Continuing the legacy of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Scottish Volleyball’s Sand for Schools Project has made history in building Scotland’s first ever school based permanent beach volleyball facility.
The project was inspired by the temporary training venue at a local farmer’s barn, built for Scottish athletes preparing for the Gold Coast Games. With Beach Volleyball back on the programme for Birmingham 2022, that sand has been relocated to Liberton High School in Edinburgh and the new facility is now an approved site for Scotland’s Beach Volleyball Performance athletes to train for the 2022 Games and beyond.
Highlighting how community sport and performance sport can work together to achieve social impact, at the very heart of this project is the Liberton High School community. Scottish Volleyball, Liberton High School and Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club joined forces to bring this project to life and these courts will be used as a tool to achieve wider community outcomes and affect positive change in the Liberton and Gilmerton area. The work will focus on supporting the health and wellbeing of school pupils and local people, but importantly also presenting a platform for skills development, boosting the employability and career prospects of young people at Liberton High School.
Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club have not only invested financially into this build but aim to work closely with the school to create opportunities for their pupils and teachers to engage in sport and physical activity both during school hours and as part of an extra-curricular programme, supported by Active Schools Edinburgh. The club will manage the facility out-with school hours and will work closely with Scottish Volleyball to coordinate a programme of support to achieve the long term aims of the project.
The project was led by Lynne Beattie, Scottish Volleyball Regional Development Officer (East). One of Team Scotland’s first Beach Volleyball athletes at Gold Coast 2018, where she and Mel Coutts took 5th place, Lynne is very excited to see her initial vision finally brought to life:
“I am a big believer in the power of sport to change people’s lives, with its unique ability to create an inclusive environment where people have a purpose and feel connected,” she said. “This build has been a long time in the making, all starting from an informal chat with Liberton PE staff, to the build of a quality community sports facility within a school environment. This is just the beginning, but I am really looking forward to working with the school and the club to bring the plans and vision for the project to life.”
This historic beach volleyball hub will host two full size outdoor beach volleyball courts with an adaptable net/games equipment system to allow for a variety of beach sports, outdoor activities, and educational space. The facility aims to attract people of all ages and abilities, with the potential to host international tournaments and events as well as its potential as a training venue for our Commonwealth Games athletes.
The Sand for Schools facility at Liberton HS, is supported by the British Volleyball Federation and has been made possible by their application to the UK Sport Aspiration Fund. Scottish Volleyball led the social impact element of the application for this purpose and received significant funding which contributed towards the overall costs of the build which totaled £35,000. Support from the City of Edinburgh Council has been key throughout this process with the Sport & Outdoor Learning Unit awarding a grant to Scottish Volleyball from the Sport and Physical Activity fund to support the development of the facility.
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with Badminton Scotland, Scottish Volleyball, Weightlifting Scotland and sportscotland Institute of Sport has confirmed today the sports specific selection standards required for nomination to Team Scotland for the 2022 Commonwealth Games for the sports of Badminton, Beach Volleyball and Weightlifting & Para-Powerlifting. These are in addition to the criteria laid down in the General Selection Policy published in January 2020.
This means ten sports have now agreed the sport specific standards required for athletes to put themselves in the frame for competing at Birmingham 2022.
Badminton competition at Birmingham 2022 will see players compete for medals in Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles and a Team Event. The selection window will run from 1 March 2021 until 5 May 2022 and qualification to Team Scotland will be based on world ranking position or on head to head results against suitably ranked opposition.
Beach Volleyball returns after making its Commonwealth Games debut at Gold Coast 2018, both Scottish pairs finishing 5th. The selection period will be from 1st March 2021 – 31st March 2022 with teams qualifying to the Games as either one of the five top ranked Commonwealth nations (Direct Qualification) or as the winners of a designated regional event (Continental Qualification).
The Birmingham 2022 Weightlifting competition will take place across eight weight categories for men and eight for women, with a maximum entry of one athlete per country in each category. Entry to the Games will be by named athlete invitation from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) based on competition results during the selection period of 1 January 2021 to 14 February 2022.
Para-Powerlifting will feature Heavyweight and Lightweight events for both men and women with up to two competitors per country per event. Invitations will be issued to named athletes by the CGF based on results from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021. As for all other sports, Weightlifting and Powerlifting athletes who receive a CGF invitation must also demonstrate the ability to finish in the top six at the Games, as laid out in the selection policies, to be considered for nomination to Team Scotland.
