Hopes were high for a swimming medal on day one of the Samoa 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games and it came in the shape of a silver for 17 year old Meg Finnon. Perhaps better known as a Freestyle swimmer she came through the morning’s heat in the 200m Butterfly and produced a stunning last 50m in the final to finish second behind Australia.
“It means the absolute world,” she said. “I can’t believe I’ve done it. It’s just so good to be able to win a medal for your home nation. When you heard about all the medals at the athletics this afternoon it gave you confidence to go on and win medals here. It’s been a really good start to the meet so that will give me a lot of confidence for the rest of my events I’m in the 100m Freestyle tomorrow so that’s just about going out and swimming as fast as I can and hopefully that will give me a good lead off for my 400m and 800m later on.”
Tain Bruce finished fourth in the same event having finished sixth in the 50m Butterfly earlier in the night. Flagbearer Craig McLean took fifth place in the 200m Freestyle and then teamed up with Benedict Tortolano, Tain Bruce and Erin Robertson in the Mixed Medley Relay event where Scotland finished fifth.
Elsewhere on day one…
TENNIS: Louie McLelland was in action in the first round of the women’s singles and defeated her Samoan opponent Sauleone Anasis Saipele in straight sets 6-1 6-1. She then teamed up with Ewen Lumsden in the mixed doubles for a comfortable victory over the Norfolk Island pair 6-0 6-2. Both Louie and Ewen go in the second round of the singles today, Ewen having received a bye in the first round. Louie takes on Violet Apisah of Papua New Guinea while Ewen is up against Xander Owen Vasilis of Anguila. Ewen then teams up with a Cypriot player in the men’s doubles before he’s back in mixed doubles action with Louie in what is a very busy day on the courts.
SQUASH: In the women’s singles Carrie Hallam found herself up against a formidable opponent in Sri Lankan Methsarani. A close fought first game went the way of the Sri Lankan who eventually emerged victorious three games to love.
Richard Hollins got off to a fantastic start in the men’s singles with a straight games win over his Fijian opponent in the first round. He controlled the match from the start and came through comfortably 11-2, 11-1, 11-0 to set up a second round clash with World number one Eain Yow Ng. The Malaysian unfortunately proved too strong but Richard and Carrie will now turn their focus to the mixed doubles with their first match on Wednesday.
LAWN BOWLS: Carla Banks started off strongly in the first of her four group matches taking a comfortable win 21-7 against India. She then suffered a loss to Malaysia 10-21 but rallied to beat the Cook Island in game three. Carla’s final games of the day was a close affair but she held her nerve well to win 21-18 against Ellen Ryan of Australia. Darren Weir came up against an inspired Carel Olivier of Namibia in game one, losing out 7-21. Putting that behind him he recorded two wins in a row against Samoa 21-10 and Malaysia 21-13 before a fourth game defeat to India 9-21. Both Carla and Darren have their final group game today, both against Northern Irish opponents before the semi-final places are decided.
BOXING: Youth Team Scotland had two boxers in action on day one and both Billy Stuart in the 56kg category and Kieran McMaster in the 64kg progressed to the quarter finals. Kieran was particularly impressive against a tough opponent in Hosea Watson of New Zealand with the bout stopped by the referee before time. Both boys are back in action today along with John Docherty in the 75kg division. Billy takes on Md Rakib Shak of Bangladesh, Kieran is up against Adrian Loui of St Lucia and John’s opponent is Christopher Enyi of Australia.
They were the first athletes selected for Youth Team Scotland and now lawn bowlers Carla Banks and Darren Weir will also be the first Scottish athletes onto the field of play as the Samoa 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games begin tomorrow.
Seventeen members of Youth Team Scotland are in action on day one, and after the excitement of last night’s opening ceremony at Apia Park Stadium, all are raring to go. Carla and Darren go in their respective singles events and, with an 8am start for their first of four group matches on the opening day, they will get Scotland’s Youth Games campaign underway.
“It was great walking into the opening ceremony with the massive crowd and everyone shouting for Scotland,” said Carla. “It will be nice to have some of that support tomorrow as well. My Mum and Dad are out here and without them I probably would have never started playing bowls, never mind coming all the way to the other side of the world playing the sport. It would be great if I can put in a good performance first thing and have a good start to the day.”
