A Scottish record and two Gold Coast 2018 qualifying standards for John Archibald and two Scottish Junior records for Luisa Steele were among the highlights at the penultimate event of the 2017 Team Scotland Series – the Scottish National Track Cycling Championships at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Elder brother of multiple global medallist Katie Archibald, John went into the Championships looking to secure qualifying times for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and stated his intent early on as he scorched to a new National record of 4.21.158 in the Individual Pursuit heats. Going up against Kyle Gordon in the final, he set a second qualifying time to take gold and put himself in contention for a place on Team Scotland next April.

Archibald was also instrumental in a second Scottish record as he joined forces with Pro Vision Scotland team mates Jason Roberts, Kyle Johnston and Rob Friel to smash the previous Team Pursuit best by over 10 seconds in their qualifying ride. In the final they were up against the RT23 team of David Blockley, Kyle Gordon, Peter Ettles and Alan Thomson and rose to the challenge, Pro Vision Scotland taking the title in another record breaking time – 4.22.822 – four tenths of a second quicker than their time in qualifying.

Archibald came close to a third National title in the 1000m Time Trial but was beaten to gold by Metaltek Kuota Race Team’s Tom Chandler. Archibald took the silver ahead of Andrew Leveton in bronze.

Tandem pairing Laura Cluxton and Emma Baird also had Gold Coast qualifying on their mind as they made their competitive debut together. Wining both the Flying 200m Time Trial and 1000m Time Trial, they were just two tenths of a second from a qualifying standard over the shorter distance and will go into the upcoming British Tandem Championships looking to secure the time.

Glasgow 2014 medallist Louise Haston took gold in the Women’s Scratch Race, but had to settle for bronze in the Sprint as Rebecca Dornan took gold in a tight battle with Luisa Steele. Steele’s time of 12.141 in the heats was a new Scottish Junior record and there was more success for the young rider, taking gold in the Team Sprint with Glasgow Cycle Team club mate Lucy Grant, and setting another Scottish Junior record when taking bronze in the 500m Time Trial, as Grant took the title. There was a further bronze for Steele in the Keirin as Dornan took a second gold and Haston the silver.

The final race of the weekend saw Glasgow Cycle Team’s Gemma Penman take gold in the Women’s Points Race, dominating the sprints in the final stages to finish on 34 points, well clear of silver medallist Anna Shackley on 16 and bronze medallist Lulu Bartlett on 11.

Attention now turns to the final event in this year’s Team Scotland Series, the Scottish Short Course Swimming Championships, which take place from 9-11 December at Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, venue for large international track cycling events such as the Revolution Series, UCI Track World Cup, and the 2018 European Championships, plays host to the Scottish National Track Cycling Championships this weekend in the penultimate event of the 2017 Team Scotland Series.

Scotland’s home-grown talent will compete across three exciting days of competition for individual and team Championship titles and the honour of being named Scottish Champion 2017.

Several cyclists who represented Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 will take to the boards, including double silver medallist Louise Haston, along with athletes looking to take their place at the next Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in 2018.

One of those is the rapidly improving John Archibald, elder brother of Olympic Champion and Glasgow 2014 medallist Katie Archibald. With one Gold Coast 2018 qualifying standard already in the bag, John will look to secure a second standard at the Scottish Championships this weekend.

Another athlete with the Commonwealth Games on her mind is Edinburgh rider Emma Baird. Missing out on Glasgow 2014 through injury, she is more determined than ever to secure her place this time around. Best known as a sprinter, she will make her bid for Gold Coast as pilot to Laura Cluxton in the Para-Sport Tandem. The pair make their first bid for a qualifying time this weekend before going onto the British Tandem Championships.

With almost all athletes who represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games having come through their sport’s National Championships, the Team Scotland Series is a ground-breaking collaboration bringing together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports. Part of Team Scotland’s work to support member sports and champion the ongoing success of Scots on the national and international sporting stage, it aims to bring these domestic events to a wider audience, inspiring more Scots to excel.

Action begins on Friday 10 November with the Women’s 500m Time Trial and continues throughout the weekend, concluding with the Women’s Sprint finals on Sunday evening.