The overall Team Scotland selection period detailed in the CGS General Selection Policy is 1 March 2021 to 15 May 2022. This policy, along with the detailed selection standards for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in all sports published to date are available to download at: https://www.teamscotland.scot/games/birmingham-2022/team-selection/
The sport specific selection standards for all 19 sports will be published ahead of the selection window opening on 1 March 2021.
Thirteen talented young athletes have started the new year with a boost, with the news that they will be supported by PHM Athlete Awards for 2021.
Impressed by the dedication shown by the athletes through a challenging year, PHM Athlete Award benefactor Paul Morron MBE has extended support to all 13 current recipients for a further 12 months. Delivering the news personally during an online get-together for athletes and Board members from the Team Scotland Youth Trust, which administers the Awards, he spoke of the importance of continuing to support and show belief in young athletes, more so since they have not have many opportunities to compete in the past year.
“I began the Athlete Awards because I wanted to pursue something to help young people to fulfil their potential and I decided on sport,” he said. “It’s not just about the financial grants but it’s about the message of belief and confidence that I actually have in the athletes.
“Given the problems with Covid it’s been a heart wrenching year, it’s been a really, really rough time. So, I thought it might be a good time to give them some good news. I have huge respect for the athletes and the work they’ve done and the way they’ve come through this year. I’m full of admiration for them and I really wish them well in their future careers.”
Amongst those set to benefit are three members of Scotland’s Gold Coast 2018 team: Erin Wallace, who won 1500m gold at the Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games and then competed in Triathlon on the Gold Coast. Kelvin Cham, who won bronze in Gold Coast in the Men’s Gymnastics Team event and fellow gymnast Ellie Russell, part of the women’s team which placed 5th.
European Para-Athletics Championships silver medallist Ross Patterson and aspiring Paralympic Games archer, Cameron Radigan, also receive awards, as do 2018 Youth Olympic Games Badminton competitor Christopher Grimley and 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Alisha Rees who twice broke the Scottish Senior 60m record in 2020, which had stood for 17 years.
Breaking through to senior international level is tough and the costs of training and competition mean athletes can struggle to reach their full potential. Now with the added challenges of closed training facilities and uncertainty around competition schedules, supporting our future stars is more important than ever. Established in 2012, the fund provides awards of up to £1,000 to athletes under the age of 26, to assist with their preparation for significant major events including the Commonwealth Games.
The Team Scotland Youth Trust are delighted to announce support for these young athletes, who will hope to follow in the footsteps of past recipients, many of whom have gone on to win medals on the international stage, including boxer Charlie Flynn, swimmer Craig Benson, badminton player Kirsty Gilmour and track athlete Zoey Clark. In the 9 years since the Awards began, 45 athletes have been supported with over £108,000 of financial aid.
PHM Athlete Awards 2021
Scott Gibson – Swimming
Cameron Radigan – Para-Archery
Alisha Rees – Athletics
Ross Paterson – Para-Athletics
Erin Wallace – Athletics
Christopher Grimley – Badminton
Sam Hickey – Boxing
Sarah Jane Hampson – Fencing
Kelvin Cham – Gymnastics
Ellie Russell – Gymnastics
David Ferguson – Judo
Jack Burns – Rowing
Georgia Adderley – Squash
How to support
If you would like to help us make a difference for more young Scottish athletes, then please contact us to discuss becoming a partner or supporter with a one-off donation or regular giving. Call 01786 466480 or email tsyouthtrust@teamscotland.scot
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) in conjunction with JudoScotland, Bowls Scotland, Scottish Squash and Triathlon Scotland, has confirmed today the sports specific selection standards required for nomination to Team Scotland for the 2022 Commonwealth Games for the sports of Judo, Lawn Bowls, Squash and Triathlon. These are in addition to the criteria laid down in the General Selection Policy published in January 2020.
This means seven sports have now agreed the sport specific standards required for athletes to put themselves in the frame for competing at Birmingham 2022.
In Judo, the competition format for Birmingham 2022 consists of individual events, with the following weight categories:
Men: 60kg; 66Kg; 73Kg; 81Kg; 90Kg; 100Kg; +100Kg
Women: 48kg; 52Kg; 57Kg; 63Kg; 70Kg; 78Kg; +78Kg
A maximum of two competitors per weight category can be entered with a maximum entry of 14 competitors, split seven men and seven women. For Judo the selection period will run from 1st March 2021 – 30th Apr 2022.
