In the searing heat on day two of the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, Dylan Hughes rode to silver in the Men’s Time Trial and into the history books as Scotland’s first ever Youth Games Cycling medallist.
Following a six-year absence for the sport from the Youth Games, all eyes were on the Bahamian roads as Scotland’s three athletes took to their bikes, buoyed by a pre-Games message of support from Glasgow 2014 competitor and Olympian Grant Ferguson, who began his own Commonwealth Games journey at the Isle of Man Youth Games in 2011.
Rhona Callander was the first of Scotland’s athletes to go against the clock. She started the race with a strong opening ride but lost some time in the middle section of the course to record a time of 14 minutes and 35 seconds, resulting in a fifth place finish.
Upbeat about having another opportunity to race at the weekend, she said: “I went out a bit hard, and I know I always go out too hard so I am a bit disappointed. I don’t have a great Time Trialling history so I am a lot more excited about Sunday’s Road Race.”
Attention then turned to the Men’s race with Stephen Dent first up for Scotland. Stephen, a sprint specialist, found the pace of such a strong Time Trial tough, placing 16th but will be back for the Road Race and aiming for a higher placing.
It was left to Dylan Hughes to put in the top performance of the day, handling the conditions well with a confident ride throughout to post an impressive time of 12 minutes and 18 seconds.
Hughes’ strong final straight ensured the youngster from East Lothian would go on to secure the first ever medal for Scotland in Cycling at a Youth Games, finishing just 12 seconds behind the eventual winner Matthew Oliveira of Bermuda for silver.
An excited Hughes spoke after his race and said: “It was so hot out there today, I am so pleased to be coming away with a medal after a solid ride today.
“I didn’t realise Cycling hadn’t won a medal before but it’s nice to be the first and hopefully not the last of this Games. The other two guys are going well as well so hopefully we can get another couple of medals between us.
I am relatively inexperienced in this field; I have done bits in Europe but today I was just coming in here looking to do my best. I am happy to be coming away with some good numbers on the bike and the silver medal.”
All three cyclists will return to action in Sunday’s Road Race which will take place over seven laps of 5.8 miles for a total race distance of 40.6 miles.
Team Scotland got off to a flying start on the opening day of the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games as the country’s top young Judo and Beach Volleyball athletes got the Games underway in emphatic style.
Before the evening’s Opening Ceremony had even begun, Team Scotland had claimed four medals from six athletes in Judo as the sport was contested at a Youth Games for the very first time. Emily Ritchie got the team off the mark, going undefeated through three contests to claim gold, Scotland’s first of the Games and a first for Judo at a Youth Games.
Speaking after her final fight, Emily commented: “That was amazing. The fact that it is the first Youth Games with my sport in it and that I am one of the first gold medallists in the event is an amazing feeling. It felt amazing stepping out on to the mat, representing the whole of Team Scotland. Now I cannot wait for tonight’s Opening Ceremony and also being able to watch all of my other team-mates competing.”
The medals kept on coming in the second session with Fiona Todman and Emma Forrest both earning their place in the final and picking up silver. Though disappointed not to come out on top in an intense final bout, Fiona said: “Obviously I am a bit gutted to have lost the final but it has been an amazing experience. The Bahamas have put on a brilliant event and the atmosphere out there was incredible. Not many people can say they are a Commonwealth Youth Games Medallist and that is a really special feeling.”
Louis Saez started his competition with a close defeat but showed real grit and determination to bounce back in his next bout. A record of two wins and two losses in his pool was enough to ensure he took home bronze for Scotland. Speaking after the medal ceremony, he said: “I didn’t get off to a great start and was a bit shaky in my first fight but my whole team inspired me to turn it around in the next few fights. With them getting behind me, it gave me a bit of inspiration and I am so happy to be coming away with a medal.”
Connor Wilson and Ryan Quigley both faced tough opposition in their draw which included fights against England and Northern Ireland. A difficult day on the mat saw them both narrowly miss out on medals. Both battled hard throughout the day and made sure they did themselves and Team Scotland proud.
