Commonwealth Games Scotland is delighted to hear that Team Scotland judoka Stephanie Inglis has arrived back in Scotland as she continues her recovery from serious head injuries sustained in a motorbike accident in Vietnam.
Stephanie was flown by air ambulance to Edinburgh from Thailand, where she had been transferred for treatment, and has now been moved to a specialist unit at the city’s Western General Hospital.
Stephanie was placed in a medically induced coma following the accident, from which she was recentlywoken. She was moved to a hospital in Bangkok at the end of last month, where her condition improved enough for her to make the journey to Scotland.
A crowd funding campaign, set up by friends to cover her medical costs, has raised over £300,000 with donations coming in from around the world.
Our positive thoughts remain with Stephanie and her family as she takes the next step in her recovery.
Scotland’s boxers put on a fine display for the home crowd, as the British Elite Championships came north of the border for the first time in over a decade. With the event staged in the Dunfermline Alhambra Theatre, the Scots capitalised on the home support, winning an incredible six of the ten men’s titles on offer.
Team Scotland Glasgow 2014 competitor Aqeel Ahmed set the tone with a commanding win over Englishman Kieran McDonald in the Light Flyweight event before an all Scottish affair in the Flyweight final saw Commonwealth bronze medallist Reece McFadden just edge Matthew McHale to the British title, winning by split decision.
In the Bantamweight final Lee McGregor took a unanimous decision over Welshman Joshua John, underlining his potential after just four years in the sport. It was left to Sean Spence, Boris Crighton and Glasgow 2014 competitor Scott Forrest to complete a fantastic night for Boxing Scotland, all three taking gold.
Commonwealth Youth Games champion John Docherty just missed out on adding a seventh title for Scotland, as England team captain and two time British Champion, Jordan Reynolds, took the win by split decision in a close contest.
Scotland had two finalists in the women’s events where 2015 British Champion Stephanie Kernachan put up a strong defence of her Bantamweight title but in the end lost out to England’s Rachel McKenzie by split decision. Welterweight, Gardner Moore also had to settle for silver after losing out to England’s Stephanie Wroe.
With six gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals at these championships, Scottishboxers are right on track with just under two years to go until the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Full list of Scotland’s medal winners:
GOLD
Aqeel Ahmed – Light Flyweight (49kg)
Reece McFadden – Flyweight (52kg)
Lee McGregor – Bantamweight (56kg)
Sean Spence – Light Welterweight (64kg)
Boris Crighton – Light Heavyweight (81kg)
Scott Forrest – Heavyweight (91kg)
SILVER
Stephanie Kernachan – Bantamweight (54kg)
Gardner Moore – Welterweight (69kg)
Matthew McHale – Flyweight (52kg)
Calvin McCord – Lightweight (60kg)
Fraser Gorn – Welterweight (69kg)
John Docherty – Middleweight (75kg)
James Nelson – Light Heavyweight (81kg)
Stephen Jamieson – Heavyweight (91kg)
BRONZE
Eutaxia Dustaxia – Lightweight (60kg)
Megan Reid – Light Welterweight (64kg)
Elaine Greenan – Light Welterweight (64kg)
Jack Turner – Bantamweight (56kg)
Josh Sandford – Lightweight (60kg)
Robbie McKechnie – Light Welterweight (64kg)
Dennis Broadhurst – Welterweight (69kg)
Team Scotland preparations for Gold Coast 2018 have begun in earnest, with five General Team Management (GTM) posts now confirmed.
The GTM is made up of an extremely experienced group of individuals to lead the key areas of operational activity, with all five having been involved in the Glasgow 2014 Games.
Jon Doig – Chef de Mission
Elinor Middlemiss – Deputy Chef de Mission
Katriona Bush – Head of Media & Communications
Niall Elliott – Chief Medical Officer
Stephen Mutch – Head of Physiotherapy
Jon Doig, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland, will lead Team Scotlandfor a third successive Games as Chef de Mission, following a record medal tally in Glasgow. Elinor Middlemiss takes on the position of Deputy Chef de Mission, continuing the role she performedat both Glasgow 2014 and the Samoa 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Niall Elliot, Chief Medical Officer, and Katriona Bush, Head of Media & Communications,bring a wealth of experience across numerous Commonwealth and Olympic Games, while Stephen Mutch steps up to the role of Head of Physiotherapy, following four Commonwealth Games and two Youth Games with Team Scotland.
Welcoming the team, Paul Bush, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: “I am delighted that we have brought together such an outstanding team, whose skills and experience will form the core of creating the successful Team Scotland ethos for our athletes in Gold Coast.