Darren added: “It feels good to be one of the first to compete, I’m pretty excited about tomorrow. We’ve had four days preparing and I feel ready to start competing. There are a lot of different countries there so it should be interesting, with four games tomorrow in the group stages. I’ve been playing quite well in practice so I quite fancy my chances but we’ll just have to see what happens tomorrow because it’s all on the day.”
Having carried the flag into last night’s opening ceremony swimmer Craig Mclean goes in two individual events and the medley relay with five of the six swimming squad in action in the pool. Discus thrower George Evans and weightlifter Biatrice Gabell have finals on the opening day, while sprinters Alisha Rees and Cameron Tindle will be looking to progress through the rounds to their respective 100m finals.
Also on day one are the boxing quarter finals and there is first round action in squash and tennis.
All the Youth Team Scotland news will appear here throughout the Games. For up to the minute results follow us on Twitter @Team_Scotland
The fifth Commonwealth Youth Games was officially declared open at a colourful ceremony celebrating Samoan traditions and culture held in the Apia Park Stadium and streamed live around the world.
Youth Team Scotland were led into a packed arena by flagbearer Craig McLean to an enthusiastic welcome from the Samoan crowd and a bank of saltires waved by the travelling Scottish support.
“It felt amazing to lead out such a strong team and the atmosphere was fantastic,” said Craig. “It’s the highlight of my career so far, I’ve never done anything like it. I’ll never forget the first fifteen seconds after we came into the arena, hearing people shout “Scotland!” The crowd was absolutely unbelievable and there were loads of Scottish flags too, I didn’t expect that. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, me at the front of Team Scotland, it’s unforgettable.”
Isle of Man led the parade of nations as the previous Youth Games hosts and were followed by the 66 competing nations in alphabetical order as is traditional at all Commonwealth Games. With Samoa hosting the Games and so having the honour of being the last team to enter the stadium, Scotland followed Papua New Guinea for the first time in Games history. A spectacular programme of traditional dancing and acrobatics followed and, as darkness descended, fireworks lit up the sky to delighted applause from the crowd.
General Team Manager Elinor Middlemiss said: “What a fantastic start to the 2015 Youth Games. Samoa have done a wonderful job in welcoming the Commonwealth with an incredible display of their culture and I’m sure the athletes have come away from tonight with memories that they will treasure for a lifetime. It made me incredibly proud to see Youth Team Scotland march out after all the hard work they have put in to get here. With that welcome from the crowd I’m sure that our athletes will be raring to go and ready to do themselves and their sports proud when competition starts on Monday.”
The focus now turns to five days of intense sporting action as 904 athletes compete for 107 Gold medals across nine sports.
“I think we’ve got an amazing team and team morale is booming,” said Craig, who will compete in six swimming events. “It’s absolutely amazing right now and I think that will make the difference for us. Having that support from our team mates I’ve got really high hopes that we’re going to have a great Games.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Since arrival in Samoa the Youth Team Scotland camp has been a hive of activity with athletes scoping out the training and competition venues and putting the final touches to their preparations.
There has been much praise of the facilities, many of which were built for the 2007 Pacific Games and have been newly refurbished for Samoa 2015. The swimming venue is particularly impressive with a high quality competition pool and outdoor pool for warm up and warm down.
Scotland’s swimmers had their first sessions in the pool and Erin Robertson said: “The pool is amazing with the competition pool and an outdoor pool for a warm down in the sun. I’ve trained outside on camps but I’ve never had an outside pool at a competition before. The competition pool is nice and cold and it feels fast. I’ve been feeling good in training, just getting the journey out of my system and finding my stroke. I’m so excited to race now.”
In the same cluster of venues are the boxing and weightlifting facilities which have also had the thumbs up from the athletes.
Boxer Kieran McMaster said: “The training facilities are great, there’s absolutely nothing missing that you’d need. The competition venue looks amazing, it’s all in darkness with just lights on the ring so all the focus is on it. The place is massive, there’s loads of room for a crowd. I can’t wait to start, it’s been a waiting game so far and that’s the hard part.”
Just a short walk away are the venues for lawn bowls and archery, as well as the newly built squash venue with three singles and two doubles courts.
Athletics and tennis are based a short drive away at Apia Park, which will also host Saturday’s Opening Ceremony.
Carys McAulay, who will run the 800m, had her first chance yesterday to test out the track at the athletics stadium.
