Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) today announced the next 29 athletes selected to represent Team Scotland at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games this summer. Artistic Gymnastics, Judo, Weightlifting and Powerlifting athletes have been confirmed, following their nomination by the respective Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport and subsequent ratification by the CGS selection panel.
The group contains 22 Games debutants, three Commonwealth Games medallists, six former Youth Games athletes and three athletes who will compete in their home city.
A full squad of ten gymnasts (five men, five women) will compete for Team Scotland at the SSE Hydro, including London 2012 Bronze medallist Dan Purvis, who is one of six gymnasts making their Commonwealth Games debut. Three gymnasts will make the next step up to the senior ranks, having represented Youth Team Scotland at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man.
Winner of Team Scotland’s last Commonwealth Games medal in Gymnastics – High Bar Bronze in Melbourne 2006 – Adam Cox returns to the team along with Daniel Keatings, Amy Regan and Emma White. Frank Baines and Erin McLachlan join Purvis amongst the Games debutants, while Liam Davie, Cara Kennedy and Carly Smith will make the step up to the senior Games.
Judo returns to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since the 2002 Games in Manchester where Scottish athletes collected 10 medals and was Scotland’s most successful sport. Amongst those medallists were Graeme Randall (Gold), and David Somerville (Silver), who will act as Team Manager and Head Coach for the 14 athletes (7 men and 7 women) selected to represent Scotland at the SECC in July and they will undoubtedly be able to share their vast experience.
Sarah Clark (a Silver medallist in Manchester) and John Buchanan are the only judoka to have already competed for Team Scotland, and will make their second Commonwealth Games appearance some 12 years on, along with their 12 team-mates making their Games debut. Clark is one of five Olympians in the team alongside Euan Burton, James Austin, Chris Sherrington and Sally Conway.
Weightlifter Peter Kirkbride provided one of the highlights of Delhi 2010 with his Silver medal winning lift in the under-94kg competition, and will be looking to go one better in Glasgow. Peter is joined in the squad by three female athletes making their Commonwealth Games debut. Team Scotland will also make its first appearance in the Para-Sport Powerlifting competition with Michael ‘Micky’ Yule featuring in the Men’s Heavyweight competition.
Making the announcement Team Scotland Chef de Mission, Jon Doig said: “With less than two months to go until the Games, we are delighted to welcome a further 29 athletes into Team Scotland from Gymnastics, Judo, Weightlifting and Para-Sport Powerlifting. Judo was our most successful sport when it was last included in a Games programme and we have a strong line-up once again. We also have a good pedigree in Artistic Gymnastics and Weightlifting with athletes who have won medals at previous Olympic and Commonwealth Games. The SECC Precinct will be one of the busiest venue clusters come Games time and the athletes we have announced today will most certainly be at the heart of the action.”
Tracy Rea, Scottish Gymnastics Head of Performance said, “I am delighted to congratulate each of the Men’s and Women’s artistic gymnasts selected today. Their selection to represent Team Scotland is a result of total commitment over a number of years and I commend both the gymnasts and their personal coaches who have worked tirelessly to achieve this success.”
David Somerville, Judo Scotland National High Performance Coach said: “We went through a very thorough process to get to today and could not be happier with the team we’ve selected. When judo has been included in the Commonwealth Games Scotland has produced strong performances and the athletes selected are a determined and focused group. We believe that the team contains an accomplished balance of experience and youth with realistic opportunities for medal success.”
Weightlifting Scotland Secretary, Colin Hannah said: “Weightlifting Scotland is proud of the athletes selected today to represent Team Scotland at the Glasgow Games, and we congratulate them all for making the final squad. Their hard work and dedication over the qualification period has been second to none and a place in the team recognises the commitment made by both athletes and their coaches. The Clyde Auditorium is a fantastic arena, and we will look forward to seeing our athletes compete there with pride and distinction.”
Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, said: “These athletes will make a fantastic contribution to Team Scotland. All the athletes and their support teams should be very proud as they are set to be part of the greatest Commonwealth Games ever. While they may be competing in different disciplines, stepping out in front of a home crowd as part of Team Scotland will be the same incredible experience.”
