Not only is Laura Muir challenging to be one of the top British women 1500m runners, she also studying hard to fulfil her childhood dream and become a vet.
Just 20 years of age and already the British Indoor Champion over 1500 metres, Laura finds the balance of running and studying Veterinary Medicine at Glasgow University gives her a stable routine and a platform from which she can excel.
“I’ve just finished my second year at University. While I have had lots of classes to attend like everyone else, I also train at Kelvin Hall in the evenings and run the streets six days a week.”
“I am quite busy, but I am fortunate that running can be a flexible sport as I can run before lectures and run in the evening, so it’s hectic but good fun. I’ve found it to be a nice balance between the two because studying takes my mind off training and the running gives me that down time from my books, which is nice.”
Whilst children often aspire to be a vet, having loved their cat or dog or kept a rabbit, not so for Laura. Her choice to do a degree in Veterinary Medicine was all down to her pet rat and explains: “I really wanted a hamster but my Mum was bitten by one, so I got given a rat instead. He was a hooded rat so naturally he got called ‘Hoody’. Rats make great pets as they are so clever and can recognise you, as well as being very loyal and good to handle. My family also had a Border Collie and I love dogs too!”
“I’m really enjoying my degree and the Vet School has been really supportive. They understand that the third year of my degree which is always a tough one, will be a really busy time with Glasgow 2014 coming up, so they have allowed me to split it over two years.”
Originally from Milnathort near Kinross, Laura who started running at school, before going on to join Dundee Hawkhill Athletics, is enjoying her most successful year on the track to date.
“I was fortunate to run in my first senior event at the European Indoor Championships earlier this year. I really enjoyed it and ran a personal best and made the final, I was really pleased with that. I have also now met the Commonwealth Games selection standard once and I have been selected for GB at the European U23 Championships in Tampere, Finland from 10-14 July, so things are going well. But Glasgow 2014 would be my biggest Championships yet.”
Two years ago, Laura moved to Glasgow to study and now views it as her second home and is relishing the opportunity to run in her adopted city saying: “I spend so much time here now and I’m getting to know the place a lot better. It’s comforting to know that I’m only a 10-15 minute drive from where I will hopefully be competing next summer at Hampden Park.”
“There will be huge support from the crowd and I’m looking forward to stepping out onto the track and hear them hopefully shouting my name, the home support will be amazing.”
Laura’s organised and balanced approach to her dual aims looks set to keeps her on track for Glasgow 2014.
With exams over, Laura joined Glasgow 2014 mascot Clyde and staff from Games and Team Scotland Official Partner Virgin Media in July, to celebrate their involvement in the Games including as Presenting Partner for Athletics.
You can follower Laura on Twitter @lauramuirruns
Photo Credit: CGS
Seven Scottish swimmers are celebrating their selection onto the British swimming team heading for Barcelona for the World Championships later this month.
Michael Jamieson, Robbie Renwick, Hannah Miley, Craig McNally, Ross Murdoch, Dan Wallace and Jak Scott all received confirmation this morning, following an action packed and emotional few days of racing at the British Swimming Championships in Sheffield last week.
Olympic silver medallist at London 2012, Michael Jamieson posted the fastest time in the world this year for the 200m breaststroke and will also compete in the 100m event, alongside the rapidly improving Ross Murdoch, who will make his World Championship debut when the action gets underway in Barcelona on 28th July.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Robbie Renwick was victorious in the 200m and 400m freestyle finals in Sheffield, while Inverurie’s Hannah Miley, also a gold medallist from Delhi, will compete in her favoured 400m individual medley (IM) event.
Edinburgh’s Craig McNally powered to victory in the 200m backstroke securing his selection for Barcelona, while team-mate Dan Wallace, who trains in Florida alongside Ryan Lochte, will make his senior debut in the 400m IM.
Stirling based, Jak Scott also showed a good return to form and was rewarded with a place in the freestyle relay squad.
For Jamieson the prospect of the World Championships, after a difficult preparation for the national championships, is an exciting one.
“I was surprised by my swims at the nationals after a couple of ropey months leading into Sheffield,” said the Scot. “But those performances have given me renewed confidence for the World Championships.