“The planning for an overseas Games will, of course, be very different to our home Games in Glasgow, but what does not change is the commitment to ensuring our athletes are given the best possible preparation and the right environment in which to excel. These staff appointments, and those that will follow, will focus on having the right people in place to support our athletes, as we aim for our most successful overseas Games ever.”
The next phase of appointments will commence in the autumn, when remaining general team manager posts, medical and media team appointments will be confirmed.
Olympic qualifying standards on the track, European medals in the pool and a first ever WorldRugby7s Series Cup win were the Scottish highlights across a breathtaking week of sport:
Athletics: Beth Potter became the fourth Scottish distance athlete to clinch Olympic selectionwith a superb performance at the British 10,000m trial in London on Saturday night.
Inside the qualifying mark for the second time in a matter of weeks, she finished third overalland, crucially, the second British athlete to guarantee herself a place in Rio. By holding off a stellar field including veteran Jo Pavey, who was bidding for her fifth Olympic selection, Potter will now join marathon runners Tsegai Tewelde, Callum Hawkins and Derek Hawkins on Team GB.
While Potter is assured of a place in Rio, two fellow Scots took a step closer to realising their own Olympic dream. Andrew Butchart erased one of the country’s longest-standing track records with a historic performance in Hengelo, Netherlands to take Nat Muir’s 36 year old 5000m mark.
A second Olympic qualifying standard, his 13.13.30 run was doubly remarkable In that the Central AC runner crossed the line wearing just one shoe, having lost the other during the race. Butchart now has Rio in his sights, as a top two finish at the British Champs and Olympic Trials in Birmingham in June will be enough to secure his place.
Eilish McColgan was watching Butchart’s performance trackside, having also scored a second Olympic qualifying time in Hengelo. Her 15.16.51 was well inside the required standard and, like Butchart, she now just needs a top two finish at the Trials to book her place in Rio.
Swimming: Ross Murdoch was in sensational form as he captured gold, silver and bronze across the Breaststroke events at the European Aquatics Championships in London, three of the eight medals won by Scottish swimmers.
Murdoch took silver behind GB team mate Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke, the event he will contest in Rio, before stunning reigning World champion Marco Koch of Germany to take gold and the European title in the 200m. Buoyed by his success, he returned to claim bronze in the 50m event, completing his set of medals and capping an outstanding championship.
Hannah Miley claimed Great Britain’s first swimming medal of the championships with silver in the 400m Individual Medley, splitting five time World champion Katinka Housszu and her Hungarian team mate Zsuzsanna Jakabos. Miley followed up with bronze in the 200m event, again behind Hosszu, proving she is right on track for Rio.
Kathleen Dawson had a fantastic breakthrough week, lowering the Scottish 100m Backstroke record three times in three rounds to take an unexpected bronze medal. In the heats she took a tenth of a second off the record she set at last month’s Olympic Trials, before announcing her arrival as a real medal contender with her first sub-sixty second clocking to qualify second fastest for the final. Undaunted by the expectation suddenly heaped on her shoulders, she produced yet another record breaking swim, touching in 59.68 for a bronze medal she described as “unbelievable.”
To complete an incredible week, Dawson put in another magnificent swim to claim the European title as part of the GB 4x100m Medley Relay. Under the minute barrier for the third time, Dawson gave GB the lead after the first leg and her team mates Chloe Tutton, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and Francesca Halsall held it right to the end to win gold.
Minutes later and it was left to Duncan Scott to bring the championships to an exciting climax, anchoring the Men’s Medley Relay home for a resounding win ahead of the fast finishing French and Hungarians.
Rugby 7s: Scotland 7s made history at Twickenham, winning their first ever World Series Cup final with an incredible comeback against South Africa.
Victories over hosts England and defending champions USA to make the final had already assured Scotland of eclipsing their previous highest tournament placing of fourth, but from the outset it was clear Scotland were determined not to settle for second best. A strong first half performance put the Scots into a 10-7 lead at half time, but the second half saw a revitalised South Africa not only level the score, but go on to build an eleven point lead.
South Africa looked on course for victory, as a try from each side inside the last three minutes maintained that deficit, but Scotland kept their belief right to the final whistle. Dougie Fife charged across the line inside the final minute, Scott Wight’s conversion narrowing the deficit to 4 points, before Fife struck again, after the final hooter, to give Scotland the win 27-26.
“I’m absolutely delighted for the boys,” said Head Coach Calum MacRae. “It’s testament to the guys in the programme. There’s a number of boys who’ve been there for a couple of years including the likes of Scott Riddell – it’s a great way for him to celebrate his 50th cap, a man who has given huge effort throughout and given a huge amount to Scotland 7s over the past few years.