“There were lots of kids watching us,” she said, “and it really gets you in the mood. There’s a massive block of seats on the home straight and another two blocks on the back straight, it seats a lot of people. I was actually quite surprised at how many people it can seat, it’s quite overwhelming but I’m really looking forward to racing.”
Check out pictures of the venues and athletes in training in our Samoa 2015 image gallery at /image-gallery.aspx
They may be thousands of miles from home but having arrived in Samoa on Wednesday, Youth Team Scotland are already settling in well at the team hotel. Just minutes from the main sporting hub, the Orator Hotel will provide a home from home for Scotland’s 28 athletes for the duration of the Games.
The hotel has been transformed, with saltires fluttering from windows and balconies among the local forest of palm trees. Visitors to the hotel are met by images of former Youth Games athletes Charlie Flynn, Lynsey Sharp and Craig Benson; which will undoubtedly inspire the class of 2015 as they begin their own first step into Commonwealth competition.
General Team Manager, Elinor Middlemiss said: “Scotland has a great reputation when it comes to branding our Commonwealth Games accommodation and our athletes were proud to live in ‘Scotland Street’ during Glasgow 2014. The Youth Games are no different and it’s important that the experience here is as close to a senior Games as possible. We’ve tried to bring a little piece of Scotland to Samoa to make the athletes feel at home and even have the ‘Scotland Street’ sign up in the hotel.”
“We have had a fantastic welcome at the Orator Hotel and the staff have been really accommodating. The athletes are settling in well and have been using the social areas to learn more about each other and the different sports represented. It’s great to see the whole team working so well together less than 24 hours after arrival in Samoa.”
Tennis player Ewen Lumsden said: “It feels good to see all the flags up and to see other countries about as well. I’ve made some good friends since we got here and now I’m looking forward to competing.”
Weightlifter Jason Epton added: “The hotel is brilliant. I thought it would be like hotel rooms but it’s actually wee houses. It’s much better that way because you’ve got your own space and you can relax. Since we got here I’ve just been trying to rest and get ready for the competition.”
Bermuda are also staying in the Orator, giving the hotel a truly international feel. “It’s great our athletes are getting the chance to mix with their competitors from Bermuda”, says Elinor. “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.”
At the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Auckland today (2 September), Louise Martin CBE, Past Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland and the Vice-Chair of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, was elected President of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
Louise was the first woman to be appointed as the CGF’s Honorary Secretary a role she has held since 1999. She now steps up to the role of President, following a close contest with H.R.H. Tunku Imran of Malaysia, who has been President for the last four years.
Martin had campaigned on a manifesto for change entitled ‘Unlocking Our Potential’ which outlines how she will work collaboratively with all CGAs, International Federations, Organising Committees and other Commonwealth stakeholders to bring much needed change to the Movement.
Amongst a number of key pledges she will make it a priority to ensure that the best Commonwealth athletes want to compete in the Games, that they become strong advocates for the competition and that the CGF has a flagship event for which multiple countries want to bid.
A delighted Louise Martin said: “From my earliest days competing as an athlete to my time serving the CGF Executive board, the Commonwealth sporting family has had a profound effect on my life. I am extremely proud and humbled to be elected as President of the CGF and it is my chance to give something back to the movement that means so much to me.
“I believe that the time is right for a new style of leadership to ensure that together we can fully unlock our potential and deliver on the needs of CGAs and our wider partners, especially in terms of maximising commercial opportunities. If we get this right, we can deliver enhanced revenues to support every CGA as well as Commonwealth sports development through greater investment.
“There is also so much more we can do to grow the profile of our great sporting movement across the world to ensure that its unique identity is valued and our Games attract the best Commonwealth athletes, sponsors and, critically, future host cities.
“As someone with a proven track record of collaboration and delivery, as well as dedication and passion for the movement, I am proud to have been elected by the CGAs who have shown they believe I am the right person to guide the CGF through the next stage of its Commonwealth journey and unlock the immense potential of our unique sporting movement.”
Congratulating Louise on her appointment to the highest office in Commonwealth sport Paul Bush OBE, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “We are extremely proud that Louise has been elected as CGF President. Louise has worked tirelessly over many years to support the Commonwealth Games movement from both a Scottish and international perspective and at the heart of this has always been a commitment to ensuring that everything that is done is in the best interest of the athletes, something which we all witnessed last year in Glasgow.