Lawn Bowls competition in Birmingham will include Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours events for men and women. A maximum of five male and five female players can be nominated by each country with each player allowed to compete in a maximum of 2 events.
The selection period for Lawn Bowls will begin on 1 March 2021 and close on 1 November 2021 with qualification based on results at specified events during this period including the European Championships in August and World Championships in September.
The selection policy for Para-Lawn Bowls will be published separately at a later date.
The selection window for Squash will commence on 1 March 2021 and run until 10 April 2022 with athletes aiming for qualification in Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles events.
Athletes must achieve a top 25 place in the Professional Squash Association (“PSA”) world rankings to be considered for the Singles events, while qualification for Doubles pairings will be based on a top eight finish at the World Doubles Championships in 2021, results at other designated ‘Official Selection Events’ or on combined PSA world rankings of the two individual players.
Triathlon competition will comprise five separate events at the 2022 Games which are:
- Male Individual Sprint Distance
- Female Individual Sprint Distance
- Team relay event (team comprises of 2 male / 2 female)
- Male Para-triathlon PTVI
- Female Para-triathlon PTVI
For Individual and Relay events the maximum team size is six, made up of three male and three female athletes while for Para-triathlon the maximum team size is four made up of two male and two female athletes.
Athletes will be selected in three phases: in November 2021 where any athlete with two individual top eight placings at a World Triathlon Series race may be nominated, in January 2022 for all Para-triathlon nominations and a final selection in May 2022.
The overall Team Scotland selection period detailed in the CGS General Selection Policy is 1 March 2021 to 15 May 2022. This policy, along with the detailed selection standards for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in all three sports published to date are available to download at: https://www.teamscotland.scot/games/birmingham-2022/team-selection/
The sport specific selection standards for all 19 sports will be published ahead of the selection window opening on 1 March 2021.
Preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are now well underway with recent months seeing several significant announcements from both Team Scotland and the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee.
Team Scotland continues to make significant progress in our own Games preparations with lead General Team Management (GTM) staff recruited and now in place and Sport Team Managers for all 19 sports on the programme now confirmed.
Read more:
Lead Team Scotland Staff for Birmingham 2022 (GTM)
Cricket and Hockey Team Managers Confirmed
Following the publication of the General Selection Policy in January, work is continuing with all sports, preparing sport specific selection standards to publish ahead of the selection window opening on 1 March 2021. To date seven sports (Athletics, Judo, Lawn Bowls, Rugby 7s, Squash, Triathlon and Wrestling) have published selection standards which can be viewed here:
Team Scotland Birmingham 2022 Team Selection
A number of site visits to Birmingham were held, in person in the start of the year and then remotely. At the end of 2020, a virtual site visit between GTM and key Birmingham 2022 staff was held to examine planning preparations. We were reassured that planning is well on track and also examined the mitigations in place as a result of COVID-19 including how the changes in the international sporting schedule in 2020 and 2021 have impacted on Games scheduling.
These included a 24-hour change in start date and the Games will now begin on 28 July 2022, running through to 8 August 2022. The move ensures that Birmingham 2022 will now boast two full weekends of Commonwealth Sport whilst extending the rest and recovery period for athletes competing in the World Athletics Championships and avoiding a potential clash between the Opening Ceremony and the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Football Championships.
Another change was the announcement that athletes and team officials will be housed across three ‘campus’ villages at The University of Birmingham, The University of Warwick, and The NEC Hotel Campus in a move away from a main site Village at Perry Barr.
This new campus model will see 1,600 athletes and officials housed at the NEC Hotel Campus, 1,900 at The University of Warwick, and the principal village with 2,800 at The University of Birmingham. Track cyclists will continue to be based in London for the duration of their competition.
A number of sporting venues have also been revealed with Smithfield, with its impressive cityscape backdrop, unveiled as the chosen location to stage the 3×3 Basketball and Beach Volleyball competitions. Start and finish points for Road Cycling have also been released, with full routes to follow in due course. West Park in Wolverhampton will be the setting for the start and finish of the Time Trial, while the Road Race, will start and finish in St Nicholas Park in Warwick.