Also welcoming the selections, Louise Martin CBE, chair of sportscotland said: “I am delighted to see a further 29 athletes join Team Scotland and I congratulate each of them on their hard-won selection. We have a particularly good record in gymnastics, judo and weightlifting and I am confident the athletes selected today will build on those previous successes.
“One of the main reasons we are able to prepare world-class athletes is because of the high performance support services provided by sportscotland. World-class experts, working with world-class athletes, give the country every reason to be excited about our prospects at what promises to be the best ever Games.”
This brings the total Team Scotland numbers selected so far to 178, with an anticipated final team in the region of 270 athletes.
SELECTED ATHLETES
ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS (10):
NAME BORN/LIVES
Frank Baines Liverpool/Crosby
Adam Cox Edinburgh/Livingston
Liam Davie Bellshill/Carnbroe
Daniel Keatings Kettering/Corby
Daniel Purvis Liverpool/Crosby
Cara Kennedy Paisley/Paisley
Erin McLachlan Huddersfield/Huddersfield
Amy Regan Glasgow/Glasgow
Carly Smith Glasgow/Glasgow
Emma White Dunfermline/Birmingham
JUDO (14):
James Austin Burton-Upon-Trent/Edinburgh
John Buchanan Edinburgh/Broxburn
Andrew Burns Glasgow/Edinburgh
Euan Burton Ascot/Edinburgh
Patrick Dawson Edinburgh/Edinburgh
Matthew Purssey Chertsey/Edinburgh
Chris Sherrington Ormskirk/Broxburn
Sarah Adlington Shrewsbury/Edinburgh
Sally Conway Bristol/Edinburgh
Sarah Clark South Shields/Edinburgh
Stephanie Inglis Inverness/Edinburgh
Connie Ramsay Inverness/Edinburgh
Kimberley Renicks Bellshill/Coatbridge
Louise Renicks Coatbridge/Coatbridge
WEIGHTLIFTING (4):
Peter Kirkbride Irvine/Kilmarnock
Georgina Black Irvine/Kilmarnock
Louise Mather Alexandria/Glasgow
Sophie Smyth Irvine/Kilmarnock
PARA-SPORT POWERLIFTING (1):
Michael Yule Edinburgh/Lincoln
The Organising Committee for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has today (Monday 26 May) revealed that The Famous Grouse will become its Official Whisky.
The announcement coincides with Homecoming’s Whisky Month, which sees events taking place across Scotland to celebrate Scotland’s national drink.
Created in 1896 in Perthshire, The Famous Grouse has been Scotland’s no. 1 selling whisky for more than 30 years and sold in around 100 markets worldwide.
The agreement will see parent firm and international premium spirits company Edrington, which is headquartered in Glasgow, join the Glasgow 2014 sponsor family.
David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, said:
“As a company with a strong and long established presence in Scotland, we are pleased to have The Famous Grouse on board as our Official Whisky. We will be working with Edrington from now until Games time on collaborative opportunities to showcase this special product while encouraging those celebrating the Games to do so responsibly.”
Ian Curle, Edrington Chief Executive, said:
“We’re excited about this perfect partnership. Edrington was born in Glasgow and over 150 years it has grown and developed to become an international business. That same spirit and dedication to excellence is at the heart of Glasgow 2014 and we’re very proud to raise a toast of friendship between The Famous Grouse and the friendly games.”
https://www.youtube.com/embed/-SdC1Qix99s?rel=0?rel=0&autoplay=1&vq=hd1080
The team sports and ceremonies at Glasgow 2014 will take centre stage today (Wednesday 21 May) when Commonwealth Games tickets go back on sale in a phased release over three days.
From 10am tickets for Hockey, Netball and Rugby Sevens will be available to buy on the Glasgow 2014 website and new freephone ticketing hotline along with tickets for both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Scotland Rugby Sevens captain Colin Gregor, Scottish Thistles captain Lesley MacDonald and Scotland Men’s Hockey star William Marshall joined forces with Glasgow 2014 to help launch today’s launch of ticket sales for team sports and the ceremonies.
There has been huge enthusiasm for tickets so far and with high levels of demand still expected on the website and new Freephone ticketing hotline over the next few days, customers are thanked in advance for their patience if they find themselves waiting to access the website or contact centre.