“Scotland has always played an active role in the CGF and we are delighted that Louise will now have the opportunity to make an even greater impact on the development of the organisation and the Games as it seeks to address a number of key challenges for the future.”
The 28 athletes selected to represent Youth Team Scotland at the fifth Commonwealth Youth Games (5-11 September 2015) left Glasgow Airport tonight on the first leg of their 60 hour journey to Samoa. The team will travel with Emirates via Dubai and Auckland before travelling on and arriving in the Samoan capital Apia on Wednesday (2 September).
The athletes, aged between 14-18 years, will compete for Scotland in eight of the nine sports on the programme (Aquatics, Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Squash, Tennis and Weightlifting) and will take their place amongst 1000 of the best young athletes from the 69 Commonwealth nations and territories taking part in the Games.
The selected athletes have been in fine form in the lead up to departure, with highlights including Inverness discus thrower George Evans taking bronze at the World Youth Championships in July and weightlifter Jason Epton breaking a long standing British record just last weekend, with a 123kg clean and jerk.
Edinburgh born swimmer Tain Bruce (17), who lives in Dalgety Bay and swims for the Carnegie club, has had a great run of results. She won double gold in the 50m and 100m Butterfly at the British Championships in Sheffield last month and has a packed schedule in Samoa, contesting those events plus the 200m Butterfly, 200m and 400m Individual Medley as well as the Medley Relay.
“It’s amazing to be part of the team,” she said. “I couldn’t really believe it because so many swimmers got the qualification standards and it was really nerve-wracking when we knew there were only going to be six of us, but I’m really, really honoured and proud to be able to represent my country.
“I’m so excited, at school I just couldn’t concentrate this week, they’re giving out homework for next week and I’m like, yeah I won’t be here! I love racing so I’m really looking forward to that, it will be good to race different people. I raced in Luxemburg at the start of the year and I’ve been to Amsterdam as well but I’ve not raced outside of Europe, this is definitely my biggest competition so it will be good.
“I’ve been really lucky because I’ve been to places like Hong Kong, Singapore and California so I’ve done the travel before but I’ve never had to do it and still be prepared to compete at my best, so that will be an interesting experience. I definitely feel a lot better that we have so many support staff around us who know what they’re doing and have been there before.
“It’s really exciting because Craig (McLean) is our flagbearer and he’s a swimmer but he’s also my team mate, I train with him every day, so I’m really proud of him for that.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing the culture as well and seeing how the people out there live because it’s a completely different part of the world. I’ve never been down that way so I’m really interested to learn about that as well.”
Banchory sprinter Alisha Rees has been in record breaking form, taking a Scottish Schools’ 100m record that had stood for 45 years on route to selection for the Youth Games. She lines up in both the 100m and 200m in Samoa in what will be her first venture outside of Europe.
“I’m a bit nervous about it but I think it will be a really good experience. I’m really looking forward to it and I just can’t wait to get out there now and compete and be with the rest of the team.
“I think it’s good that we all know each other before we go out so we have a bond before we get on the plane. It’s good that we’re friends before and I think it will be good to go out there as a team and support each other as a team. I’m looking forward to being with everyone and competing.
“I’m pretty excited, I’ve never been out of Europe so it’ll be a good experience. I’ve competed in Ireland but that’s as far as I’ve gone. I feel like I’m ready to go and perform my best out there and all my performances this year have just been getting better and better so hopefully this will be the peak race.
“I’ve tried not to think that much about it but obviously it’s been on my mind. I just want to get out there and make finals and see where it takes me. It means a lot to me because only six athletes from athletics in Scotland have had the opportunity to go here so I feel really special that I am one of those people. I’ve managed to get here so hopefully I can go and justify my place and do well.”
Elinor Middlemiss will lead Youth Team Scotland in Samoa as General Team Manager, aided by an experienced coaching and support team.
Wishing the team luck for the Games she said, “Today is a really exciting day for all of our athletes as they depart on their Commonwealth Games journey. 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 to expose young athletes to 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 even the journey to Samoa 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 Youth Team Scotland will compete to the best of their ability and that we will see a number of future stars emerge, who will go on to represent Team Scotland in Gold Coast in 2018 and beyond. I wish them every success and I look forward to cheering them on over the five days of competition.”