In October Birmingham 2022 organisers released the daily schedule, confirming which sports will be held on each of the 11 days of competition. The first day of competition on Friday 29 July is packed with an impressive 14 different sports and the action continues right through to the final day of the Games on Monday 8 August. The Games will finish with a flurry of medals, with Badminton, Diving, Hockey, Squash and Table Tennis all featuring before the Closing Ceremony brings Birmingham 2022 to a close the same evening.
The full medal event programme for the Games, detailing exactly which events will feature in each sport, and a more detailed version of the schedule, to include a session by session breakdown, will be unveiled in the coming months in 2021.
More information and a link to the full sport schedule can be found here:
Daily Sports Schedule Unveiled for Birmingham 2022
Moving into 2021 we look forward to completing the final selection policies and the selection period commencing in earnest with prospective athletes being able to fully access training facilities and competing on the world stage again, including many competing at the rescheduled Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.
For Team Scotland and the Commonwealth Games, 2020 was a year of huge milestones and anniversaries and, while the celebrations were a little different than planned, we have enjoyed looking back on 90 years of shared Games experiences and friendship, with many former athletes sharing their memories.
This year we had looked forward to reconnecting with past team members through a series of reunion events, sharing memories and highlights from our Archives held at the University of Stirling, updating the collection and bringing it to life.
As it became increasingly clear that face to face meetings would be impossible, as with other elements of life in 2020, we moved the celebrations online.
The first part of the year saw Auckland’s two Games in 1950 and 1990 celebrating their 70th and 30th anniversaries respectively. The response on our social channels was fantastic, with many getting in touch to share stories and identify friends, former team mates or family members in photos from our archives.
Look back to our celebration of each of the Auckland Games:
Auckland 1990 Celebrating 30 Years
This summer also marked a very special anniversary for Scotland as the Edinburgh 1970 Games celebrated 50 years in July. Scotland’s first as hosts were also the first metric Games and the first to be known as the ‘Friendly Games’, a tag that has been proudly carried by the Commonwealth Games ever since. Scotland is now one of only three countries to have hosted the Games three times, (Australia and Canada the other two) culminating in what were acknowledged as the ‘best Games ever’ at Glasgow 2014.
A series of highlights clips of the 1970 sporting action and style of the time, as well as interviews with some of the Scottish stars of the Games generated a huge response online with over 1.5 million views and over 100,000 people engaging with our posts. We were delighted to be tagged on Twitter by the official @RoyalFamily account as they joined in the celebrations, as these also marked the first Games that Her Majesty the Queen attended as Head of the Commonwealth.
Catch up with our look back on Edinburgh 1970 here.
If you missed the video clips on our social channels, catch up on our play list here:
In August we marked another milestone, 20 years since the inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games held in Edinburgh in 2000. A concept created in Scotland to celebrate the Millennium, they gave athletes under 18 years of age prior experience before an often daunting international multi-sport Games debut at senior level. The event has proved to be a great success, pre-dating the Youth Olympics, and has grown from 14 countries competing in Edinburgh to now attract entries from all 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth. Unfortunately the pandemic has resulted in the 2021 edition being delayed until 2023.
The Youth Games has been the ideal introduction to multi-sport Games for a host of international stars and we took a look back at the athletes representing Scotland at those first Games and what they went on to do in their senior careers. Catch up here: Commonwealth Youth Games Celebrates 20 Years
August also marked the 90th anniversary of the first ever Commonwealth Games (then Empire Games) held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930. As one of only six nations to have competed in every Games since, we enjoyed celebrating Scotland’s success over those 90 years, as well as the countless experiences shared and friendships made as part of Team Scotland.
Represented by 15 pioneering athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, Scotland won a very creditable 10 medals and have gone on to win medals at every Games since for a total of 453 including 119 gold.
The Games programme has expanded significantly from those first Games to include 19 sports at the next Games in Birmingham in 2022. From women only having the opportunity to compete in five swimming and two diving events at Hamilton 1930, Gold Coast 2018 was the first Games with an equal number of medal events for men and women and Birmingham will soon be the first to have more medal events for women. In 1994 para-sport athletes first attended in separate non-medal events, but from 2002 the programme has fully included para-sport athletes, the only international multi-sport Games to do so.
For 2020 Sporting Heritage Day on 30 September we reflected on the huge changes that have taken place over 90 years of the Commonwealth Games, from equality and inclusion to rules and technology.
