawn in a snaking pattern from the top-seeded nation down to the 10th-seeded nation in order to evenly spread competing nations across both pools.
Scotland’s men are drawn in Pool A, alongside Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, while the women are in Pool B with Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ghana. Both teams will be looking to build on 8th and 6th place finishes at Glasgow 2014 respectively.
Following the unveiling of the competition pools, the match schedule for the preliminary rounds was also announced today at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre.
The men and the women will each get their campaigns underway on the first day of the Games (5th April). Indeed the competition will be fierce right from the outset, when both teams are drawn to meet higher ranked opposition in their opening matches, as the women take on New Zealand and the men face South Africa.
Each team will play every other team within their pool during the preliminary round matches from April 5-11 before the top two teams in each pool advance to the semi-final and medal matches from April 12-14.
The pools for both men’s and women’s competitions are listed below:
| MEN’S HOCKEY COMPETITION | |
| Pool A | Pool B |
| Australia | India |
| New Zealand | England |
| Canada | Malaysia |
| South Africa | Pakistan |
| Scotland | Wales |
| WOMEN’S HOCKEY COMPETITION | |
| Pool A | Pool B |
| England | Australia |
| India | New Zealand |
| South Africa | Scotland |
| Malaysia | Canada |
| Wales | Ghana |
Reacting to the news, Scotland women’s Head Coach Gordon Shepherd said: “What an amazing group of games and what a massive challenge – I don’t think it could have been a harder draw. New Zealand are in great form at present after finishing second in the World League Finals. Playing Australia in Australia will have a great atmosphere and they are a top team. Canada are always a difficult side to play and Ghana are ever improving.
“We are all looking forward to the Commonwealth Games and all the matches. It’s this sort of experience that the players and staff work so hard for.”
Also excited to be competing at Gold Coast 2018, Scotland men’s Head Coach Derek Forsyth said: “This is an exciting pool for the team and one that the players can really compete in if they play to their potential. These matches are tremendous for the squad and will be fantastic to be part of. It’s a great challenge and one we’re looking forward to.”
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Louise Martin CBE said: “Today’s release of the official pools and match schedule for both men’s and women’s Hockey competitions at GC2018 is an exciting milestone for fans of hockey from around the world.
“It’s so wonderful to see such diversity of representation from across the Commonwealth involving the best hockey nations from Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas.”
International Hockey Federation (FIH) CEO Jason McCracken said: “We would like to congratulate all of the teams on their qualification for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Today’s announcement will undoubtedly boost excitement for both teams and fans who now know who they will battle to qualify for the knock-out stages of the competition.
“The Commonwealth Games is a key event in the Hockey calendar for many of these nations. With so many world-class teams involved, plus an exceptional venue for our sport, hockey will be showcased at its best in the Gold Coast next April.
“The sport and its fans are certainly looking forward to what is set to be an outstanding event.”
The full draw is available here: https://www.gc2018.com/sites/default/files/2017-11/Hockey_Schedule.pdf
Individual player selection for Team Scotland will be made early in 2018 to ensure player form and fitness.
Consistently in the medals in recent years, Team Scotland has a proud history in Badminton at the Commonwealth Games. To round off our Sport Focus, here are 12 things you might not know about Badminton:
- Badminton is a core sport at the Commonwealth Games and must be included every time the Games are held.
- Badminton is the second most popular participation sport in the world after football.
- The sport made its Commonwealth Games debut at Kingston in 1966.
- Scotland have won nine Games medals in Badminton – one gold, two silver and six bronze.
- Scotland have won medals in Badminton at four out of the last five Games, the exception being Delhi 2010. Elinor Middlemiss & Sandra Watt took Women’s Doubles bronze in 1998, there was a Mixed Team bronze in 2002, Susan Hughes reached the Women’s Singles podium with bronze in 2006 and there was double success at Glasgow 2014 as Kirsty Gilmour took Women’s Singles silver and Robert Blair & Imogen Bankier took Mixed Doubles bronze.
- Scotland’s only gold in Badminton to date came at the 1986 Games in Edinburgh where Billy Gilliland and Dan Travers won the Men’s Doubles.
