Since arrival in Samoa the Youth Team Scotland camp has been a hive of activity with athletes scoping out the training and competition venues and putting the final touches to their preparations.
There has been much praise of the facilities, many of which were built for the 2007 Pacific Games and have been newly refurbished for Samoa 2015. The swimming venue is particularly impressive with a high quality competition pool and outdoor pool for warm up and warm down.
Scotland’s swimmers had their first sessions in the pool and Erin Robertson said: “The pool is amazing with the competition pool and an outdoor pool for a warm down in the sun. I’ve trained outside on camps but I’ve never had an outside pool at a competition before. The competition pool is nice and cold and it feels fast. I’ve been feeling good in training, just getting the journey out of my system and finding my stroke. I’m so excited to race now.”
In the same cluster of venues are the boxing and weightlifting facilities which have also had the thumbs up from the athletes.
Boxer Kieran McMaster said: “The training facilities are great, there’s absolutely nothing missing that you’d need. The competition venue looks amazing, it’s all in darkness with just lights on the ring so all the focus is on it. The place is massive, there’s loads of room for a crowd. I can’t wait to start, it’s been a waiting game so far and that’s the hard part.”
Just a short walk away are the venues for lawn bowls and archery, as well as the newly built squash venue with three singles and two doubles courts.
Athletics and tennis are based a short drive away at Apia Park, which will also host Saturday’s Opening Ceremony.
Carys McAulay, who will run the 800m, had her first chance yesterday to test out the track at the athletics stadium.
“There were lots of kids watching us,” she said, “and it really gets you in the mood. There’s a massive block of seats on the home straight and another two blocks on the back straight, it seats a lot of people. I was actually quite surprised at how many people it can seat, it’s quite overwhelming but I’m really looking forward to racing.”
Check out pictures of the venues and athletes in training in our Samoa 2015 image gallery at /image-gallery.aspx