For full information, including event schedule and venue map, visit the Scottish Track Cycling Championships event page.

Team Scotland’s first ever Commonwealth Youth Games Cycling medallist, Dylan Hughes, and Bahamas 2017 team mate, Stephen Dent, will be on the start line at the Scottish National Road Race Championships this Sunday (20th August), the first Cycling event in the Team Scotland Series.

As riders flock to the roads of Kennoway in Fife, Dent joins a 79-strong field in the Senior Men’s race, while Hughes lines up in the open race for category 3, 4 and Junior riders. Also on the bill is the Senior Women’s Race where 28 competitors will compete for the title of Scottish Champion, including Team Scotland Glasgow 2014 triathlete Seonaid Thompson.

An exciting day of racing is on the cards with all events wide open and new champions set to be crowned in both senior events, with 2016 winners Eileen Roe and Evan Oliphant not defending their titles.

With almost all athletes who represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games having come through their sport’s National Championships, the Team Scotland Series is a ground-breaking collaboration bringing together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports.

Part of Team Scotland’s work to support member sports and champion the ongoing success of Scots on the national and international sporting stage, it aims to bring these domestic events to a wider audience, inspiring more Scots to excel.

The Senior Women’s race starts with a roll out at 11.10 am at Kennoway Primary School before racing begins at Bonnybank, taking in four laps of a 10 mile circuit before cutting off for a finish in Langside, estimated at around 1.20 pm.

The Senior Men’s race starts shortly after from Kennoway Primary School at 2 pm – taking in eight laps of the circuit before cutting off to cross the finish line – a total of 84 miles – estimated to finish around 5.20 pm. Presentations will be held straight after each race at Kennoway Primary School.

Get yourself along to cheer on the riders, with spectators recommend to watch from Bonnybank Inn, Cults Hill and Porters Summit for the best chance of seeing the riders come by.

More information on the event can be found on the Scottish Cycling website.

Scotland’s top swimmers, including those preparing for the World Championships, are set to go head to head for Scottish titles this week, as the Team Scotland Series continues with the Scottish National & Open Championships at Aberdeen Sport Village.

Four packed days of action are on the cards as 630 swimmers from 73 clubs take to the pool, with Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth Games medallists competing with their domestic rivals for the title of Scottish Champion.

The stakes are raised even higher, with the event one of just seven opportunities through the year for swimmers to put down a qualification standard for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Alongside a host of stars from Glasgow 2014, several up and coming youngsters who competed for Team Scotland at the Samoa 2015 Youth Games will be looking to make their mark at senior level.

Hannah Miley, Ross Murdoch, Mark Szaranek, Duncan Scott, Kathleen Dawson and Stephen Milne are all in action before their final camp ahead of the FINA World Championships in Budapest next month. Rio 2016 medallists Scott and Milne top several start lists, while the men’s 100m and 200m Breaststroke will be hotly contested. Olympians Ross Murdoch and Craig Benson head the line-up, with fellow Glasgow 2014 competitor Calum Tait and Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Kieran Preston also in the medal mix.

Miley competes across a busy schedule, including the 400m Individual Medley, the event in which she is double Commonwealth Games champion, and the 800m Freestyle where she will go head to head with fellow Olympian Camilla Hattersley and double Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Meg Finnon.

Also on the start lists are some of the Scots heading to the World Junior Championships in Indianapolis in August, including Keanna McInnes, who recently broke Scottish Junior records in the 100m and 200m Butterfly and Katie Robertson, multiple Scottish age-group record holder in the Breaststroke events.

Part of the Team Scotland Series, a ground-breaking collaboration which brings together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports, the Scottish National Swimming Championships take place at Aberdeen Sports Village from Thursday 29 June to Sunday 2 July.

All spectator tickets will be sold on the door at Aberdeen Sports Village priced as follows:

Adult – £5 Heats – £6 Finals / Concession – £4 Heats – £5 Finals / Child £1

Heats sessions begin at 09:00 each day, with the Finals sessions beginning at 17:30.