- England and Malaysia have dominated the Team Event at the Commonwealth Games, winning all 10 events held between them.
- A shuttlecock is make from cork, leather and 16 goose feathers. The best shuttlecocks are made with feathers from the left wing!
- Badminton is the fastest racket sport with the shuttlecock reaching speeds of over 200mph.
- Badminton was originally known as “Battledore & Shuttlecock”
- The name Badminton comes from the place of the birth of the British game – at the country estate of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire in 1873.
- On 26 November 2017 Kirsty Gilmour became the first Scottish woman to take victory at the Scottish Open since Susan Eglestaff (nee Hughes) in 2009. She took the title 23-21 21-12 over Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark!
Badminton picks up the baton from Squash and Aquatics as the third Gold Coast 2018 sport to feature in the Team Scotland Sport Focus series. All eyes will be on Glasgow’s Emirates Arena from 22-26 November for the Scottish Open Grand Prix as top class international badminton returns to the venue of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and recent World Championships.
Keep an eye on our website and social media channels over the coming week as we follow all the Grand Prix action and highlight Badminton as part of our countdown to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in April.
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.
Badminton at the Commonwealth Games
Scotland has won nine Badminton medals since the sport made its Commonwealth Games debut in 1966, including gold for Men’s Doubles pair Billy Gilliland and Dan Travers at Edinburgh 1986 and Kirsty Gilmour securing Scotland’s best Singles result with silver at Glasgow 2014.
Badminton is a core sport in the Commonwealth Games, meaning it must be included on the sports programme, and will make its 14th Games appearance at Gold Coast 2018.
Find out more about Badminton in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Badminton page.
Team Scotland 2018
Badminton will be looking to maintain their strong record in Gold Coast, having taken medals at four of the last five Games. The Badminton competition will take place in the newly constructed Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre with a spectator capacity of 2,500.
Thirty three athletes have been named to Team Scotland 2018 to date, with selections announced in Aquatics, Lawn Bowls and Squash. Badminton selections will be made in February 2018 with final selections for all sports announced by 1 March.
View the full Gold Coast 2018 team.
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.
Twitter / Instagram / Facebook
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.
Team Scotland has a proud history in Aquatics at the Commonwealth Games with our swimmers and divers winning medals at every Games with the exception of 1978 and 1990. To round off our Sport Focus, here are 12 things you might not know about Aquatics at the Commonwealth Games:
1. Aquatics is Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games sport with an all-time medal total of 83 ahead of Athletics on 70 and Boxing on 63. This places Scotland 5th on the all-time Commonwealth Games Aquatics medal table behind Australia, Canada, England and South Africa.
2. Australia have topped the Swimming medal table at the Commonwealth Games on all but four occasions, the most recent being 1978 when Games hosts Canada came out on top.
3. Swimming is a core sport in the Commonwealth Games, meaning it must be included on the sports programme, while Diving, Synchronised Swimming and Open Water Swimming are optional sports. Despite Diving being an optional sport, it has been included, along with Swimming, at every Games since they began in 1930.
4. Peter Heatly is Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete in Aquatics with three gold, one silver and one bronze in Diving, won between 1950 and 1958.
5. Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games swimmer is David Carry with two gold, two silver and one bronze won at the Melbourne 2006 and Delhi 2010 Games. Hannah Miley is Scotland’s top female swimmer with two gold and a bronze. She will go for a third successive gold in the 400m Individual Medley at Gold Coast 2018.
6. Aquatics can claim Team Scotland’s youngest ever Commonwealth Games medallist with 13 year old Erraid Davies taking bronze in the Para-Sport SB9 100m Breaststroke at Glasgow 2014.
7. Synchronised Swimming has been included in the Commonwealth Games on seven occasions with Canada the top nation, winning all 15 gold medals contested. Scotland’s Lauren Smith won bronze at Delhi 2010 in the solo event.
8. 18 year old Scott McLay became Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Youth Games athlete in history, winning three gold, one silver and one bronze at Bahamas 2017. He has made an immediate step up into the senior team and will represent Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018.