On arrival in Samoa the athletes will have a chance to train and familiarise themselves with the venues before swimmer Craig McLean leads Youth Team Scotland out at the Opening Ceremony on 5 September. This will be followed by five days of hotly contested competition 7-11 September.
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 14 September 2015.
The 28 athletes selected to represent Youth Team Scotland at the fifth Commonwealth Youth Games (5-11 September 2015) left Glasgow Airport tonight on the first leg of their 60 hour journey to Samoa. The team will travel with Emirates via Dubai and Auckland before travelling on and arriving in the Samoan capital Apia on Wednesday (2 September).
The athletes, aged between 14-18 years, will compete for Scotland in eight of the nine sports on the programme (Aquatics, Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Squash, Tennis and Weightlifting) and will take their place amongst 1000 of the best young athletes from the 69 Commonwealth nations and territories taking part in the Games.
The selected athletes have been in fine form in the lead up to departure, with highlights including Inverness discus thrower George Evans taking bronze at the World Youth Championships in July and weightlifter Jason Epton breaking a long standing British record just last weekend, with a 123kg clean and jerk.
Edinburgh born swimmer Tain Bruce (17), who lives in Dalgety Bay and swims for the Carnegie club, has had a great run of results. She won double gold in the 50m and 100m Butterfly at the British Championships in Sheffield last month and has a packed schedule in Samoa, contesting those events plus the 200m Butterfly, 200m and 400m Individual Medley as well as the Medley Relay.
“It’s amazing to be part of the team,” she said. “I couldn’t really believe it because so many swimmers got the qualification standards and it was really nerve-wracking when we knew there were only going to be six of us, but I’m really, really honoured and proud to be able to represent my country.
“I’m so excited, at school I just couldn’t concentrate this week, they’re giving out homework for next week and I’m like, yeah I won’t be here! I love racing so I’m really looking forward to that, it will be good to race different people. I raced in Luxemburg at the start of the year and I’ve been to Amsterdam as well but I’ve not raced outside of Europe, this is definitely my biggest competition so it will be good.
“I’ve been really lucky because I’ve been to places like Hong Kong, Singapore and California so I’ve done the travel before but I’ve never had to do it and still be prepared to compete at my best, so that will be an interesting experience. I definitely feel a lot better that we have so many support staff around us who know what they’re doing and have been there before.
“It’s really exciting because Craig (McLean) is our flagbearer and he’s a swimmer but he’s also my team mate, I train with him every day, so I’m really proud of him for that.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing the culture as well and seeing how the people out there live because it’s a completely different part of the world. I’ve never been down that way so I’m really interested to learn about that as well.”
Banchory sprinter Alisha Rees has been in record breaking form, taking a Scottish Schools’ 100m record that had stood for 45 years on route to selection for the Youth Games. She lines up in both the 100m and 200m in Samoa in what will be her first venture outside of Europe.
“I’m a bit nervous about it but I think it will be a really good experience and I just can’t wait to get out there now and compete and be with the rest of the team.
“I think it’s good that we all got the chance to get to know each other before we go out so we have a bond before we get on the plane. We will go out there as a team and support each other as a team.
“I’m pretty excited, I’ve never been out of Europe so it’ll be a good experience. I’ve competed in Ireland but that’s as far as I’ve gone. I feel like I’m ready to go and perform my best out there and all my performances this year have just been getting better and better so hopefully this will be the peak race.
“I just want to get out there and make finals and see where it takes me. It means a lot to me because only six athletes from athletics in Scotland have had the opportunity to go, so I feel really special that I am one of those people. I’ve managed to get here, so hopefully I can go and justify my place and do well.”
Long jumper, Rachel Alexander from Glasgow who jumped 6.05m to win the Scottish U20 title last weekend at Grangemouth is also excited to be making the trip to Samoa.
“I’ve competed in Ireland and been to Turkey on holiday a few times but that’s about the furthest I’ve been, so it’s exciting and a bit daunting with all the travelling. I’m definitely more excited than anything else and I’m looking forward to such a big competition and the different sports and just seeing what it’s like for the first time.
“Another jump over six metres just before I leave has given me confidence. I’m aiming for a medal but I’ll have to see how it goes as this will be the biggest competition I’ve done by quite a bit.”