Finals sessions will also be live-streamed, with coverage starting at 17:20. Watch the action at: www.scottishswimming.com/live

Follow the action on social media using the hashtags #SNOC17 and #TeamScotSeries and find full results on the Swim Scotland website

Click here for more information about the Team Scotland Series, including details of all upcoming events.

East Kilbride swept to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Scottish Cup title as the Team Scotland Series came to Oriam in Edinburgh for the Netball Scotland National Finals Day on Saturday 3 June.

The climax of the Netball Scotland season, Scotland’s top clubs battled it out in the finals of the Scottish Cup, Scottish Youth Cup and Evelyn Beattie Quaich.

The highlight of the day was a thrilling Scottish Cup final, which saw the 2015 finalists, East Kilbride and Edinburgh Netball Club Onyx, in a re-match for the 2017 title. The first quarter was an incredibly tight and physical affair with East Kilbride snatching a one goal lead in the final minute, a lead they extended out to seven by half time.

East Kilbride extended their lead further in the third, but it was the final quarter where the game came alive. A revitalised Edinburgh side opened with a flurry of goals, digging deep for every ball and clawing the deficit back. East Kilbride were not to be toppled however, holding their nerve to take the win 65-40 and with it their fourth Scottish Cup title in a row.

The Team Scotland Series brings together the Scottish Championships of 13 Commonwealth Games sports, with the aim of raising the profile of these events and the important role they play on athletes’ journeys towards competing for Team Scotland at a Commonwealth Games. With Glasgow 2014 players Lynsey Gallagher and Samantha Murphy in action for East Kilbride in the Scottish Cup final, alongside a wealth of up-and-coming talent on display in the Youth Cup finals, nowhere was this journey more apparent than at Oriam on Saturday.

In the U17 Scottish Youth Cup final it was Avon Netball Club who controlled the game from the start, taking a commanding 18 goal lead over their opponents Holyrood Colts by half time and never looking back. The U15 final saw G84 Pressure emerge victorious over defending champions Peebles Pulse, but there was a turn of fortunes for Peebles in the U13 final, runners up last year in this age group, as they triumphed 32-21 in a close encounter with Perth.

The Evelyn Beattie Quiach was won by Bellahouston Blaze, just two goals ahead at half time in their match with Kelvin, but controlling the final stages to win 58-44.

Players of the Match were selected by an expert panel headed up by Lesley MacDonald, captain of Team Scotland’s Glasgow 2014 squad and now Netball Scotland’s Pathways Development Manager and Scotland Under 21s Head Coach. Congratulations to Jenna Storie (Bellahouston), India Duffy (Perth NC), Anna Sherry (G84 Pressure), Gillian Thomson (Avon) and Lynsey Gallagher (East Kilbride) on their awards.

The next event in the Team Scotland Series will be the Scottish Open Swimming Championships from 29 June- 2 July at Aberdeen Sports Village. For details of this, and all upcoming Series events, visit the Team Scotland Series page.

Netball Scotland National Finals Day Results:

Edinburgh’s Oriam is set to host the highlight of the Netball Scotland club competition calendar, as the Team Scotland Series continues with the Scottish Netball Finals on Saturday 3 June.

With almost all athlete who represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games having come through their sport’s National Championships, the Team Scotland Series is a ground-breaking collaboration bringing together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports. Part of Team Scotland’s work to support member sports and champion the ongoing success of Scots on the national and international sporting stage, it aims to bring these domestic events to a wider audience, inspiring more Scots to excel.

On Saturday, Scotland’s top club sides will battle it out in the finals of the Scottish Cup, Scottish Youth Cup and Evelyn Beattie Quaich competitions, with the winners crowned Scottish Champions.

East Kilbride are out to defend the Scottish Cup title they took last year in a battle with Glasgow South Saltires. This year’s East Kilbride side defeated Saltires in the semi-final and will take on ENC Onyx in the 2017 final.

Kelvin Netball Club are also reigning title holders after lifting the Evelyn Beattie Quaich in 2016. In an all-Glasgow final on Saturday, Kelvin meet Bellahouston Blaze, who reached the finals with a win over Aberdeen Nets.

