Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) has announced its ‘Medallist Rewards Scheme’ for Team Scotland athletes competing at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, with an overall fund of £300,000 allocated to recognise and support medal-winning athletes.

First introduced for Scottish athletes at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the scheme is designed to kick-start longer term savings and investment planning for athletes once they retire from their high performance sport career; for example to help with setting up a business, or for vocational training. It is structured so it complements rather than duplicates existing sources of performance funding.

Under the Medallist Reward Scheme athletes will receive the following:

Gold Medallists – up to £10,000

Silver Medallists – up to £5,000

Bronze Medallist – up to £2,500

Announcing the scheme today Michael Cavanagh, CGS Chairman said: “The Medallists Reward Scheme is designed to give athletes a boost at that financially uncertain time when they make the often difficult decision to give up competing in their chosen sport.

“It aims to recognise the sacrifices they have made to pursue their sporting career over the years and reward their achievements on the Commonwealth stage.

“The scheme has been designed to be a positive investment in our athletes that is affordable, fair and equitable across all 17 sports on the Glasgow 2014 programme.”

Delhi 2010 medallist David Carry paid tribute to the scheme having been a beneficiary on his retirement from swimming following London 2012. “Funds from the Medallists Reward Scheme really helped me when I stopped competing and it’s fantastic to see it being announced again for Team Scotland medallists at Glasgow 2014,” said Carry.

This brings the total amount available to be invested in Scottish athletes through this scheme to just short of £500,000 over the last two Games cycles.

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