The exciting action continued to flow for Team Scotland with Emma Waldie and Jennifer Lee taking to the court in Beach Volleyball, going head-to-head with Vanuatu. A cagey affair to begin with, Emma and Jennifer quickly got rid of any pre-match nerves to take the first set comfortably, 21-7.
With the mid-afternoon heat starting to have an impact on the Scots’ pair, they looked to finish the job with a straight sets win. In a tight second set, the duo found the extra bit of energy required to take them over the line. A second set score of 21-19 secured a win for in Scotland’s first ever match at a Commonwealth Games event.
The team will be full of confidence as they head into tomorrow’s game with Jamaica. Speaking after the win over Vanuatu, Jennifer Lee said: “We started strong and the first set went as we had hoped. It was great to get the first win under our belt and now it is all about recovering ahead of a tough game against Jamaica tomorrow.”
Team Scotland are now preparing for this evening’s Opening Ceremony before the action heats up once again tomorrow with Boxing, Cycling, Swimming and Tennis all getting underway.
After much excitement, anticipation and preparation, the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games are set to get underway in the Bahamas tomorrow. Team Scotland’s 40 athletes will march out together at Tuesday night’s Opening Ceremony which will take place at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, centrepiece of the main Youth Games sports hub.
The team, who will compete in seven of the nine sports on the Bahamas 2017 programme, will be led out by Boxing’s Lewis Johnstone, who was nominated as the 2017 flag bearer by his fellow athletes at the team’s preparation camp in July.
Johnstone, who will take to the ring for his first bout on Wednesday is looking forward to carrying the flag for his country and added: “The last few days have been absolutely amazing, seeing all of the other teams arriving has made the whole thing become a reality for me.
“I keep saying it, but this is really going to be one of the proudest moments in my sporting career. I have been talking to all of the different sports in Team Scotland which is a lot of fun. Normally at boxing events we keep to ourselves but it is great fun being part of a bigger team.”
Judo and Beach Volleyball will kick off the sporting action for Team Scotland on the first day of the Games, with both sports making their Commonwealth Youth Games debut at Bahamas 2017. It will be a busy day for Scotland’s top young Judo players, who will compete throughout the day on Tuesday before joining in the opening celebrations at the National Stadium.
The Judo team have been working hard since arriving on the island and, with multiple training sessions already under their belt, Emma Forrest is confident the team can be successful: “We have been working extremely hard in preparation for this competition and now it’s just a case of getting out there and showing that the hard work has been worth it for us. It has taken some adjusting since arriving, with the temperature and conditions being different to home. Now I am just really looking forward to the competition and representing Team Scotland.”
Scotland’s Beach Volleyball pair will also be in action on the first day as they take to the sand for their opening fixture against Vanuatu. Emma Waldie will partner with Jennifer Lee and is excited about what the next five days might hold for them: “We cannot wait to get the tournament started, we know that we have been grouped with Jamaica and Vanuatu in the first round so we have two challenging games ahead. We don’t know either of the teams extremely well but we will be taking it one game at a time and are hoping we can do Scotland proud.”
The rest of Team Scotland will be in action from Wednesday onwards with Scotland being represented in Aquatics, Athletics, Boxing, Cycling and Tennis.
General Team Manager, Colin Gregor, said: “It will be such a proud moment for each and every member of Team Scotland to march out in the Opening Ceremony alongside their peers from around the Commonwealth. The excitement is building ahead of the start of the Games and I’m sure the whole team will be right behind our Judo and Beach Volleyball athletes as they take to the competitive arena tomorrow.
“I wish all our athletes the best of luck over the next six days of competition and I know that they will do themselves and Scotland proud.”
Arriving in the Bahamas on Friday ahead of the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, Team Scotland’s athletes are already settling in well at the team hotel. Situated a short drive from the main sporting hub, the Breezes Hotel will provide a home from home for Scotland and a host of other nations for the duration of the Games.
Team Scotland’s area of the hotel has been transformed, with banners and saltires fluttering from windows and balconies. Visitors are also met by images of former Youth Games athletes Charlie Flynn, Lynsey Sharp and Hannah Miley; which will undoubtedly inspire the class of 2017 as they begin their own Commonwealth Games journey.