The Scottish Youth Cup will see Scotland’s stars of the future take to the court in the U13, U15 and U17 age-groups. Peebles, last year’s winners in the U15 Youth Cup and runner-up in the U13 category, are finalists in both age groups once again.

Hosted at Netball Scotland’s partner facility Oriam, the event returns to the east of the country for the first time in over three decades. After record spectator numbers in 2016, Scotland’s top club players are looking for your support as they go for Scottish Cup glory.

Tickets can be purchased on the door at £5 for adults and £3 for concessions.

Event Schedule (Doors open at 9am):

Evelyn Beattie Quaich (9.30am) Bellahouston Blaze v Kelvin

U13 Youth Cup (11.15am) – Perth & Kinross v Peebles Rockets

U15 Youth Cup (12.35pm)- Peebles Pulse v G84 Pressure

U17 Youth Cup (2.05pm)- Avon v Holyrood Celts

Scottish Cup (3.50pm) – East Kilbride v ENC Onyx

For full information, including venue map visit the Scottish Netball Finals event page.

The Team Scotland Series lit up the Glasgow National Hockey Centre as Scotland’s top club sides battled it out across a thrilling two days of cup final action (29 & 30 April).

Top of the bill on day one was the Men’s Scottish Cup Final between Grange and Bromac Kelburne, with Kelburne on the hunt for a domestic double, having snatched the league title from Grange in the final game of the season the previous weekend.

While Grange edged the play in the opening minutes, it was Kelbourne’s Jonas Nommenson who opened the scoring and the Paisley-based side never relinquished their lead, Jack McKenzie doubling their advantage just minutes later.

Grange were not giving up without a fight, Luke Cranney pulling one back to make it 2-1. However the Edinburgh side couldn’t find a way to level the score and Johnny Christie restored Kelburne’s two goal cushion with ten minutes remaining in the first half.

Grange again dominated play at the start of the second half but it was Kelburne who struck the net. A cool finish from Craig Morton was followed by Chris Nelson finishing off a neat penalty corner routine to make it 5-1 for Kelburne. Grange kept fighting and pulled another one back through an exceptional finish from a tight angle by Ali Irvine to make the final score a 5-2 win for Kelburne.

Grange fared better in the day’s other finals with Grange 2s lifting the District Cup and Grange 3s the Reserve Cup. Western Wildcats, Edinburgh University 2s and Grove Menzieshill 3s were the other winners on day one.

Watch the full Men’s Scottish Cup final:

The women’s competition on day two saw a repeat of fortunes with the league winners completing the double to take the Scottish Cup. Edinburgh University came out on top of a close affair with Clydesdale Western, the only team to have beaten the dominant University side at any point this season.

In fact it was Western who took the lead shortly after the ten-minute mark as Lucy Lanigan took advantage of a high ball which came into the penalty area, converting to make it 1-0. Edinburgh responded with 20 minutes played as Louise Campbell seized possession near the touchline, and drove forward to the edge of the penalty area.

She sent the ball into the box, and it eventually found Zara Malseed, who duly converted to level the game. From there the tide of the match turned and, following half time, the Edinburgh side continued to push forward in search of victory. A second goal for the champions soon came, resulting from a penalty corner. Campbell stopped the ball to perfectly set up Malseed, who rocketed the ball into the Western net to score her second of the afternoon.

The final minutes were dramatic with good chances for both sides. However neither could capitalise and Edinburgh University secured a memorable, hard-fought 2-1 win, lifting the Scottish Cup for the second year in succession.

Watch the full Women’s Scottish Cup Final:

CALA Edinburgh lifted the Scottish Plate, while Orkney took the District Cup title and Glasgow Academicals the District Plate.

The next event in the Team Scotland Series will be the Netball Scotland Scottish Cup Finals at Oriam in Edinburgh on 3 June 2017.

What is the Team Scotland Series?