Today’s release of Team Sports and Ceremonies tickets is the first of a three day phased release which will see new sports added each day until Friday (23 May).
From Thursday (22 May) at 10am tickets for Athletics and the Racquet Sports of Badminton, Squash and Table Tennis will go on sale, alongside any unsold tickets from today’s release.
Finally, from Friday (23 May) at 10am ALL remaining sports will be back on public sale as the Power, Precision and Combat sports of Weightlifting, Para-sport Powerlifting, Lawn Bowls, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Shooting, Boxing, Judo and Wrestling are added to complete the phased on-sale.
Tickets for Glasgow 2014 start at just £15 for adults and £7.50 for under 16s and over 60s. There are more than 50,000 tickets available across a wide range of sports and the ceremonies.
They will be available online via the Glasgow 2014 ticketing website tickets.glasgow2014.com or through the new Freephone ticketing hotline numbers –
Ticket Hotline 0800 458 2014
Group sales 0800 542 2014
Accessible sales 0808 161 2014
As well as a Freephone number, all new customers will also receive free postage on their orders. Please note, Call charges may vary depending on the country you are calling from and charges from mobiles may apply.
There are currently no tickets available for Aquatics (Diving), Aquatics (Swimming), Cycling (Mountain Bike), Cycling (Track), Gymnastics (Artistic) and Triathlon.
With a large number of available tickets across 14 sports and both ceremonies the phased on-sale remains the biggest and best chance to be part of the UK’s next big sporting festival.
Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, David Grevemberg said:
“The enthusiasm for tickets so far has been huge and we are fully focussed on meeting that positive demand. From today, we want to ensure that everyone who wants to be part of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has the opportunity to do so. The phased approach to selling tickets will help us manage the demand, although we ask everyone for their patience at peak times on the website and Freephone hotlines
“We want the Games to be an exciting and positive experience for everyone involved from buying tickets to actually being part of the biggest sporting event in Scotland’s history. With tickets still available across 14 of the sports and both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, there are still plenty of opportunities to be there.”
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with Scottish Rugby today announced the 12 Rugby Sevens players selected to represent Team Scotland at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games this summer. Four of the 12 players have competed in the Commonwealth Games before, with two involved in Delhi 2010 when Scotland 7s had their best finish in the multi-sport event, sixth place.
Scotland 7s will compete in front of a 49,000 plus strong crowd, per session, at Ibrox over two days (26 and 27 July) and will share a group with New Zealand, Canada and Barbados. The group stages will follow a round-robin format on day one, just like the Sevens World Series, with Scotland required to win at least two of their three games to keep their medal hopes alive on day two.
The second day will be a knockout competition with the Gold and Silver medals up for grabs in the final. The Bronze medallist will be decided between the two teams that lose in the semi-finals in a third placed play-off. Scotland 7s’ best finish this season in the World Series was at their home tournament in Glasgow earlier this month. They finished fourth behind New Zealand, Canada and Fiji, the first two of which will compete in the Games, and beat Australia and South Africa along the way.
Rugby Sevens is one of 10 core sports at the Commonwealth Games and has been included in the Games programme since 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. Scotland 7s however, didn’t make their Commonwealth Games debut until 2002 in Manchester.
Scotland is the home of Rugby Sevens. In 1883 local butcher Ned Haig in a drive to generate funds for Melrose Rugby Club in the Scottish Borders suggested hosting a rugby tournament at the Greenyards as part of a wider sports day. It was felt that full, 15-a-side matches were too much so the number of players was cut to seven and the match time to 15 minutes.
The squad announced today will have one player who will win his first ever international Sevens cap. Glasgow Warriors’ Tommy Seymour is named in the squad after a string of impressive performances this year for his club and the Scotland national team, showcasing relevant skills to the abbreviated game. He has won eight XV-a-side Scotland caps to date.
He is joined by International capped Sean Lamont, who has 86 caps for his country, returning to Scotland 7s for the first time since May 2009 where he played in the final round of the World Series at Murrayfield. Lamont has previous experience in the Commonwealth Games; he was a member of the squad that competed in Manchester in 2002.