General Team Manager, Colin Gregor said: “Team Scotland has a strong identity and it’s important that the branding around the hotel helps our athletes to feel part of that. We want the whole experience to be as close as possible to what they would encounter at a senior Commonwealth Games and it’s the little touches to make athletes feel at home that make a difference.
“We have had an incredibly warm welcome at the Breezes Hotel and the staff have been really accommodating. Everyone is settling in well and it’s fantastic to see athletes from different sports already forming friendships and learning more about each other’s training and events. It’s great to see the whole team working so well together less than 48 hours after arrival in the Bahamas.”
With Breezes acting as a main hub of the Athletes’ Village, many other nations are also starting to arrive, among them New Zealand, India and Vanuatu, giving the hotel a truly international feel.
“It’s great our athletes are getting the chance to mix with their competitors from around the Commonwealth”, said Colin. “That’s just as it would be at a senior Games, with athletes from all nations living side by side. It’s all great experience for the team.”
Jennifer Lee, one half of Team Scotland’s first ever Youth Games beach volleyball pair, said: “We are absolutely loving the athlete’s village, it is a great environment and a really nice atmosphere with the whole of Team Scotland coming together. We are really enjoying the opportunity to speak with different athletes from different teams. It is a lot of fun!”
Boxer John Casey added: “This is the experience of a lifetime, I’ve waited for so long for this. To come away with a big squad of talented Scottish athletes from all the different sports is great, they’re all so friendly and we get on really well. The hotel is amazing and the buzz about the place is unreal. I was talking to a couple of Jamaican lads and they were asking about my experience and I was asking about theirs, it’s brilliant to interact with all the other countries.”
To shake off any tightness from the long flight, and start to acclimatise to conditions very different to the Scottish climate, the athletes gathered for a beach yoga session led by Team Scotland physiotherapists. They now move into their final sports specific preparation with competition due to start on Tuesday 18 July.
The 40 athletes selected to represent Team Scotland at the sixth Commonwealth Youth Games left Edinburgh Airport early on Friday morning on the first leg of their journey to the Bahamas. It will be the first time a Commonwealth Games event has been held in the Caribbean for over 50 years.
The athletes, aged between 15 and 18 years, will compete for Scotland from 18-23 July in seven of the nine sports on the Bahamas 2017 programme: Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Swimming and Tennis. They will take their place amongst over 1000 of the best young athletes from the 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, as they experience an international multi-sport Games for the very first time.
The selected athletes have been in fine form in the lead up to departure, with highlights including sprinter Adam Clayton breaking a 40 year old Scottish U17 record over 100m at the England Athletics U20 Championships in Bedford; swimmer Scott McLay winning bronze a part of Great Britain’s Mixed Medley Relay team at the European Junior Championships in Israel and tennis player Hamish Stewart earning a wildcard entry into the main draw at Junior Wimbledon in both the Boys’ Singles and Doubles.
Sadly for boxer Craig Morgan his Games are over before they began, forced to withdraw due to injury.
A number of sports make their Commonwealth Youth Games debut at Bahamas 2017, including Judo and Beach Volleyball. Kirkcaldy born Fiona Todman, who lives in Dunfermline and competes for the Destination Judo club is one of the first six judoka ever to represent Team Scotland in Judo at a Youth Games and excited by the prospect of competing alongside athletes from other sports.
“Being part of Team Scotland is so important to me because I worked so hard to qualify,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to the competition and being part of a big multi-sport event is going to be a really interesting and exciting experience.
“When I compete it’s normally just within judo tournaments, so I enjoyed meeting other athletes and learning about their sports at the team camp. We’ve got shared experiences even though we do different sports and now the excitement is really building towards competing in the Bahamas.”
Former Scotland Rugby 7s star Colin Gregor, who played at two Commonwealth Games, including as captain at Glasgow 2014, will lead Team Scotland in the Bahamas as General Team Manager, aided by an experienced coaching and support team.
Wishing the team luck for the Games, he said: “This is a really exciting time for all of our athletes as they begin their Commonwealth Games journey and I am sure they are determined to do Scotland proud. Whilst we hope that many of our athletes will return with medals, the major benefit of the Commonwealth Youth Games is the opportunity it gives young athletes to experience this level of international competition in a multi-sport environment.