Scottish Hockey Cup Finals Winners

MEN:

Scottish Cup Winners: Bromac Kelburne

Scottish Plate Winners: Western Wildcats

District Cup Winners: Grange 2s

District Plate Winners: Edinburgh University 2s

Reserve Cup Winners: Grange 3s

Reserve Plate Winners: Grove Menzieshill 3s

WOMEN:

Scottish Cup Winners: Edinburgh University

Scottish Plate Winners: CALA Edinburgh

District Cup Winners: Orkney

District Plate Winners: Glasgow Academicals

A packed night of action will see 15 Scottish Champions crowned at the sixth event in the Team Scotland Series, as Scotland’s top boxers go head to head at the Boxing Scotland Elite Finals at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility on Saturday.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Reece McFadden heads the line up as he takes on Lochend’s Matty McHale for the Men’s Flyweight title, with Glasgow 2014 team mate Aqeel Ahmed up against Scott Wotherspoon in the Light Flyweight.

Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallists in 2015, John Docherty and Sean Lazzerini have made a successful transition to the senior ranks, with Docherty out to defend the Middleweight title he won last year and Lazzerini going for Light Heavyweight glory.

There is also a wealth of talent on display in the women’s events and the first bout of the night will see Glenrothes star Emma McCulloch take on Nasreen Anderson of Lochend for the Light Flyweight crown. McCulloch comes in full of confidence after taking gold at Europe’s biggest female tournament – the Golden Girl Championships – in February.

McCulloch’s Glenrothes team mate, Efiychia Kathopouli, took silver at those Golden Girl championships in Sweden and goes up against Hayfield boxer Cassidy Todd in the Featherweight final on Saturday while Stephanie Kernachan, the first Scottish female boxer to win GB Elite Championship gold, faces Bellahouston’s Farah Jamil for the Bantamweight title.

In a fitting finale, the final bout of the night will see reigning Scottish champion Lee McGregor make a defence of his Bantamweight title against Jack Turner of Hayfield and, like many of Saturday’s finalists, the Meadowbank boxer will have the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games firmly in mind.

In addition to Scottish Championship titles, crucial qualifying points are on offer as boxers stake their claim for a place on Team Scotland in Gold Coast. Boxing is the only sport in which Scotland has won medals at every Commonwealth Games since their inception in 1930 and, with just one year to go to until the Games open in Gold Coast, the countdown is on to select the boxers who will attempt to carry on this proud tradition.

Part of the Team Scotland Series, a ground-breaking collaboration which brings together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports, the Boxing Scotland Elite Finals take place at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility on Saturday 1 April from 8pm.

Ticket information can be found at: http://www.boxingscotland.org/2017-elite-finals-ticket-update/

here was a glimpse of the future of Team Scotland for spectators at the Scottish National Artistic Gymnastics Championships at Bell’s Sports Centre in Perth, as more than 100 gymnasts competed in front of a sell-out crowd at the two-day Team Scotland Series event.

Two new champions were crowned as Kelvin Cham and Shannon Archer won the Scottish national artistic men’s and women’s all-around senior titles. Both have their sights set firmly on representing Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast next year.

For 18 year-old Cham, it was a case of starting his first senior season in the same way he finished his junior years, having won the age-group title 12 months ago. He finished marginally ahead of his City of Glasgow team mate David Weir to take the title, while Frank Baines, an integral part of Scotland’s historic first gymnastics team medal at Glasgow 2014, took the bronze.

With the defending and three-time champion Dan Purvis out of contention for the all-around title, as he was only competing over three apparatus – pommel horse, parallel bars, and floor – Cham took advantage of the chance to shine.

“It feels really good to be Scottish champion,” he said. “Some pieces went really well and on others there were a few mistakes that I can fix. I was nervous but I felt good and I’m so happy with the result.

“It would be a dream to be on Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018, it’s what I’ve been training for over the past few years. It’s so good to compete alongside the guys who competed at Glasgow 2014, they are such good gymnasts and you can learn from them.”

Like-wise in the women’s championship, defending champion Cara Kennedy was only contesting the asymmetric bars on her way back from injury. Archer was third last year and was delighted with gold ahead of Sofia Ramzan from Dundee 2K and her City of Glasgow team mate, Carly Smith.