Also returning for the first time in a number of years is Edinburgh Rugby’s Roddy Grant who has won 12 World Series caps. Grant was last involved in the Edinburgh tournament in 2010. Scotland 7s full-time professionals Colin Shaw, who was involved four years ago in Delhi and captain Colin Gregor, who was involved in Melbourne in 2006, win their second Commonwealth Games caps along with Glasgow Warriors’ Lee Jones, who was a member of the Delhi squad.
The youngest member of the squad is Glasgow Warriors’ Mark Bennett who helped Scotland win the Bowl in Hong Kong in March this year. Aged just 21, he has won two World Series caps and scored seven tries. James Johnstone, 24, will also win his first Commonwealth Games cap, following his 18 World Series caps and 22 tries.
The remainder of the squad is made up of players who featured in Scotland 7s’ fourth place at the recent Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s. They are Glasgow Warriors’ Richie Vernon, James Eddie and Scotland 7s’ Scott Riddell and Scott Wight.
Making the announcement Team Scotland Chef de Mission, Jon Doig said: “The inclusion of Scotland 7s always brings a great dynamic to Team Scotland and we are delighted to welcome the 12 players named today. Scotland 7s have shown some excellent form on home soil this season and with a strong team selection confirmed, we are confident they will give the home crowd a lot to cheer about when they take to the pitch at Ibrox.”
Stephen Gemmell, Scotland 7s Head Coach added: “I have selected a group of players that can be successful at a home games. This is the most important selection I have ever made and the biggest ever for Scotland 7s. The balance of players I have opted for is the strongest combination available to me; therefore, I’d like to thank Scotland, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby for their support.
“I’m delighted to bring in a number of the players who were involved with the top four finish in the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s earlier this month and add to that group with players who have a sevens pedigree or who I believe add value to the squad. Firstly, Tommy [Seymour] is a proven finisher at professional and international level. He has a very good all-round skill set. He is a strong defender, good with ball in the air and he always challenges the opposition defence. He will definitely add value to this group.
“Sean [Lamont] is a significantly capped international winger, he came through sevens, he has played in a previous Commonwealth Games and he helped Scotland reach the Cup semi-final in Murrayfield in 2009. He is one of a number of Glasgow Warriors players who come in from a successful environment at Scotstoun, which will be very positive for us. Roddy [Grant] has cut his teeth in sevens. He brings a wealth of experience, he has previously captained the side and he has had a good season at Edinburgh Rugby.
“I have selected a squad that I believe can build on the success we had at the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s in 2014. Being part of a wider Team Scotland is a unique opportunity for all players and management and we will be working hard to ensure we deliver on home soil.”
Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison said: “Congratulations to all of the squad selected for Team Scotland. The success enjoyed by the squad at the recent Glasgow Sevens shows what can be achieved with the backing of a home crowd. The Sevens tournament promises to be a fantastic, exciting event featuring most of the top sides in the Sevens World Series. I am sure there will be an electric atmosphere at Ibrox with Head Coach Stephen Gemmell, Colin Gregor and the rest of the squad doing the nation proud.”
Also welcoming the selections, Louise Martin CBE, chair of sportscotland said: “I am delighted to see such a blend of youth and experience in the Rugby Sevens players selected for Team Scotland. They will be joining the finest group of athletes this country has ever produced for a Commonwealth Games, and each deserves warm congratulations.
“One of the main reasons we are able to prepare world-class athletes is because of the high performance support services provided by sportscotland. World-class experts, working with world-class athletes, give the country every reason to be excited about our prospects at what promises to be the best ever Games.”
This brings the total Team Scotland numbers selected so far to 149, with an anticipated final team in the region of 270 athletes.
SELECTED ATHLETES
RUGBY SEVENS:
NAME BORN/LIVES
Richie Vernon Dundee / Glasgow
James Eddie Paisley / Glasgow
James Johnstone Dumfries / Edinburgh
Roddy Grant Jwaneng, Botswana / Edinburgh
Scott Riddell Edinburgh / Edinburgh
Colin Shaw Irvine / Glasgow
Lee Jones Edinburgh / Glasgow
Colin Gregor Glasgow / Glasgow
Scott Wight Galashiels / Melrose
Mark Bennett Irvine / Glasgow
Sean Lamont Perth / Glasgow
Tommy Seymour Nashville, Tennessee / Glasgow
Give me strength. More often than not a cry of frustration, but for wrestler Kathryn Marsh, it has another meaning entirely.