Elinor Middlemiss will lead Youth Team Scotland in Samoa as General Team Manager, aided by an experienced coaching and support team.
Wishing the team luck for the Games she said: “Today is a really exciting day for all of our athletes as they depart on their Commonwealth Games journey. 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 to expose young athletes to 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 even the journey to Samoa 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 Youth Team Scotland will compete to the best of their ability and that we will see a number of future stars emerge, who will go on to represent Team Scotland in Gold Coast in 2018 and beyond. I wish them every success and I look forward to cheering them on over the five days of competition.”
On arrival in Samoa the athletes will have a chance to train and familiarise themselves with the venues before swimmer Craig McLean leads Youth Team Scotland out at the Opening Ceremony on 5 September. This will be followed by five days of hotly contested competition 7-11 September.
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 14 September 2015.
Athlete profiles for all team members can be found at: http://www.goscotland.org/meet-the-samoa-2015-team.aspx
Our latest version of Countdown newsletter which is a special Youth Games preview edition, including competition schedule and athlete profiles can be found here: http://www.cgcs.org.uk/news-and-media/countdown-newsletter/
For the latest news and results: www.goscotland.org and @Team_Scotland
With just 20 days to go until the fifth Commonwealth Youth Games get underway in Samoa, Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) has named Craig McLean from swimming as the flagbearer for Youth Team Scotland. Craig will have the honour of carrying the saltire into the Opening Ceremony, which takes place in the athletics stadium at the Apia Park Sports Complex in Samoa on 5 September 2015.
The announcement was made by CGS Chairman, Paul Bush OBE at the Team Camp held at the University of Stirling this weekend, which plays a key role in preparing the athletes and bringing them together as a team, ahead of departure for Samoa on 30 August.
Livingston swimmer Craig McLean (16) will represent Youth Team Scotland in six backstroke, freestyle and relay events in Samoa. He is a multiple British and Scottish Age Group medallist and record holder and this year became the 2015 British Junior and Scottish Schools Champion in 100m Freestyle. Craig has broken an incredible 48 Scottish Records and 7 British Records since 2012.
A pupil of Deans Community High School and training with Carnegie Swimming Club in Fife, Craig is an outstanding individual swimmer but also excels in relays and is very supportive to his teammates.
Craig was voted as flagbearer by his Scotland team-mates, after a shortlist of three was selected prior to the Team Camp. Fellow shortlisted nominees, athlete George Evans (Inverness) and boxer Kieran McMaster(Kilmarnock) will walk behind Craig into the Opening Ceremony, followed by the rest of the team.
A delighted Craig McLean said: “It will be a huge honour to be able to wave Scotland’s flag going into the arena, to lead the country at the start of the Commonwealth Youth Games, it’s a huge, huge honour, once in a lifetime. Coming here I didn’t think it would be me so it’s unbelievable that I’ve been picked and it’s the athletes that voted for me.
“I’m excited to be going out to Samoa, I’ve never been anywhere near and I’m looking forward to racing against the rest of the Commonwealth and hopefully going on to the next Commonwealth Games which is my main goal. It will be a great experience and hopefully a stepping stone. I aim to learn everything I can and then I’ll be able to progress and hopefully be able to move on to the senior team if all goes to plan.
“I’m pretty nervous but excited too. Everyone will be looking at Scotland, everyone back home, and it will be me leading them out. It will just be a fantastic experience.”
Congratulating Craig, Paul Bush said: “To be named as flagbearer for Youth Team Scotland is a fantastic honour and Craig’s selection is a direct reflection of his performances over the last few years. Not only is Craig a fantastic athlete but his attitude and commitment to his fellow team members makes him an excellent role model.
“The Youth Games is a fabulous opportunity for all 28 of our young team members to embrace the Commonwealth Games experience and mix with fellow athletes from across the globe, as well as getting their first taste of international competition in a multi-sport Games.
“I wish the whole of Youth Team Scotland the very best of luck as they embark on what we hope will be their first of many Commonwealth Games for Team Scotland and the start of their journey to future international success.”
The selection and announcement of the flagbearer is a longstanding tradition, and Craig will follow in the footsteps of Louise Carroll (hockey), Gemma Nicol (athletics), Lisa Glover (athletics) and Tom Holligan (athletics), who carried the flag at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games.