“It’s a very different approach for Britain’s swimmers this year with the trials coming so close to the World Championships, but overall I’m pleased with the progress made.
“I now have a training camp where I’ll work on my final preparations and I’m looking forward to challenging for a sub 2:07.00 time in Barcelona.”
With seven Scots now booked on the plane to Barcelona out of 27 British athletes, there will be lots of Scottish interest when the swimming gets underway on 28 July. The challenge now will be peaking again so soon in Barcelona, taking on the best in the world as a stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in a year’s time.
Good luck to all the swimmers!
Ten Scots will be among the 34-strong GB squad for the final shooting World Cup of the year which takes place in Granada, Spain from 3-12 July.
Team Scotland caught up with double Commonwealth gold medallist, Jon Hammond – who will be competing in the Prone and 3P Rifle – ahead of the teams’ departure. We wanted to find out how he’s been preparing and what his hopes are for this event and looking ahead to Glasgow 2014.
Q: There are ten Scots in the world cup squad – who should we be looking out for?
JH: I didn’t realize there were so many of us going! I don’t know the shotgun and pistol shooters too well yet as well as I’m based in the US, but I know Shona Marshall will be aiming to do well in the Trap event and is capable of making the final. The World Cups are a big step up in competition from the Commonwealth Games, so I think anyone who can make a final will have had a great result and everyone will have different goals.
Q: Do the Scots stick together when competing under team GB?
JH: Myself and Neil (Stirton) travel a lot so we spend a lot of time together! However we probably spend more time with our team mates in rifle, whether they are English or Welsh as we compete more as a Great Britain team. We train and compete with them way more than we ever see the pistol and clay target shooters. There is great camaraderie within Team Scotland for Commonwealth Games, so it’s great to see those team mates again.
Q: What goals have you set yourself for this competition?
JH: Prone has been my main focus this year, and we are dealing with new rules in both events, so partly I am still trying to get used to everything. My goal is to have the best performance possible as it is for every match.
Q: Since your medal success in Delhi, what have you been doing in your training, what events have you competed in and what have your results been?
JH: Since Delhi the focus moved onto London 2012. 2011 was a big year for qualification and I had a reasonable season and ultimately was selected for the GB Olympic team. That really took all the focus from then on and it was an amazing experience.
After a pair of top 15 finishes at the London test event my highest result at the Olympics was 17th however I was only 2 points away from the final, showing how close the competition was.
The conditions were very difficult but it was a great experience and something I will always remember. For me this season has been a little slower coming off a long year last year and this winter I will begin to focus on Glasgow.
Q: What’s after the World Cup and what are the major milestones from now until Glasgow?
JH: This is our last World Cup of the season, and after that I will only compete in the European Championships in Croatia. The next big milestone will be our early selection possibly in October. Â Hopefully I will be selected and I can begin all the planning for the winter and next season in the lead up to Glasgow.
Q: What are you goals for Glasgow?
JH: Some of the new rules in our sport may alter how I prepare for the Games, but the biggest rules change of starting the scores from zero for the finals has really created a lot of equality and I think gives many more people the chance of winning a medal. All I will focus on is having the best performance possible and see what happens.
Q: What will it mean to you competing at home? Is there more or less pressure?
JH: Well like London it will be very special to compete at home, it probably won’t happen ever again for us in a major international competition, so that is something to savour. With the shooting in Carnoustie my parents, family and friends will not have far to travel and that will be quite special having all of them there regardless of the outcome.
There will be far more exposure to media, and maybe outside expectations and it will then be down to us how we deal with that. Â Home Games as I discovered in London do create a different atmosphere with both positives and negatives, but hopefully my experience from London will give me a small advantage.
We wish Jon and the rest of the team the very best of luck!
Follow all the news and results here
Scottish shooters selected:
Andrew Addison (Trap)
Caroline Brownlie (Air & 25m Pistol)
Sian Bruce (Skeet)
Dave Caughey (Prone Rifle)
Drew Christie (Skeet)
Calum Fraser (Double Trap)
Jon Hammond (Prone & 3P Rifle)
Shona Marshall (Trap)
Jen McIntosh (3P & Air Rifle)
Neil Stirton (Prone & 3P Rifle)
Staff:
Rifle Coach: Donald McIntosh
Physiotherapist: Lesley Dawson
Photo Credit: CGS
21 year old Rebecca Bee from Aberdeen, eats, sleeps and lives gymnastics and doesn’t quite know what she would have done without it.