9. Swimming and Diving at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will take place at the Gold Coast Aquatics Centre which has been redeveloped for the Games with a new 50m, 10 lane pool for competition. The original 50m pool will become the warm up pool in Games mode.
10. Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool is the only venue ever to be used at three Commonwealth Games (1970, 1986 and 2014). It also hosted the Swimming events at the 2000 Commonwealth Youth Games.
11. At Sydney 1938, English swimmer John G Davies won the 220 yards Breaststroke event and broke the existing record by using what was later to become known as the Butterfly stroke. At the time it was merely regarded as a legitimate variation of the Breaststroke with the result that the record established by Davies was to stand until 1958.
12. The Edinburgh 1970 Games were the first to be measured in metres rather than yards. David Wilkie was Scotland’s only Aquatics medallist with bronze in the 200m Breaststroke.
Find out more about the sport in the Commonwealth Games on our dedicated Aquatics page and look out for our next sport focus as we profile each of the sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme.
Swimmers set to represent Team Scotland at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games were out in force at the British Universities and Colleges Short Course Swimming Championships, held from 10-12 November. World and Olympic medallist Duncan Scott was the stand out performer, swimming to an impressive six gold and one silver, as the Scottish contingent shone in Sheffield.
In his first competitive outing since the summer, Scott stepped out of his comfort zone in his first event of the Championship to take gold in the 1500m Freestyle. He went on to add further individual titles in the 200m and 400m Freestyle and 200m Butterfly, taking silver in the 100m Butterfly. He added a further two gold in the relays within strong University of Stirling teams which included double Olympian Craig Benson and multiple Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Scott McLay.
Benson scored his own individual success with gold in both the 100m and 200m Breaststroke but had to settle for silver in the 50m event behind young University of Stirling team mate Zak Aitchison. Rio 2016 Paralympic medallist Andy Mullen was in record breaking form, setting new European bests in the S5 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly
Also in fine form was Edinburgh University’s Lucy Hope who erased Alison Sheppard’s long standing Scottish record over the 100m Freestyle. Hope stunned the crowd by touching ahead of pre-race favourite Anna Hopkin of Bath University in a new Scottish Senior and British Universities record. She added a second gold in the 50m Backstroke, also in a British Universities record, and took silver in both the 100m Backstroke and 200m Freestyle. There was also gold for Edinburgh in the 4x200m Freestyle relay as Hope was joined by double individual gold medallist and Welsh record holder Kathryn Greenslade, Team Scotland 2015 Youth Games medallist Tain Bruce and Evie Edwards.
Recently selected for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Corrie Scott and Kathleen Dawson were both triple medallists, Scott taking a silver and two bronze in the Breaststroke events and Dawson gold in the 100m Backstroke and silver in both 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly.
Other Scottish swimmers on the podium, who will be heading to Gold Coast next April, included Craig McNally, Jack Thorpe and 2015 Youth Games flagbearer Craig McLean.
In a hugely successful championship, University of Stirling finished in second place overall, with University of Edinburgh in third. The overall title was taken by defending champions Loughborough University.
Scottish swimmers will be back in action at the Scottish Short Course Championships, the final event in the Team Scotland Series, on 9-11 December at Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool.
Commonwealth Games Scotland is pleased to announce a new partnership with Glasgow Airport as Team Scotland continue preparations for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Scotland’s principal long-haul airport, Glasgow serves almost 10 million passengers per year and will be the departure point for all athletes and staff travelling with Team Scotland to the Gold Coast Games. In the lead up to the Games, Glasgow Airport will proudly display its support of Team Scotland with in-airport branding and will feature the team in High Flyer magazine.
Jon Doig OBE, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “We are excited to have Glasgow Airport on board as an official supplier to Team Scotland. Peak performance for our team begins long before they take the field of play and it’s fantastic to have this backing in the run-up to the Games.
Highlighting Team Scotland athletes and sports via in-airport branding and print features will also link the team to a huge number of their biggest supporters. This will give Team Scotland an added boost as they depart in style for one of the biggest competitions of their careers, and return following what we hope will be our most successful ever overseas Games.”