A qualified Strength & Conditioning Coach, Kathryn spends her time helping other athletes improve their physical strength. However, following a labrum tear in her hip last year, Kathryn had to call on her own inner strength to recover in time to qualify for Glasgow 2014.
And the 30-year-old’s strength of character was there for all to see as she set the standard at the final qualifying event to earn her place on Team Scotland.
“It took quite a while to figure out what the injury was and then it became clear I needed an operation,” said Kathryn who will compete in the 55kg category in Glasgow. “I’d had little niggly injuries before, but never had an injury needing an operation. When I went for the operation I fainted so they couldn’t do it and I had to go back again.
“I feel fine now, but it’s fair to say it has been a hectic year first with the operation then with all the recovery and so I wasn’t long back on the mat when I qualified at the English Senior Championships. I got what I needed so I was really pleased.
“When I thought I would miss out on the chance of competing, that’s when I realised how much I wanted it so when I actually qualified I was super-happy.”
Between now and the Games, Kathryn has stepped back from her day job and will be training and competing abroad as she builds towards her debut on the mat at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) on Thursday 31 July.
Glasgow 2014 will be Kathryn’s second Commonwealth Games following a fifth place finish at Delhi 2010, and despite being one of the older contingent on the 14-strong team, she only took up the sport five years ago in a bid to improve her Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) skills.
She added: “I went through a phase when I was struggling with my injury that I was going to go back to Mixed Martial Arts. I will see after the Games what I want to do, but I just want to enjoy what I’m doing. If I like it then I’ll keep doing it.
“Wrestling is really fun as it’s such a challenge. It’s physical, but really tactical as well. You have to set up your opponent and if you just jump then you’re going to get nowhere. I like how it challenges you – you have to be fit, strong, and smart too.
“We have a really good group of wrestlers on the team, many with lots of past Commonwealth Games experience. And even with the young guys, they’ve actually wrestled for longer than us as they’ve been doing it since they were tiny and they’ve been doing really well internationally so it should be really good.”
Kathryn’s memories of competing in Delhi – where wrestling is a national sport – have given her every reason to expect an even better experience in Glasgow.
“Delhi was amazing and we were blown away by the atmosphere for the wrestling, it was absolutely cracking,” said Kathryn. “To know that the wrestling is almost sold-out for Glasgow is brilliant. I went down with a friend to watch the wrestling at the London 2012 Olympics and when the British girl Olga was on, the whole crowd was going wild and everyone was shouting her name. I think we will be surprised about just how good the atmosphere will be.
“I would like to medal and it will be good fun to be on the same team as a lot of the athletes I work with and know really well. It feels like a big community, everyone mingles and cheers each other on.”
You can follow Kathryn on Twitter @marsh_gallagher
Photo credit: Alistair Devine
A star-studded group of badminton players are courting success at Glasgow 2014 following their selection to represent Team Scotland. Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with Badminton Scotland today confirmed the names of the tenathletes who will compete in the XX Commonwealth Games this summer.
This follows an intensive year-long selection period during which players have been required to achieve an agreed event-specific Badminton World Federation (BWF) world ranking placing for at least four weeks, one week of which had to be in 2014.
There are six Badminton Gold medals to be won at Glasgow 2014 over 11 days of competition at the Emirates Arena from Thursday 24 July to Sunday 3 August 2014.
Selected athletes will compete in the Team Event from 24 July 2014. This event comprises a group stage, followed by knockout matches, with each team needing three wins to be successful from the five singles and doubles disciplines. From 29 July, this will be followed by an individual knockout format for Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles and in Mixed Doubles.
Scotland enjoyed Team success at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, winning a Bronze medal. Team Scotland’s last individual Commonwealth Games Badminton medal was also a Bronze, won by Susan Egelstaff (nee Hughes) at the Melbourne 2006 Games in the Women’s Singles.