She just missed out on the Commonwealth Games in Delhi at the tender age of 15, however with hindsight she knows that she wasn’t really ready for it, and is now even more determined to grasp the opportunity second time around.
Becky, as she is known, has been involved in her beloved sport of gymnastics for most of her life and is a member of the Beacon Gymnastics Club.
“When I was 18 months old my mum took me to Kindergym, actually in the same gym I train in now and then I progressed into artistic gymnastics which is what most young girls do. But when I was seven years old my coach saw some potential in me, because I was so supple and I started rhythmic gymnastics, so I have now been doing the sport for 11 years.”
“My mum did gymnastics, but not to a very high level and my brother also did, so I naturally just followed suit. I watched lots of top gymnasts on Youtube and wanted to be like them. I can’t imagine what else I would do with my time if I didn’t have gymnastics.”
Rhythmic gymnastics was first introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1990 and involves performing four routines to music using different pieces of apparatus; rope, hoop, ball and ribbon both as an “all-around” competition and individual apparatus finals. It requires flexibility, technical skill and grace and is one of the most photogenic sports in the Games. However the glamorous nature of the sport often belies the hard work and skill involved.
“People think it is really easy and simply involves waving a ribbon around, but there is much more to it than that. It’s really hard work and you should see us in the gym without all the make-up and covered in sweat after a full day of training.”
Becky is now on a sports scholarship at the city’s Robert Gordon University and combines her training with studying Applied Social Sciences. However with the Games only a year away training has reached a critical point if Becky is to qualify for Team Scotland and she is already planning the next year carefully.
“I am looking at taking a year out of University next year, to go into full time training and gain more experience at international competitions. I have represented Scotland at international level, but not at anything as big as the Commonwealth Games. It would mean so much to qualify for the Games, as I just missed out on Delhi when I was only 15. I was very young and inexperienced then and I am much stronger now, so to qualify for Glasgow would confirm I was capable of competing at that level and a home Games as well would be a real bonus.”
“My coach Sue Morgan is like a second mother and is really encouraging, so to qualify for the Games would be reward for her as well. Knowing she had coached someone to that level would be a real achievement for both of us.”
Whilst not everyone understands the demands of being an elite athlete, Becky values those friends that do and give her so much added support.
“My friends are largely supportive although some of them don’t really understand. My best friend Hayley (Monteith) is hoping to be part of the swimming team at the Games and is also part of the sportscotland institute of sport set-up, so we both know what each other is going through. We both have really busy schedules so hardly see each other, but it is good to know that you have got a friend who genuinely understands when you say you can’t come out tonight, and I think the sacrifices will be worth it in the end.”
Daring to dream for just a moment she adds: “The thought of walking out into the arena and knowing you are part of Team Scotland, particularly here in Scotland will be something I am sure I would never forget, and it would just be fantastic to reach that level in your sport and would be the highlight of my sporting career.”
“Also, you spend so much time in the gym with your own sport; it would be really good to mix with athletes from the other 17 sports. At Robert Gordon I get to meet some of the other sports scholars and it is really good to learn from what they do, how they train and what motivates them.”
“I think the crowds will get behind everyone and it will be a really great atmosphere to compete in. But in particular it would mean so much to my parents; particularly my mum who first got me involved in the sport. And after all they have also had to put up with the highs and the lows over the last 16 years!”
Rebecca has the opportunity at the Scottish Championships in Aberdeen this weekend (30 June) to start to turn her dream into a reality.
You can follow Becky on Twitter @RebeccaBee1994
Photo Credit: Alistair Devine
Everyone has their favourite Go Scotland poster, from Kirsty Gilmour’s Swan right away through to Craig Howieson and the famous floating heads. In fact, there has been such a great buzz around the campaign that we would like to take this opportunity to thank the Scottish public for their continued support.