Glasgow Airport Commercial Director, Francois Bourienne, said: “One of our biggest highlights in recent years was the feel-good factor generated by the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. That summer was a really special time for our staff, passengers and the country.
“Glasgow Airport has enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Team Scotland and it was a privilege to once again welcome back the Queen’s Baton in August this year as it touched down in Glasgow as part of the traditional relay tour of the country.
“We are proud once again to support Team Scotland and look forward to cheering the athletes on as they pass through the terminal, carrying the sporting dreams of a nation, as they head off with partner airline Emirates to compete at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next year.”
To find out more about Glasgow Airport go to: https://www.glasgowairport.com/
Glasgow Airport’s agreement with Team Scotland was brokered and contracted by the rights marketing team at The Sports Consultancy. The Sports Consultancy is representing Team Scotland to secure commercial partners and related legal services in the build up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia and beyond.
Scotland’s divers performed superbly in the stunning facilities of the Gold Coast Aquatics Centre – host venue for the Commonwealth Games in just over four months’ time – claiming a gold and a silver medal in the Synchro events at the Gold Coast Diving Grand Prix.
It was an outstanding weekend for 16 year old Lucas Thomsom, a fifth year pupil at Balerno High School, as he teamed up with Glasgow 2014 finalist James Heatly to take silver in the Men’s 10m Synchro event. Partnering Gemma McArthur in the Mixed 10m Synchro, he went one better as the pair took gold ahead of Malaysian duo Jun Houng Cheong and Jelison Jabillin.
Heatly, who recorded top 10 finishes in both 1m and 3m Springboard event at the Glasgow 2014 Games, put in a strong performance in the preliminary round of his individual 3m event to progress comfortably to the semi-finals. Unfortunately a mistake in his 4th dive, an inward 3.5 sommersaults tuck, cost him a place in the final.
McArthur was also in individual action, in the Women’s 10m Platform event. The 19 year old progressed from the preliminary round, finishing 5th in her semi-final.
For those divers with ambitions of a place on Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018, only a few qualifying competitions remain before the end of the selection window. On the domestic calendar are the Scottish Championships in Edinburgh at the start of December and the British Championships in January.
33 athletes in Swimming, Lawn Bowls and Squash have already been named to Team Scotland. Final selections across all sports will be made in February 2018 as Team Scotland aim to build on the success of Glasgow 2014 and have their most successful overseas Games ever.
We’re making a splash this week as the Team Scotland Sport Focus Series turns to Aquatics. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels over the coming week as we highlight Swimming and Diving as part of our countdown to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in April.
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.
Aquatics at the Commonwealth Games
Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games sport, Aquatics won three gold, three silver and four bronze at Glasgow 2014, bringing their all-time total to an impressive 83 medals. The sport provided so many memorable moments in Glasgow including Hannah Miley defending her 400m IM title on the opening night, Ross Murdoch’s disbelief at taking gold and Erraid Davies’ beaming smile as the 13 year old became Team Scotland’s youngest medallist.
Swimming is a core sport in the Commonwealth Games, meaning it must be included on the sports programme, while Diving, Synchronised Swimming and Open Water Swimming are optional sports.
Find out more about Swimming and Diving in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Aquatics page.
Team Scotland 2018
Twenty one swimmers were named in the first wave of selections to Team Scotland on 3 October 2017. All three of Scotland’s Glasgow 2014 gold medallists will return to defend their titles, with Hannah Miley going for an unprecedented third successive 400m Individual Medley gold in Gold Coast.
The team also contains a wealth of young talent lead by 20 year old World and Olympic medallist Duncan Scott. Scott McLay, who became Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Youth Games athlete of all-time with five medals at Bahamas 2017, makes an immediate step up into the senior team and is joined by Team Scotland’s flagbearer at the Samoa 2015 Youth Games, Craig McLean and 2017 World Junior Championship medallist Keanna MacInnes.
Selections have also been announced in Lawn Bowls and Squash, bringing the total number of athletes confirmed on Team Scotland to 33. Further selections for Aquatics will take place in February 2018.
View the full Gold Coast 2018 team.
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. Twitter Instagram Facebook
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.