Scotland has enjoyed more recent team success, with eight of the ten players selected forming the highly successful side which won all four matches at the 2013 Sudirman Cup World Mixed Team Championships to win their group and finish 13th overall, whilst six players can call upon previous Commonwealth Games experience.
One such player is British No.1 Women’s Singles player Kirsty Gilmour, who was just 17 when she helped Team Scotland reach the team quarter-finals at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games. A year later, she won a Commonwealth Youth Games Bronze medal and has since enjoyed further international success, including most recently being crowned 2014 Swedish Masters Champion, one of five international Women’s Singles titles since 2012. The Scottish National Women’s Singles Champion for the past three years, Gilmour has risen to 18th in the world, and third in the Commonwealth. She will also compete in the Women’s Doubles with Imogen Bankier.
Bankier is ranked 21st in the world, having won four international Women’s Doubles titles in the past year with Bulgarian partner Petya Nedelcheva, but has also teamed up with Gilmour to great effect, together winning the Scottish Women’s Doubles crown and enjoying victory against Russia at the 2013 Sudirman Cup. It is in Mixed Doubles where 26-year-old Bankier rose to fame, winning a World Championship Silver medal in 2011, the year after she reached the quarter-finals of the Mixed Doubles at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.
She went on to represent Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games and is preparing to perform in her home city with the ever-impressive Robert Blair. Since forming the partnership in 2013, the pair have swept to six titles, including the Scottish Open Grand Prix at the Emirates Arena, and in April reached the quarter-finals of the European Championships, elevating them to a Mixed Doubles world ranking of 15th.
At 32, Blair is the elder statesmen of the side, but his experience will be vital, having won Silver and Bronze at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, then representing England. Blair also has a World Championship Men’s Doubles silver medal to his name and will partner Paul Van Rietvelde in the Men’s Doubles in Glasgow. Together, they battled to an epic Sudirman Cup play-off win over the highly-ranked Netherlands and won the 2014 Scottish National Men’s Doubles Championships.
2013 Denmark International Men’s Doubles champion Van Rietvelde reached the Men’s Doubles Quarter-Finals at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and also competed at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune. Also competing in Pune was Martin Campbell, who won a Bronze medal and he will form a second Team Scotland Men’s Doubles pairing with Patrick MacHugh, who is making his Commonwealth Games debut.
Delhi 2010 Team Scotland member Kieran Merrilees will compete in the Men’s Singles. The three-time Scottish Men’s Singles Champion reached the semi-final of the 2013 Denmark International and has claimed a number of scalps of top 50 world-ranked players.
2014 Romanian International Mixed Doubles Champion Jillie Cooper, making her second Commonwealth Games appearance, will partner Van Rietvelde in Mixed Doubles and completing the team are 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games competitor Caitlin Pringle and debutant Rebekka Findlay.
Making the announcement Team Scotland Chef de Mission, Jon Doig said:
“I would like to extend my congratulations to the athletes who have been selected for Team Scotland. Throughout the highly competitive selection period, they have demonstrated their individual and team talents, most noticeably their success at the 2013 World Mixed Team Championships. Many of the athletes selected bring with them a wealth of previous Commonwealth Games experience and all will look forward to the honour of competing for Team Scotland, roared on by a fantastic home support.
“Today’s announcement brings us to 137 selected athletes, half way towards achieving our goal of having our largest ever team in Glasgow. This team is brimming with quality which will be key as we aim to deliver our most successful ever Games.”
BADMINTONscotland Chief Executive Anne Smillie said:
“This will be our biggest squad since winning the Team Bronze at Manchester 2002. Five of this 2014 squad will benefit from having played at the Games in Delhi four years ago. Since then we have shown our strength in team competition through our unbeaten Sudirman Cup campaign last year.
“I am confident that we have the right blend of youth and experience to make an impact at Glasgow 2014 in both the team and individual events, especially with a passionate home crowd behind us.”
Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Shona Robison, said:
“Congratulations to those who have been chosen to compete in the Scottish badminton team at this year’s Commonwealth Games. Team Scotland is growing stronger every day. Not only do we have brilliant athletes competing for us, we have fantastic coaches and support staff behind the scenes. Without the teams behind Team Scotland we wouldn’t be able to put together such an impressive squad.