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:
Team Poster – 17 Sports, One Team
Rhythmic Gymnastics – Rebecca Bee
Weightlifting – Peter Kirkbride
Glasgow National Hockey Centre, venue for the Hockey competition at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, will open next month and today some of the Scotland men’s and women’s squad members got the chance to try-out the new state-of-the-art pitch.
The £5.5million project is sited immediately beside Glasgow Green Football Centre on Kings Drive and is the last of the Games venues to be completed by Glasgow City Council more than a year before the Games begin on 23 July 2014.
The main building at the centre has 500 seats in its grandstand, with a further 4,500 temporary seats to be in situ at Games time. There are two new international standard, water-based, floodlit synthetic hockey pitches, with changing accommodation for players and officials, which will see plenty of world-class action next summer.
The facility, designed by Glasgow City Council’s in-house design team, and built by City Building, will also include accommodation, offices, meeting rooms and a function suite to provide a new national centre for hockey, with Scottish Hockey taking on the lease for the centre’s upper floor.
Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said: “It is great to see that Glasgow National Hockey Centre will soon open, and this is a project that will surely further develop the sport in Scotland at all levels. This international-standard venue is a wonderful addition to Glasgow’s already outstanding sporting facilities.”
Jon Doig, Chief Executive, Commonwealth Games Scotland and Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “This is a fantastic new hockey facility which will undoubtedly come alive next July, when our men’s and women’s teams take to the pitch against some of the best teams in the world. I am looking forward to being here in the midst of a passionate home crowd and cheering our athletes on.
“Hockey has added a fantastic dimension to Team Scotland and the Commonwealth Games since its inclusion in 1998. Congratulations to Glasgow City Council on developing such a fantastic new hockey centre, not only for the Games, but as a legacy for the sport going forwards.”
Former Olympic and Commonwealth hockey player, Rhona Simpson said: “I’m incredibly proud to be a part of the Glasgow 2014 journey and in particular to witness the end of construction at the Glasgow Green Hockey Centre. The completion of another venue in the city offers an emphatic tangible sense of excitement towards the Games in 2014. To have a facility of this calibre is a huge investment in Scottish hockey, not only for our current players but for the next generation of players and future stars of the sport. This world-class and accessible venue will also allow people of all ages and abilities to come and try the sport in a venue that in 2014 will be home to the world’s best players from across the Commonwealth.”
Excited to see the new facility first hand ,Alison Bell who has just won her 100th cap for Scotland and is hoping to be part of Team Scotland next year said: “I really like the new centre and being on the pitch for the first time it seems really good, so I am just looking forward to playing here. Hopefully we will get some national sessions here during the winter training period.”
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The next challeng for both men’s and women’s teams on their journey to Glasgow 2014 is the European Championships in August.
Photo: Hockey players Kareena & William Marshall, Ali Bell, Ailsa Wylie & Alan Forsyth
As a travelling reserve goal keeper for Scotland Women’s hockey team, Amy Gibson has first-hand experience of being in a Commonwealth Games squad. At the Delhi 2010 Games, Amy was an up and coming talent and travelled with the squad, ready to step in if the number one keeper became injured. However not getting the opportunity to step onto the pitch has fuelled her ambition and she is now determined that things will be different at Glasgow 2014.
“I was only 20, so I thought this is amazing. I’m only young and getting all this experience. It gave me a drive and a passion to actually play in a Commonwealth Games instead of just being the reserve. It helped me to see what I wanted to achieve and it was a really good insight into what I can do if I put my mind to it.”
Along with the other men’s and women’s reserves, Amy got to experience the Commonwealth Games Village for a few days, but to comply with tournament rules, they had to move out just before the competition got underway.
“I stayed in the village until the tournament started but then I was put in a nearby hotel and just went to see the games as a spectator. I also had quite a lot of free time so I got to see some other sports, so it was nice to get the all round experience of the Games, however I would much rather have been on the pitch.”
