Badminton’s Kirsty Gilmour won Commonwealth Games Silver on the last day of competition at Glasgow 2014, bringing Team Scotland’s medal haul to a total of 53.
The 20-year-old was up against Canada’s Michelle Li in the Gold/Silver final at the Emirates Arena, with Li clinching the Gold, a class act on the day, 14-21 7-21.
However, picking up a medal of any colour, and being the first Scottish women to reach a Singles final, is something that she is extremely proud of. She said: “I’m trying to be disappointed but everyone is being so positive. I’m feeling delighted. I’ve got a Silver medal around my neck from the Commonwealth Games! I wanted to go one better, but Michelle was on fire today and I just had no answer. I gave so much yesterday, concentration wise, and that was probably the most I have ever concentrated in my whole life. So, to try and knuckle down and reproduce that was a big ask and I didn’t feel I was mentally 100% there.
“Going into this competition, the thought of winning a medal of any colour, I would have been absolutely delighted with. Obviously, Bronze and Gold you have to end on a win, but with Silver you’re so close and within touching distance, but I can’t complain, I’m delighted; it’s such an incredible feeling. At the Youth Commonwealth Games I was on the Bronze step, now the Silver, hopefully next time I can go one better. I’m the first Scottish women to make it to a final so I’m really happy.
“Not only that, two medals for Scottish Badminton is excellent. We had an outside chance in all the competitions we were competing in but we’ve come away with two medals and everyone is really happy. I think we’ll clink them together later.”
Today’s final lasted 38 minutes, with the first of the two games a closer affair than the second. Li moved ahead quickly at the outset, but then Gilmour responded with two points of her own bringing the difference down to 2-3 before the Canadian pushed ahead once again.
Gilmour was playing some nice Badminton at times with tricky, un-returnable shots, but was never really able to close the gap fully on her opponent. After the break in the first game the two athletes were exchanging points from the serve with Li managing to hold her dominance. The tie ended 14-21.
In the second game Li was moving comfortably ahead and took a 0-7 lead. At this point Gilmour looked sharp again, winning four consecutive points. However, Li kept cementing her lead with the second game finishing, 7-21.
Imogen Bankier and Robert Blair also picked up their Bronze medal at the Emirates Arena this morning for their success in the Mixed Doubles competition. Bankier said: “Standing on the podium was well up there as a career highlight. Finishing on a win was really special for us and at a home venue too. Knowing we’d won the medal yesterday gave us a chance to relax and take it all in and then really enjoy the moment on the podium when it came.”
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