“Scotland has performed well in badminton over the years winning gold and bronze medals at the last home Games in 1986, and bronze at both the 2002 and 2006 Games in Manchester and Melbourne. I am sure this year’s team will enjoy every moment playing at the Emirates Arena.”
Many of the athletes announced today have benefited from the support of sportscotland the national agency for sport and in particular from the high performance support and expertise provided by the sportscotland institute of sport.
Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland, said:
“I am delighted to see such a strong collection of badminton players selected for Team Scotland. They are all part of the finest group of athletes this country has ever produced for a Commonwealth Games, and each deserves warm congratulations.
“One of the main reasons we are able to prepare world-class athletes is because of the high performance support services provided by sportscotland. World-class experts, working with world-class athletes, give the country every reason to be excited about our prospects at what promises to be the best ever Games.”
Today’s announcement brings the total Team Scotland numbers selected so far to 137 with an anticipated final team size in the region of 270 athletes.
SELECTED ATHLETES
BADMINTON:
NAME EVENTS
Robert Blair Mixed Doubles, Men’s Doubles, Team
Martin Campbell Men’s Doubles, Team
Patrick MacHugh Men’s Doubles, Team
Kieran Merrilees Men’s Singles, Team
Paul Van Rietvelde Men’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Team
Imogen Bankier Mixed Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Team
Jillie Cooper Mixed Doubles, Team
Rebekka Findlay Team
Kirsty Gilmour Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, Team
Caitlin Pringle Team
Back in January with 200 days to go until the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games Scotland released a new set of athlete images depicting ‘ones to watch’.
Such has been their popularity we have made them available as posters to download free of charge so you can get to know some of the faces of Team Scotland who will be representing us in Glasgow this summer.
The 11 photos have been taken at iconic locations around Scotland, with some of Team Scotland’s prospective team members and medal hopefuls.
The strong common theme of the photos is ‘Proud’ and is a clear demonstration of what it means for athletes from across the length and breadth of the country to represent Team Scotland in Glasgow next summer.
The fabulous and striking images have been created by Glasgow photographers Alistair Devine and Stuart Gray and build on the set of images shot at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and launched in April 2013 to mark the start of the athlete selection period.
Calling for the Scottish public to get behind the team, as they start the final leg of their journey to the Games, 400m hurdler Eilidh Child said: “These amazing photos show just how much it means to all of the athletes to represent Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games this year.
“It was a real privilege to have been chosen as one of the athletes to take part in the project. I hope they inspire everyone to cheer us on all the way and I for one am determined to do Scotland proud next summer at Hampden Park.”
From Eilean Donan Castle at Kyle of Lochalsh to the beaches of Carnoustie and Edinburgh Castle and Forth Rail Bridge the images depict the magic that Scotland has to offer as a place to live, work, visit and of course host major sporting events. The Falkirk Wheel and the Wallace Monument are also featured, with aim to make the whole of Scotland feel part of the Games.
Glasgow based images showcase a number of the Games competition venues in Kelvingrove, Hampden Park and the stunning new SSE Hydro, whilst the cranes of the BAE Systems shipyard at Govan on the Clyde remind us of our strong industrial heritage and technological innovation.
The images will be used throughout Team Scotland’s back the team campaign – ‘Go Scotland!’
Below is a link to each poster, feel free to download, use them as your desktop wallpaper or screensaver, mobile background, Facebook or Twitter cover photo. Print them off for your school or sports club – the list is endless!
Click and download your favourite below. They are high quality images so this may take a few minutes:
Photo list:
Athletics – Eilidh Child, Hampden Park, Glasgow
Para-Sport Athletics – Meggan Dawson-Farrell, Falkirk Wheel
Badminton – Imogen Bankier, Eilean Donan Castle, Kyle of Lochalsh
Boxing – Josh Taylor, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
Cycling – Katie Archibald, Forth Rail Bridge, North Queensferry
Gymnastics – Dan Purvis, SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Judo – Euan Burton, Wallace Monument, Stirling
Lawn Bowls – Alex Marshall MBE, Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow
Shooting – Shona Marshall, Carnoustie
Para-Sport Powerlifting – Micky Yule, BAE Systems, Govan, Glasgow
Images for the remaining eight sports will be released shortly.