“The chance to engage with people their age from other sports and from all around the Commonwealth is something I know they are all looking forward to and the whole event, including the travel, will be a learning experience as many will not have competed so far from home before. The opportunity to learn from the expertise of the staff travelling with them will stand them in great stead for future events overseas.
“I am sure Team Scotland will compete to the best of its ability and that we will see a number of future stars emerge, who will go on to represent Team Scotland at senior level. I wish them every success and I look forward to seeing them in action over the six days of competition.”
On arrival in the Bahamas the athletes will have a chance to train and familiarise themselves with the venues before boxer Lewis Johnstone leads Youth Team Scotland out at the Opening Ceremony on 18 September. The sporting action begins with Beach Volleyball and Judo on the opening day, followed by a further five days of hotly contested competition, concluding on the 23 July.
The Youth Games will also feature a cultural programme which will run throughout the Games to enable athletes to mix and learn about other cultures, before an informal Closing Ceremony. The team will return to Scotland on Monday 24 July 2017 arriving at Edinburgh Airport at 1540hrs.
Team Scotland has revealed an exciting five-day programme of events and celebrations which will be held around the country, to mark the visit of the Gold Coast 2018 Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) on its global tour, ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.
In Scotland from 22-26 August 2017, the presence of the Baton will bring Gold Coast 2018 one step closer for athletes and supporters, as Team Scotland aims for its best ever medal haul at an overseas Games.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is a Games tradition that celebrates the Commonwealth’s diversity, inspires community pride and excites people about the world-class festival of sports and culture to come.
The Queen’s Baton carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that calls the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition.
Designed for each Games by the host nation, the 2018 Queen’s Baton has a distinctive loop design and has been made using macadamia wood and reclaimed plastic, sourced from Gold Coast waterways, and inspired by the region’s vibrant spirit and indigenous heritage.
With only five days in Scotland this year, compared to the extensive 42 day tour of the country in 2014 as Commonwealth Games hosts, the focus is on not just passing through, but spending quality time in each community it visits. The programme includes school and community events with a strong youth and sport theme, showcasing our rich heritage, links to Australia, The Commonwealth and a number of exciting Glasgow 2014 legacy projects.
Paul Bush OBE, Chair, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “The Queen’s Baton Relay is an iconic symbol of the Commonwealth Games and we look forward to welcoming the Baton to Scotland next month. We have had tremendous enthusiasm and support from local authorities, schools and community groups across the country, helping to organize an exciting programme of events which will use the QBR to connect their communities with the Games and embrace the values of the Commonwealth movement as a whole.
“The public support Team Scotland enjoyed for Glasgow 2014 was phenomenal and I look forward to seeing that passion sparked once again, as the Baton’s journey through Scotland marks the final countdown to the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I hope everyone across the country will get behind the athletes vying for selection for the team and play their part in supporting them as they prepare to compete with distinction on the other side of the world next April.”
Preparing to compete in the 400m hurdles at the London 2017 World Athletics Championships next month, double Commonwealth Games silver medallist Eilidh Doyle said: “I can’t quite believe that the next Commonwealth Games is now only nine months away. Glasgow 2014 was amazing in every way and being the very first person to carry the Queen’s Baton when it crossed the border from England to Scotland was extremely special, particularly as it was handed to me by Daley Thompson.
“It will be fantastic to see the Gold Coast 2018 Baton in Scotland in August and it will certainly spur on all the athletes, including myself, to book their place on Team Scotland and on the plane to Gold Coast. Being part of Team Scotland is a unique experience and the only time we get to represent our country at a multi-sport Games. The public support means so much to us and certainly played a huge part in the Team’s success in Glasgow and it would be great if everyone can get behind Team Scotland once again.”
A summary of the programme is given below and includes a number of ‘open’ events each day which members of the public are encouraged to attend. Many events will also include the participation of past or current Team Scotland athletes and the attendance of the popular Glasgow 2014 and now Team Scotland mascot, Clyde.
