Fifty Scots set for Rio Olympics
Fifty Scots will represent Team GB at the Rio Olympics which kicks off this weekend – a record number for an away Games.
Fifty Scots will represent Team GB at the Rio Olympics which kicks off this weekend – a record number for an away Games.
The previous best was 31 for the Beijing Olympics back in 2008 and this summer will see Scotland represented in 15 different sports.
From household names like Andy Murray to up and coming stars such as swimmer Duncan Scott, Clyde News has been taking a closer look at our local athletes, as well as some other medal hopefuls who will be flying the flag for Scotland in Brazil over the coming weeks.
Athletics=========
Eilidh Doyle------------
Born in Perth, the 29-year-old 400m hurdler heads to Rio in good form having set a new personal best time of 54.09 to win at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco last month.
Known as Eilidh Child before getting married last year, Doyle will certainly have her sights set on a medal this summer after winning gold at the European championships in 2014 and silver at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games in the same year.
Lynsey Sharp------------
The 26-year-old’s silver medal run was one of the highlights of the 2014 Commonwealth Games as she ran a matter of hours after suffering from illness and being placed on a drip in the athlete’s village.
The Dumfries 800m runner, who also is a previous gold medal winner at the European championships, will be looking to improve on reaching the semi-final in London four years ago.
Eilish McColgan---------------
Eilish is the daughter of well-known and hugely successful Scottish athlete Liz and goes in the 5000m after switching from the Steeplechase.
The 25-year-old from Dundee has struggled with injury in the past couple of years and will be particularly keen to enjoy Rio after being forced to take 22 months out of competitive action.
Laura Muir----------
Another Scottish athlete who goes to Rio in impressive form, Muir recently beat Kelly Holmes’ 1500m record which has stood since the 2004 Games in Athens.
The 23-year-old, who is preparing for her first Olympics, is also a student of veterinary medicine at the University of Glasgow.
Callum Hawkins--------------
The man from Elderslie will run in the marathon this summer after finishing 8th over 26 miles in London earlier this year. Callum was the first British athlete to cross the line in a time of 2 hours 10 minutes and 52 seconds.
Long distance running is obviously in the family as the 24-year-old will have his older brother Derek for company in Brazil over the coming weeks.
Tsegai Tewelde--------------
It’s been a long road to Rio for all these athletes but Tsegai Tewelde’s story is quite a remarkable one. Born in Eritrea and injured in a landmine explosion at the age of 8, the marathon runner and six of his teammates never returned home from the 2008 cross-country championships in Edinburgh, instead choosing to seek asylum in the UK.
Now 26, Tewelde was given a British passport in 2015 and is a member of Shettleston Harriers running club.
Fifteen Scottish athletes in total will make up Team GB’s track and field squad. This also includes Mark Dry, Chris O’Hare, Stephanie Twell, Laura Whittle, Lennie Waite, Andrew Butchart, Beth Potter and Chris Bennett.
Badminton=============
Kirsty Gilmour--------------
The 22-year-old from Bothwell is Scotland’s only representative on the Rio badminton courts this summer.
Gilmour landed a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games two years ago and goes in to the Olympics ranked 15th in the world.
Canoeing============
Fiona Pennie------------
Born in Dunbartonshire in the early 80s, Fiona Pennie became the victim of a controversial selection process when she missed out on qualification for the London 2012 Olympics.
She will be looking to put all of that behind her when she competes in the canoe slalom which gets underway on the 8th August.
David Florence--------------
London 2012 proved to be a mixed bag for Florence who failed to reach the final in the C-1 event before making amends to land silver in the C-2.
The 33-year-old from Aberdeen also brought a silver medal back from Beijing in 2008 and will be looking for similar success in Rio this month.
Canoeing is obviously in the blood with Florence’s dad, brother and uncle all having represented Scotland.
Cycling===========
Callum Skinner--------------
Born in Glasgow, the 23-year-old cyclist will have three chances for success in Rio this summer, competing in the keirin, sprint and team sprint.
As if taking part in the Olympics doesn’t bring enough pressure, the GB men’s sprint team is being tipped for gold by none other than Britain’s most successful ever Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy.
Katie Archibald---------------
To say 2016 has been a turbulent year for the Milngavie cyclist would be somewhat of an understatement. She broke her elbow and tore her cruciate ligament in a motorbike crash in February but has battled back to be fit for Rio.
Archibald did enjoy a successful 2015 though, picking up 3 European Championships golds to add the one she won at the World Championship in the previous year.
Only 20 years of age at the time, Archibald managed a bronze in the points race at Glasgow 2014.