Born and raised in Dumbarton, Amy regularly passes through Glasgow and nearly three years after she was selected for the 2010 squad, she is excited about the prospect of competing in a home Games, on state of the art new pitches built at Glasgow Green which open to the public next month (July 2013) and says: “I was driving through Glasgow and I got a glimpse of the top of the new National Hockey Centre and I thought, oh my gosh, this is so exciting. So I pulled over and was amazed. Glasgow has never had anything on this scale before, it’s so thrilling!”
Amy started playing Hockey at the age of twelve and there was never been a doubt in her family’s mind as to the position she would be play, saying: “I use to be football mad so I really wanted to kick the ball instead of hit it. Also apparently I didn’t like running, so there was only one position for me, the goal keeper.”
Amy claims the transformation from backup, to starting goal keeper for the Scottish team has been achieved by dedication and hard work, but is quick to recognise the impact of both her time at Bellahouston Academy and the support fom the “Winning Students” programme, throughout her time in education, on her success.
“Bellahouston is a great place to get an athlete’s mindset. Taking part in activities such as strength and conditioning at an early stage in my hockey career gave me a head start over other girls and the best possible chance of success. My game has definitely improved and I wouldn’t be the player I am today without their support. Whilst Winning Students also opened doors for me that would not normally have been possible.”
Now the focus for Amy over the next few months is to perform to her potential and secure her place amongst the 16 players named on the team sheet next June. Her next major tournament takes her to Antwerp for the EuroHockey Championships from the 17-18 August.
You can follow Amy on Twitter @AmyGibson_29
Photo Credit: Alistair Devine
BP, one of the world’s leading international oil and gas companies, has been revealed as the latest Official Partner for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and will also become an Official Partner of Team Scotland.
As part of the support for Glasgow 2014, BP will provide advanced fuels for the official Games vehicles.
The Partnership with Glasgow 2014 will see BP launch a mentoring scheme for 65 young people aged between 17-21 to help give them the chance to develop skills that will help make them more employable. They will also take part in a number of projects in their local communities reflecting BPs commitment to Scotland, their Glasgow 2014 partnership and the Games legacy.
Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chairman of Glasgow 2014, said: “We are delighted to welcome BP into the Glasgow 2014 sponsor family as a company with such a strong global brand, but with roots that are firmly in Scotland.
“This is an exciting partnership and with BP’s successful track record in supporting sport, we are looking forward to developing some exciting opportunities with them from now until Games time.”
Peter Mather, BP’s Group Regional Vice President for UK/Europe said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 which follows naturally on from our major partnership with the London Olympics and Paralympics.”
“We are committed to help the organising committee deliver outstanding Games for Scotland and the UK.”
Trevor Garlick, BP North Sea Regional President, added:
“BP is a major employer and investor in the North Sea and is committed to continuing its long history of supporting the wider communities in which it operates. We are pleased to be contributing to what will be a fantastic festival of sport.”
Welcoming the announcement, Michael Cavanagh, Chairman Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: “We are delighted that BP has signed up as a sponsor of both Glasgow 2014 and Team Scotland. We are particularly pleased to see that a worldwide company with such strong Scottish roots has made a further commitment to invest in world-class athletes and sport events of this stature. We look forward to sharing our journey to the Games with them over the coming months.”
Stef Reid London 2012 Paralympic Games silver medallist in the long jump said: “BP’s on-going support has made a huge difference to me personally, allowing me to stay focused on my training. After winning a silver medal in London, I’m excited about making my mark in history and will attempt to compete for Scotland in Glasgow 2014 in the able-bodied long jump.”
Ayrshire’s World Bowls Pairs Champion Paul Foster believes the experience of competing in front of a home crowd at next summer’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games will be a major highlight in an already successful career.
And to help make this the best ever Games for Scotland he is asking the Scottish public to rally behind the team.
Foster started playing bowls aged 12, since travelling the world collecting top titles; four World Indoor Singles Championships and in major World Bowls Tour (WBT) events.
Competing in last year’s World Championships in Adelaide the Troon 39 year old, together with Scotland’s Alex Marshall, won the Pairs event. In doing so they became the first duo to hold the indoor and outdoor titles in the same year, having already won the WBT Indoor Pairs Championship.
Foster is no newcomer to the Commonwealth Games, having won the gold medal in the Pairs at Melbourne in 2006. With more success in mind for the Glasgow Games he is preparing hard to qualify for Team Scotland.