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
Tuesday 22 August – Glasgow, South Lanarkshire
The QBR will arrive at Glasgow Airport and spend the first day visiting legacy projects and youth and community groups related to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games including:
- Welcome to Scotland at the Glasgow School of Sport, Bellahouston Academy
- Commonwealth Games Village – Meet permanent residents of Team Scotland accommodation
- Cunigar Loop Woodland Park – Bike Town community group bike ride through the park*
- Emirates Arena – Schools participation event linked to the 2017 World Badminton Championships
- The Legacy Hub, Dalmarnock – local community event *
- University of Strathclyde Innovation Centre – Commonwealth Youth Leaders Conference
- George Square – Starting point of the Glasgow Commonwealth Walkway. *
Wednesday 23 August – Islay
The QBR will make its first ever visit to Islay in the Inner Hebrides for a unique range of youth and community events including:
- Bowmore – Primary Schools festival featuring the Schools Gaelic Choir and Highland Dancing *
- Visit to the Bowmore distillery
- Bowmore Town Square for community meet the Baton opportunity*
- Talk at Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (the Columba Centre Islay). *
Thursday 24 August – Dundee, Kirriemuir, Aberdeen, Stirling
The QBR heads to Dundee, Aberdeen and Stirling for a series of events including:
- Clepington Primary School, Dundee – a sportscotland gold standard sports award school for Australian Commonwealth themed activity
- Kirriemuir, Angus – a visit to the Bon Scott statue to celebrate the famous Australian-Scot lead singer of ACDC *
- Aberdeen Sports Village – a multi-school ‘One Big Sports Day’ of Commonwealth themed activities incorporating an Australian high tea
- Stirling Castle – Team Scotland reception & Bahamas 2017 Youth Games team celebration.
Friday 25 August – Stirling, Falkirk
A big day of school and community activities in Stirling and Falkirk before visiting the home of Team Scotland at the University of Stirling.
- St Ninian’s Primary School , Stirling – Joining children for their Daily Mile. St Ninian’s is linked with Coolangatta State School as part of the Gold Coast 2018 Schools connect programme.
- Helix and Kelpies, Falkirk – A multi-school Commonwealth themed festival for the schools and the community *
- Stirling University Campus – meeting with students linked to the Commonwealth Games
- sportscotland Institute of Sport – meeting the ‘team behind the team’ who help to prepare Team Scotland athletes for the Commonwealth Games.
Saturday 26 August – Grangemouth, Edinburgh
Visits to two major sports events where Scottish athletes are striving to be selected for Team Scotland for the 2018 Games. The day concludes with a visit to the Military Tattoo, an iconic Scottish showcase that is now a firm Australian favorite, broadcast to bring in the New Year down under.
- Grangemouth – Scottish Athletics Senior Championships *
- Portobello – Scottish Beach Volleyball Championship *
- Edinburgh – Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Events open to the public are marked with *
For further information about the Gold Coast 2018 Queen’s Baton Relay and its journey across the Commonwealth so far visit www.gc2018.com
Commonwealth Games Scotland is pleased to announce a new partnership with Glasgow based dental clinic, The Park Practice, who have become the first ever dental services supplier to Team Scotland.
Principal dentist, Mike Blackie, launched the association at Scotland’s Commonwealth Youth Games Team Camp in June, providing an informative briefing for the young athletes about the important part dental health plays in their overall health and wellbeing and how it is an essential part of their preparations ahead of international travel to competition.
This will be followed by engagement with athletes selected for Gold Coast 2018, to ensure they are in peak dental health and that those in contact sports have the best possible dental protection.
Delighted to be working with Team Scotland, Mike Blackie said: “The opportunity to work with Team Scotland combines my dual passions of dental health and sport in an exciting way. I am looking forward to developing the partnership over the next few years and seeing how I can support Scotland’s Commonwealth Games athletes to optimise their dental health.”
A former rugby player with GHK and Glasgow Hawks, Mike Blackie started The Park Practice Dental Clinic in 1999. The practice has a holistic approach to its patients and has always had a high proportion of patients with sporting backgrounds. Over the years the team at The Park Practice has treated various trauma injuries in professional rugby players and have passionately encouraged rugby and hockey players, especially, to wear correctly fitted sports mouth guards.