Archibald and Skinner will also be joined in the cycling team by Scotland’s Grant Ferguson.
Golf========
Catriona Matthew----------------
It seems only right that the country which gave golf to the world should have at least one representative at the sport’s first Olympic outing in more than 100 years.
Catroina Matthew is daring to go where the likes of Rory McIlory, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day are not, amidst fears about the Zika virus.
Edinburgh born Matthew has 11 professional tour wins and landed the UK Women’s British Open in 2009.
Rowing==========
Katherine Grainger------------------
With four medals, Grainger is Great Britain’s joint most decorated female Olympian.
After silver in Athens, Sydney and Beijing, the 40-year-old finally landed gold at London 2012, teaming up with Anna Watkins to win the double skulls.
After uncertainty surrounding Grainger’s rowing future, she is now fully committed to chasing a medal in Rio and will this time be joined in the boat by Vicky Thornley.
Scotland has six rowers and two reserves heading to Brazil meaning Katherine Grainger will be joined by Polly Swann, Alan Sinclair, Heather Stanning, Angus Groom, Karen Bennett, Victoria Meyer Laker (reserve) and Sam Scrimgeour (reserve).
Rugby 7s============
Mark Bennett------------
Part of the Glasgow Warriors side which won the Pro 12 title in 2015, Bennett will be joined by fellow Scot Mark Robertson in Great Britain’s Rugby 7s team.
Born in Irvine, the 23-year-old has 16 full Scotland caps and scored two tries in the opening World Cup game against Japan last year.
Swimming============
Ross Murdoch------------
Who can forget the image of Murdoch, cheeks puffed out, eyes wide in amazement at winning the 200m breaststroke at Glasgow 2014? It was one of the games’ defining moments and shot the Balloch swimmer to Scottish sporting fame.
The 22-year-old won gold in the same event at the European Championships earlier this year but could only manage 3rd at the British Olympic Trials meaning he’ll swim in the 100m Breastsroke in Rio.
Murdoch was also part of the Great Britain 4x100m medley team which won gold at the World Championships in 2015.
Robbie Renwick--------------
A man who considered quitting swimming just two years ago, Renwick now heads to Brazil as a World Champion and a genuine medal hope for Scotland.
Finishing 5th at Glasgow 2014 and failing to defend his Commonwealth 200m Freestyle title left the 28-year-old in a state of uncertainty about his future.
The 2015 World Championships in Russia went some way to banishing that heartache, though, with Renwick playing a key part in Great Britain’s 4x200m Freestyle win.
Duncan Scott------------
At the age of 19, the Glasgow-born swimmer is the youngest Scot heading out to Rio.
Scott was also part of Great Britain’s 4x200m success at last year’s World Championships although he didn’t swim in the final.
He will take part in the 100m Freestyle in Brazil this summer.
Hannah Miley------------
After winning a whole host of European Championship, World Championship, and Commonwealth Games medals, Miley is setting her sights on an Olympic gong in Rio this month.
The Inverurie swimmer will turn 27 during the games and swims in both the 200m & 400m individual medley.
Continuing Scotland’s tradition of sending a strong contingent of swimmers to major events, Murdoch, Renwick, Scott, and Miley will also be joined by Dan Wallace, Stephen Milne, Craig Benson and Camilla Hatterlsey.
Tennis==========
Jamie Murray------------
It can’t be easy living in your brother’s shadow but Jamie has had more than enough of his own success to be proud of in the last few of years.
A key member of Great Britain’s historic Davis Cup winning team, the 30-year-old won the Australian Open doubles this year, reached the Wimbledon and US Open doubles finals last year, and reached number one in the world for doubles back in April.
Let’s not forget Jamie was the first Murray brother to win a senior Wimbledon title when he landed the mixed doubles back in 2007.
Andy Murray-----------
A man who needs no introduction and a man who, in some people’s eyes, is Scotland’s greatest ever sportsman.
Murray heads to Rio looking to defend his men’s singles title from four years ago and couldn’t really be going in much better form.
July’s Wimbledon final win against Milos Raonic was the 29-year-old’s third grand-slam success and came in a season where he had already reached the final in both Australia and France.
The world number two also won an incredible 11 matches as Great Britain secured their first Davis Cup since 1936 last year.
Other Scots competing for Team GB in Rio this summer: Luke Patience & Charlotte Dobson (sailing), Jen McIntosh (shooting), Angela Hannah (Canoeing), Colin Fleming (Tennis), Sally Conway (Judo), Grace Reid (diving), Grant Ferguson (cycling), Daniel Purvis (gymnastics reserve).