Photo credit: Alistair Devine
Scotland 7s had their best finish in an HSBC Sevens World Series event for five years at the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s, last weekend (3-4 May).
The Scots finished the competition in fourth place, claiming 15 circuit points and jumping up to 10th in the tournament rankings, proving that their medal hopes at this summer’s Commonwealth Games are still very much alive.
The last time they reached a Cup semi-final was in London and Edinburgh in 2009 when a third/fourth placed play-off was not up for grabs.
The team were bolstered by the inclusion of Scotland internationalists, Richie Vernon and Nick De Luca, who shone throughout the weekend. But, arguably the Scotland player of the tournament was full-time Scotland 7s professional, Scott Riddell.
As well as scoring three tries, Riddell played every minute of all six ties throughout the weekend, was impressive at the breakdown and powerful in defence.
He said: “I’m very proud of the way the team performed in Glasgow, but there are some regrets as to what could have been if we had got past Canada.
“This is a team game and it requires us all to be accurate in our roles and work to our structures in order to be successful and maintain consistency.
“We need to back up our performance in Glasgow. We have shown what we can do as a team and need to build on that as we compete in London and move closer to the Commonwealth Games.”
First the side won their group in Glasgow with an impressive opening victory in front of an 11,710 strong home crowd against Australia, 19-7, followed by wins over USA, 26-0 and Spain 33-12.
On day two, they started on a high note once again putting South Africa to the sword in a closely fought Cup quarter-final. They defeated the Springboks, 12-7 to reach their third ever Cup semi-final.
Next-up were Canada and a win here would have secured them their first ever Cup final. However, it was not meant to be as the Canadians dominated the breakdown and possession to pip the win, 10-7. The Scots then ended their campaign losing out to Fiji, 17-10.
Scotland 7s head coach, Stephen Gemmell, made it clear at the beginning of the Glasgow 7s week that the Glasgow and London competitions, the final, of 2013/14 HSBC Sevens World Series event, would be used to finalise his selection for Glasgow 2014. He will announce his squad of Wednesday 21 May.
You can follow Scott on Twitter @Riddell07
Photo credit: Scottish Rugby
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with scottishathletics announced the names of a further four athletes who will compete in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games this summer, with two having previous Games experience.
Following the end of the selection period for the marathon, three athletes have been nominated by scottishathletics after achieving the required standard.
Freya Ross, 30, has been involved in the sport for two decades since starting out with her local athletics clubs in Lasswade. Freya represented Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi on the track, but the six-times Scottish cross country champion moved up to marathon – and was Britain’s best female performer at the London 2012 Olympics. She achieved the standard for Glasgow 2014 in Japan last winter.
Hayley Haining, 42, works at the Glasgow University vet school – where fellow athlete Laura Muir is one of her students. Hayley represented GB at the 2005 World Champs and was then reserve to Paula Radcliffe for the Olympics (in 2008). She represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 and now, eight years later and a mother, returns to the Games team after two marathon runs at 2 hours 36 minutes during 2013 (with 2.40 the standard required).
Ross Houston, 34, has been a stalwart and regular medallist in the domestic club running scene for a number of years with Central AC. He was Scottish marathon champion at Loch Ness and then posted the qualifying time for Glasgow in Frankfurt last October when he ran 2.18.28.
Also following due consideration by selectors, pole vaulter Gregor Maclean has also had his place on Team Scotland confirmed.
Gregor Maclean, 21, hails from Montrose on Scotland’s east coast and now represents Shaftesbury Barnet and is based in Loughborough. He collected a joint silver medal at the British Champs in 2012 but was injured for part of the 2013 season. He regularly trades Scottish indoor and outdoor pole vault records with his domestic rival and now Team Scotland team-mate, Jax Thoirs.
NAME EVENTS BORN//LIVES
Ross Houston Marathon Dumfries/Roslin, Midlothian
Gregor Maclean Pole Vault Montrose/Loughborough
Hayley Haining Marathon Dumfries/Kilbirnie
Freya Ross Marathon Edinburgh/Stenhousemuir
Photo credit: Mark Shearman