Mike also has a good understanding of the needs of teams participating in multi-sport Games, having worked as part of the medical team for the London 2012 Olympic Games supporting combat sports and was also involved at Glasgow 2014 with Rugby Sevens.
Through his work Mike has developed a passionate interest in the oral health impact on performance in professional sport and as a result has worked with two of Scotland’s Premiership Football Clubs.
Mike added: “My role has developed to include oral health assessments, education on the potential impact of sugar levels on performance and increasing the understanding of the impact of trauma injuries. Whilst we are still some way off from persuading all athletes in contact or combat sports to wear proper dentally fitted sports mouth guards, thankfully awareness of the benefits is increasing.
“More sporting bodies are realising the importance of looking after the ‘whole’ athlete to improve chances of success and I feel that this link up with Team Scotland will be one of the extra percentage points the athletes need to fulfil their performance potential.”
Jon Doig OBE, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “We are delighted to have The Park Practice on board as our dental health supporter. Many aspects combine to deliver a top performance and dental health is an important component, ensuring athletes get to the start line in the best possible shape. We are already seeing the impact of the messaging from The Park Practice on our Youth Games athletes and we look forward to a long association with Mike and his team.”
To find out more about Mike and the team at The Park Practice Dental Clinic go to: https://www.parkpracticehealth.co.uk/
The Park Practice’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.
As part of Team Scotland’s countdown to the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in July, we will be featuring each of the seven sports in which Scottish athletes will be competing.
The final sport in our Sport Focus is Tennis which, although it has only featured once at a senior Commonwealth Games (Delhi 2010), will make its fourth Commonwealth Youth Games appearance at Bahamas 2017.
Tennis has provided plenty of success for Team Scotland with Colin Fleming and Jocelyn Rae striking gold in the Mixed Doubles at Delhi 2010, and players at the Youth Games consistently on the podium. Elena Baltacha, Mhairi Brown and Karen Paterson won team silver at the inaugural Youth Games in Edinburgh and, most recently Ewen Lumsden was named Athlete of the Games at Samoa 2015 following his silver medals in the Boys’ Singles and in Mixed Doubles, partnered by Louie McLelland.
Ewen also won the Boys’ Doubles final with a partner from Cyprus and Louie was victorious in the Girls’ Doubles with her partner from Barbados, although these competitions were designated as non-medal events as players were partnered with other nations.
Look out for all things Tennis on the Team Scotland website and social media channels over the coming week as we highlight the sport through news articles, interviews and a wealth of Swimming facts and figures. Search for #CYGSportFocus on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Find out more about Tennis at the Commonwealth Youth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Tennis page.
Team Scotland 2017
Team Scotland will be represented by Alexandra Hunter and Hamish Stewart at Bahamas 2017, who will play in their respective Singles events and team up for the Mixed Doubles. Alexandra is twice British Age-Group Doubles Champion and recently helped George Watson’s College to a first Scottish Schools’ title for 20 years. Currently competing at the Nike Junior International at Roehampton, the warm up event for Junior Wimbledon, Hamish is carrying on the great form he has displayed through 2016 and early 2017. He has reached the main draw and defeated the No.1 seed to progress to the second round where he will face Danny Thomas of the USA.
Find out more about Alexandra and Hamish in their Athlete Profiles.
Team Scotland will compete in Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Swimming and Tennis at the Bahamas 2017 Youth Games which take place in Nassau from 18-23 July.
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 for one of the biggest competitions of their career to date!
The Commonwealth Youth Games
The Commonwealth Youth Games concept was created by Scotland as a development opportunity to give athletes under 18 years of age an international multi-sport Games experience. It aims to bridge the gap between young athletes competing in their own sports specific events and the often challenging first experience of a senior Commonwealth Games.
The first Youth Games were held in Edinburgh in 2000 as part of Scotland’s Millennium celebrations. Athletes from 14 countries competed in Edinburgh and the event quickly proved to be a great success. The Youth Games now attracts entries from all 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth and has been the introduction to multi-sport Games for a host of international stars.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Youth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Youth Games section.
Scotland’s top swimmers, including those preparing for the World Championships, are set to go head to head for Scottish titles this week, as the Team Scotland Series continues with the Scottish National & Open Championships at Aberdeen Sport Village.