“I put in lots of hard work and a lot of hard training which in the 2006 Melbourne Games paid off”, says Foster, who runs a busy taxi company.
“Now, once again, I’m putting the work in and hopefully if I can get the right results in the selection events then in 9 months time I can be picked and selected for Scotland.”
“I’m playing three or four times a week indoors and it will be the same outdoors and I’m keeping myself very fit. A lot of people wonder why you need to keep fit for bowls but you certainly do because the games can take three or four hours.”
Bowls is a core Commonwealth Games sport and since the Games began in 1930 Scottish bowlers have won 13 gold, 7 silver and 8 bronze medals.
Scottish Bowls in is in particularly good health after exceptional performances in December’s World Championships in Adelaide where Scotland won six medals, three of them gold. This means lawn bowls has already met phase 1 of the selection standards, effectively securing a full team of five men’s and five women’s places for Glasgow. Players will now battle it out to earn individual selection to the team.
In Scotland the game has 880 member clubs and approximately 73,000 registered bowlers, making bowls one of the biggest sports in the country and Scotland the world’s third largest bowls nation.
Such a large base of players and a massive talent pool means places in the team will be keenly fought over.
“To be part of Team Scotland would be fantastic because the Commonwealth Games will be in Glasgow and there’s nothing better than representing your country in your own city centre”, said Foster.”
There is a strong bond amongst the Scottish men’s and women’s bowls squads and each major competition is approached as a unified and supportive team. To support them on Glasgow the team need the whole of Scotland to get behind them and maximise home advantage.
“There are still 15 months to go, but a lot of people are already talking about the Games, especially back home in Ayrshire”, says Foster.
“I would urge people go along and support the Commonwealth Games because it doesn’t happen very often and this time it’s going to be in Scotland.”
“And I’m trying to get everybody rallying behind the team. I know what it is like to compete in Delhi, Adelaide and Melbourne where you get some support from spectators. But to have it in your own country with a big Scottish crowd is going to be absolutely fantastic and it makes your performance a lot better.”
Photo Credit: Alistair Devine
Last weekend, top flight gymnast Amy Regan, was crowned the 2013 Scottish Women’s Artistic Individual All-Around National Champion, for the fourth year running. The City of Glasgow gymnast also won gold on the floor and the vault and took bronze on the Uneven Bars in the individual apparatus finals. This rounds off a successful few months for Amy, who won bronze on the Vault at the British Championships earlier in the year.
Aged 18, Amy already has the experience of the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games under her belt and explains: “Delhi was an amazing experience. I was only 15, so I was quite young, and I had never been to a competition on that scale before, so at first it was quite nerve racking. But having been through it once it will help me for Glasgow.”
A clear highlight from Delhi was the crowd support in the gymnastics arena and she adds: “At the Floor final, you could hear the crowd erupt when every gymnast came out, it was just amazing!”
Amy’s fourth place in Delhi surprised many, including herself.
“I went to Delhi for more the experience than to be a serious medal contender. As it turned out I made the Floor final and whilst there were a few mistakes in my routine I was a little upset with, overall I was very happy with my performance.”
Working hard ever since, to put herself in a strong position to attack the Glasgow 2014 medal podium, Amy maintains a level-headed attitude and is adamant that the high-pressure event will not alter her mind-set.
“I always try and keep the pressure off and just focus on what I can control rather than the rest of it. It’s best to focus on me and what I can do rather than the outcome of everything.”
Recalling her Delhi experience, Amy is looking forward to the buzz from her hometown crowd: “Every time I think about it I get goose bumps. I want to do well, especially as it’s in my hometown and this gives me a really good advantage, so fingers crossed and I will take it in my stride.”
As the summer of 2014 approaches, Amy will inevitably receive more and more attention, but claims that she will not let this affect her as she is solely focused on stepping onto the podium at The Hydro in the SECC Precinct in just over 12 months time.
“To be honest, I will be happy with any colour of medal, but I’m really aiming for gold!”
You can follow Amy on Twitter @AmyRegan_
Photo Credit: CGS