Archer took full advantage of her first opportunity to post a Gold Coast 2018 Games qualifying standard with her total of 49.084 over the required mark. Delighted with such a promising start as she aims for a place on Team Scotland she said: “I am very happy with how it went. I’ve never won the all-around title before so it was a personal goal.

“It would be an honour to be on the team in Gold Coast. I missed out on the last Games with an elbow injury so to make it to these Games would mean a lot to me. Since the last Games, it has all been about working on the upgrades to get to the level you need. I’ve still got a few upgrades I can add into my routines but it’s looking good so far.”

The victories for Archer and Cham were a double celebration for the City of Glasgow Gymnastics Club, who enjoyed a hugely successful weekend. Pavel Karnejenko won the junior men’s and Crystelle Lake won the espoir all-around titles while their women’s team picked up gold, and several of the club’s gymnasts won apparatus finals at different age levels on Sunday. The second day of competition also saw 21 year-old Ramsay Meiklem and 16 year-old Sophie Crawford earn the men’s and women’s disabled titles.

The Scottish National Table Tennis Championships, also part of the Team Scotland Series, taking place at the same venue embodied a key aim of the Series in bringing Commonwealth Games sports together outside Games time. Having experienced Team Scotland’s ‘17 sports – One Team’ ethos at Glasgow 2014, Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games medallist Dan Purvis was full of praise for the initiative.

“At the Commonwealth Games it was fantastic that the whole team were together,” he said. “Seeing people from other sports working just as hard as we are and getting good results as well it’s such a great vibe, so to support each other outside the Games and then hopefully see each other in Australia is amazing and it’s just a great experience overall.”

The next event in the Team Scotland Series will be the Boxing Scotland Elite Finals on April 1 at Ravenscraig.

Both youth and experience enjoyed success as the Team Scotland Series came to the Edinburgh Sports Club this weekend for the Sterling Trucks Scottish Senior National Squash Championships.

Sixteen-year-old rising star Georgia Adderley put in a superb performance to win the women’s title for the first time, while in the men’s event two-time Commonwealth Games competitor for Team Scotland, Alan Clyne, outperformed his domestic rivals to take a seventh national title.

Edinburgh teenager Adderley, who has also played age-grade football for her country, is seen as Scotland’s best squash prospect – and it is easy to see why. She showed determination and skill to defeat 20-year-old Elspeth Young from Kinross 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 12-10 to lift the trophy in front of an appreciative audience.

It looked as if the final was going all the way to five games with Young, at 10-5 up, poised to take the fourth and force a decider. An impressive display from Adderley however, saw her fight back to take it 12-10, and with it the Scottish title.

After the match, a delighted Adderley said: “Coming into the event aged 16 as number one seed brought its own pressures, but I had played in this event last year for the first time and that helped me with nerves and what to expect out there.

“I played well in my semi-final on Saturday and that left me feeling good about the final. Elspeth is a few years older than me and more experienced, so I knew it would be hard.

“We had some really good rallies in the first game, but she then came back in the second. At that point I had to hold my nerve, but I did and got a good start to the third game. I then managed to go on and win and the feeling at the end was amazing.

“At the moment it has not quite sunk in, but I have had loads of texts from friends and my family are really proud.”

In the men’s event Scottish number one Alan Clyne, who has risen to world number 32, defeated Edinburgh’s Douglas Kempsell to lift his fourth successive national title.

It was Clyne’s seventh victory at this event overall and he was on top from the off in the final, winning in three games 11-5, 11-5, 11-2.

The champion, 30, from Inverness, said: “To say you’re Scottish champion is a prestigious thing and it’s very important to me. I felt good going through the rounds, but I knew that Douglas would put up a real fight in the final because we all know he is a battler.

“That was the way that it panned out, but I managed to get on the front foot and take the win.

“I am often playing abroad, so I love getting a chance to play in Scottish tournaments and I am very proud to be national champion for a seventh time.”

The Team Scotland Series is a ground-breaking collaboration which brings together Scottish Championship events across 13 Commonwealth Games sports. The next event in the series will be the Boxing Scotland Elite Finals on April 1 at Ravenscraig.

Photo credit: Roberts Sports