Four packed days of action are on the cards as 630 swimmers from 73 clubs take to the pool, with Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth Games medallists competing with their domestic rivals for the title of Scottish Champion.
The stakes are raised even higher, with the event one of just seven opportunities through the year for swimmers to put down a qualification standard for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Alongside a host of stars from Glasgow 2014, several up and coming youngsters who competed for Team Scotland at the Samoa 2015 Youth Games will be looking to make their mark at senior level.
Hannah Miley, Ross Murdoch, Mark Szaranek, Duncan Scott, Kathleen Dawson and Stephen Milne are all in action before their final camp ahead of the FINA World Championships in Budapest next month. Rio 2016 medallists Scott and Milne top several start lists, while the men’s 100m and 200m Breaststroke will be hotly contested. Olympians Ross Murdoch and Craig Benson head the line-up, with fellow Glasgow 2014 competitor Calum Tait and Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Kieran Preston also in the medal mix.
Miley competes across a busy schedule, including the 400m Individual Medley, the event in which she is double Commonwealth Games champion, and the 800m Freestyle where she will go head to head with fellow Olympian Camilla Hattersley and double Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Meg Finnon.
Also on the start lists are some of the Scots heading to the World Junior Championships in Indianapolis in August, including Keanna McInnes, who recently broke Scottish Junior records in the 100m and 200m Butterfly and Katie Robertson, multiple Scottish age-group record holder in the Breaststroke events.
Part of the Team Scotland Series, a ground-breaking collaboration which brings together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports, the Scottish National Swimming Championships take place at Aberdeen Sports Village from Thursday 29 June to Sunday 2 July.
All spectator tickets will be sold on the door at Aberdeen Sports Village priced as follows:
Adult – £5 Heats – £6 Finals / Concession – £4 Heats – £5 Finals / Child £1
Heats sessions begin at 09:00 each day, with the Finals sessions beginning at 17:30.
Finals sessions will also be live-streamed, with coverage starting at 17:20. Watch the action at: www.scottishswimming.com/live
Follow the action on social media using the hashtags #SNOC17 and #TeamScotSeries and find full results on the Swim Scotland website
Click here for more information about the Team Scotland Series, including details of all upcoming events.
Commonwealth Games Scotland is pleased to announce the support of world leading swimwear brand TYR as the official Aquatics teamwear supplier to Team Scotland. TYR who also supply British and Scottish Swimming, as well as a host of other leading swimming nations, will supply their latest cutting edge technical swimwear products to both swimmers and divers at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Announcing the partnership, Jon Doig OBE, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “We are delighted to have TYR join our family of Team Scotland supporters. We know we have the support of the Scottish public as we strive for our best ever overseas Games, and having such a strong international brand join us shows the wide appeal of our fantastic athletes.
“Having the best technical clothing is a key success factor for our athletes competing on one of the biggest stages in sport. We know that this partnership with TYR will ensure that our aquatics competitors not only look and feel great, but compete knowing the technology behind the swimwear is second to none.”
Founded in 1985 by swimwear designer Joseph DiLorenzo and 1972 Olympic bronze medallist Steve Furniss, TYR Sport has grown to become one of the world’s most recognizable swimming and triathlon brands.
With TYR the regular supplier to Scottish Swimming, Chief Executive Forbes Dunlop welcomed the announcement: “We are delighted to build on our existing relationship with TYR and know they will supply our swimmers and divers with excellent kit that will allow them to perform to their best.”
The announcement comes following an extensive tender process, with TYR selected on their reputation for innovation, durability and unique design.
Alexandre Caperonis, Chief Logistics and Information Officer and Head of International Development at TYR Sport, added, “As a brand we’re dedicated to providing athletes with innovative products that will bring their performance to the next level. I am confident our support of Team Scotland will be a great opportunity to continue energizing the international swim community with gear they can believe in.”
Pictured are: Corrie Scott (Glasgow 2014 medallist), Jon Doig (Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Scotland), Tony Neville (TYR Team Manager), Ross Murdoch (Glasgow 2014 medallist) and Alan Lynn (National Coach, Scottish Swimming).