“I’m very proud of the players. They’ve put absolutely everything into it and they’re a pleasure to work with week-to-week. They’re a real honest bunch, and it’s great that they’ve got their reward today.”
Scotland’s rugby sevens players pulled off a stunning win over England to lift the Paris Sevens Bowl in the penultimate stop of the World Series, the same week that five of their number were named on Team GB’s long list for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Glasgow 2014 stars Mark Bennett and Scott Riddell were named alongside Jamie Farndale, Gavin Lowe and Mark Robertson in the 25-man Team GB training squad, which will be whittled down to 12 players for the final Olympic team. The squad will play four tournaments during June and July, including three rounds of the Rugby Europe Sevens Series in Moscow, Exeter and Gdynia, before a final decision is made.
Of the five, Riddell, Farndale and Robertson were in action in Paris, and Farndale, who captainedScotland’s sevens team to 4th place at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in Isle of Man, looked to be out to impress with tries in three of Scotland’s four victories on route to the Bowl. Putting the frustration of a narrow group stage defeat to eventual Cup winners, Samoa, behind them, Scotland scored emphatic wins over Wales (35-7) and Brazil (38-14) to set up a Bowl semi-final clash with the USA.
This was a far closer game, the teams level on seven points apiece at the break. Veteran of two Commonwealth Games and two Sevens World Cup appearances, Scott Riddell put Scotland ahead with a second half try, converted by Nick McLennan, and the team just held on for the win (14-12) as the USA’s final conversion went wide.
The prize was a tussle with England for the Bowl and Scotland wasted no time in making their mark on the match. Converted tries from James Johnstone and Scott Wight gave them a 14-0 lead after just four minutes and the Scots kept up the momentum, taking a 16 point advantage into the interval.
Farndale powered through the English defence for a second-half try to seal the win. A late try from England’s Charlie Hayter was not enough to reverse the result and Scotland emerged as victors, 28-10, to lift the Bowl for the third time this season.
The Sevens World Series concludes next weekend in London, where Scotland will look to finish on a high, before Riddell, Robertson, Farndale, Lowe and Bennett begin their road to Rio with the Team GB squad.
Commonwealth Games Scotland shares the deep concern of the whole of the Scottish sporting community about Team Scotland judoka, Stephanie Inglis. Stephanie sustained serious head injuries in a motor bike accident earlier this week, whilst on a teaching internship in Vietnam.
Paul Bush OBE, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: “News of th
is accident has come as a great shock to all at Commonwealth Games Scotland. Stephanie, a 2014 silver medallist, was a popular and valued member of Team Scotland during the Glasgow 2014 Games. We would like to send our best wishes to Stephanie, her family and friends at this challenging time, as she fights to recover from this terrible accident.”
Team Scotland diver Grace Reid teamed up with Tom Daley to win Britain’s first ever Mixed 3m Synchro gold medal, with victory on the third day of the European Aquatics Championships in London.
The achievement was all the more remarkable as her partnership with Olympic bronze medallist Daley can be measured in a matter of days. She had also just competed in the Women’s 1m final, where she finished a creditable 7th.
The pair built steadily through the competition, lying in third place through the first three rounds. Unleashing their best dives in the final two rounds, they moved into the lead with their highest mark, 76.36, on their front 3 ½ somersaults piked in round four. Another top quality dive in the final round saw them finish on a total of 321.06, to win Britain’s first ever European gold in this event and the team’s first gold of these championships.
Italy’s Tania Cagnotto and Maicol Verzotto took silver and Russia’s Nadezhda Bazhina and Nikita Shleiker the bronze.
Daley said: “I don’t really know what just happened, Grace and I got put together about ten days ago and have done maybe five training sessions together.
“To be Europeans Champions on a board that I don’t even train on, it’s amazing. I’m just over the moon with it.”
Grace was just as surprised at the result:
“I honestly can’t believe what just happened. Today was a really good day for me, there’s a huge amount for me to take away with me and my main event the 3m is coming up on Saturday, so there’s plenty more to think about.”
Scotland’s youngest competitor at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, finishing 6th in the 3m Springboard final, at the age of just 14, Grace has really come into her own since just missing out on a medal in the 1m event at the Glasgow 2014 Games. She now has real ambitions to compete at this year’s Olympics, having recently reached her first world-level semi-final at the Rio World Cup to qualify a 3m Springboard place for Team GB.
More immediately, she turns her attention to that event on Saturday, first looking for a place in the final and then, possibly, another European medal.
Scotland’s men put in an outstanding performance to take bronze at the European Team Championships in Warsaw, Poland, and end a 17 year wait for a medal.
Not since 1999 had a Scottish team stood on the podium at these championships and, after four 4th place finishes in as many years, Glasgow 2014 competitors Alan Clyne, Greg Lobban and Kevin Moran, along with Dougie Kempsell, Rory Stewart and Chris Leiper, were determined to make amends. The team got off to a great start with strong early performances placing them second in their qualifying group, behind defending champions France, and setting up a semi-final clash with England.
Though England, eventual winners of the championship, proved too strong, Scotland went down fighting, with both Alan and Greg involved in extremely tight matches. The loss catapulted the team into an all too familiar situation – a 3rd/4th play-off against Germany, the team that had beaten them to the bronze medal in each of the last four outings.
This time there was to be a different outcome, though it went right to the wire. Tied at one apiece after a win for Dougie and a loss for Alan, the pressure was on Kevin and Greg to seal victory. With a win for Kevin, the tie came down to the fourth game in Greg’s match with Raphael Kandra but, as the news of Kevin’s win reached Greg, the match looked in jeopardy with Greg two games to one and 9-4 behind.
“It was such a tense finish to the tie and there was so much pressure,” said Greg. “Win that game and we win a medal, or lose it and go home heartbroken for a fifth year in a row. There is always heightened pressure when you’re competing for a team, especially as our team are really close mates, and we are desperate to win for each other.”
In a stunning display of mental strength, he found something extra and took seven points in a row to win the game, 11-9. As he took the final point, and with it the bronze medal for the team, the Scottish side of the stand, filled with players and support staff, leapt in the air in celebration.
“It was a great feeling for the whole team,” said Greg. “To win the medal after four years of losing to the Germans in the 3/4th play-off, Scotland’s first medal in the European Championships since 1999, I feel really proud to be part of that. I’m already looking forward to next year, where I believe we can go at least one better!”
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with sportscotland is seeking a Director for the Pre Games Camp for Team Scotland 2018 in Australia in March 2018.
If you are seeking to play a key role in preparing athletes to perform to their best to represent Scotland in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, you have outstanding leadership skills and demonstrable experience in high performance sport, we wish to hear from you.
CGS is the lead body for Commonwealth Sport in Scotland and is responsible for selecting, preparing and managing Scotland’s team at the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games. For every Games, CGS, in partnership with sportscotland, aims to deliver the best prepared team possible, creating the right environment and giving athletes every opportunity to excel.
This is an exciting role for a candidate with the desire to be involved in multi-sport events. This is role is a voluntary position, however, agreed out of pocket expenses will be met. All candidates must have a flexible approach to work and a positive attitude in building lasting partnerships and working with experts providing support to high performance athletes.
A role description and application form can be downloaded from the bottom of the page.
Applications should be returned by email to: info@cgcs.org.uk no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 17 May 2016
Interviews will be held on Thursday 19 May 2016 in the offices of CGS
Kirsty Gilmour made history with Scotland’s best ever European Badminton Championship result, as she took silver in the French town of La Roche sur Yon.
Following a tough semi-final battle against Anna Thea Madsen of Denmark, in which Gilmour triumphed 21-19 in the third and final game, title holder and double World champion Carolina Marin awaited her in the final. While the Spaniard proved too strong this time, winning 21-12 21-18, Gilmour was delighted to add her second major championship medal to Commonwealth silver in Glasgow two years ago.
“It’s very satisfying to win silver, definitely one for the CV,” she said.
“Today’s a day for celebrating and tomorrow we’ll feel the lull. At least I will wake up and say ‘yeah, I’ve got a silver medal at the European Championships,’ which is pretty cool.
“It’s the second time it could have been gold at a major championships following the Commonwealth Games but everything at this age is a learning curve. Caro is the same age but has a lot more experience at the top level. I will learn from anyone who is world class standard. Every game you go on is a learning curve.”
It was a significant step for the 22 year old, as she targets the Rio Olympics in August, and Scotland’s highest placing since the European Championships began in 1968. Gilmour also becomes the first Scot to take a singles medal, all previous medals having come in the doubles. Gilmour’s Glasgow 2014 team mate, Imogen Bankier, won mixed doubles bronze in 2012 with England’s Chris Adcock, and in women’s doubles, with Bulgarian, Petya Nedelcheva, two years ago.
The result should see Gilmour climb into the world top 20, with the Olympic qualifying period closing later this week, but she will in no way be resting on her laurels.
“I have a rest week so I am going to put my feet up for a couple of days, but badminton is never far from your mind, especially this year. It’s been a long year in one sense and a short one in another. There’s still more to do and a few more tournaments before Rio.”