Read more here: Sporting Heritage Day 1930-2020
October saw the 10th anniversary of the Delhi 2010 Games. As well as a day by day recap on social media and videos from some of our medallists recalling sporting action and pranking their team mates, our Chief Executive Jon Doig OBE reflected on his first Games as Team Scotland Chef de Mission, with challenges overcome as staff and athletes pulled together to deliver outstanding performances across the team before, and at, the Games.
Look back on his blog here: Delhi 2010, Jon Doig Reflects 10 Years On
As we entered 2020 the athlete focus was very much on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, little did we know that entering 2021 we would still be looking ahead to those Games.
We continue to be truly inspired by the dedication and resolve of Scottish athletes this summer to adapt their training and focus in an ever changing situation. We wish them all the best for the coming year as they continue to work hard to ensure that they are not only selected, but ready to compete with distinction for Team GB and begin to look ahead to Birmingham 2022. The sporting landscape may not yet be back to what we are all used to, but as we enter the coming year we look forward to continuing to be able to celebrate the success of current Scottish athletes, whose way was paved by our stars of the past.
Team Scotland’s preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have received a boost with the announcement of Sport Team Managers for Cricket and Hockey, concluding these appointments across all 19 sports on the programme.
Women’s Cricket makes its Commonwealth Games debut in T20 format at Birmingham 2022 and Sue Strachan, Cricket Scotland’s current Women’s Team Tour Manager will bring a wealth of experience to her role as Team Manager. One of Scottish Women in Sport’s founder members and recently appointed as Cricket Scotland’s first female President, Sue welcomes the inclusion of the women’s game in Birmingham as Scotland set their sights on qualifying for the eight team tournament.
Gus Mackay, CEO at Cricket Scotland said: “We are delighted for Sue that she has been announced as our Team Manager for the Commonwealth Games. Her involvement and dedication to developing the sport in Scotland is inspirational and we look forward to her supporting our women’s national team as both Team Manager and role model.“
Men’s Hockey Team Manager, Amy McLeod brings valuable Commonwealth Games experience from Glasgow 2014 where she was the Hockey Competition Coordinator, supporting planning and delivery of both the pre-Games test event and the Games themselves. Her passion for sport has also seen her in support staff roles for both British Cycling and Scottish Rugby, which will stand her in good stead for the multi-sport environment.
Elsie Walker has been Scottish Hockey Women’s Team Manager since May 2019, a period which has seen the team place 5th at the 2019 FIH Series Finals in Ireland and secure victory on home soil at the EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow. Her appointment as Women’s Hockey Team Manager for Birmingham 2022 will bring continuity and utilise her experience with the National team and from 12 years as manager of Women’s Premier Division side Western Wildcats.
Scottish Hockey Head of Performance Andy Tennant said: “We are delighted to have both Elsie and Amy on board for Birmingham. They both bring excellent knowledge and experience from different environments – and we believe they will complement each other well and help deliver the best possible support to our athletes.”
Welcoming the trio to Team Scotland, Elinor Middlemiss, Team Scotland Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022 said: “The sport team managers for each sport on the Games programme play a vital role, working closely with the General Team Management to create the best possible environment for athletes and staff from each sport to excel at the Games and bringing the sports together as one Team Scotland.
“I’m delighted to welcome three team managers of this calibre to Team Scotland and to have a full complement of Sport Team Managers in place. I look forward to working with them all as we progress towards the Birmingham Games.”
Head of Marketing and Communications
Location: Stirling
Salary: £35,000-£42,000 Dependent upon Experience
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity for the right person to join us in our preparation for Birmingham 2022 and beyond through the 2026 Games cycle. You will play a major role assisting us to deliver a successful Team Scotland, inspiring Scots, particularly young people, to be active and engage in sport in their communities.
The Head of Marketing and Communications is a new senior post that has been created to strengthen the value of the Team Scotland Brand. You will work with colleagues and partners to develop our Marketing strategy. This will be delivered through creative communications and associated campaigns and events along with programmes working with athletes and partners to help inspire our nation through sport. You will also help assist with marketing and fundraising on behalf of the Team Scotland Youth Trust.
Central to our success will be the delivery of a range of campaigns and activities which help support and our showcase our team members and partnerships.
The closing date for this position is Noon on 8th January 2021 with interviews to be held on Thursday 21st January 2021.
A job description and application form can be found on our current vacancies page. Completed applications should be returned to jobs@gravitatehr.co.uk who can also answer any informal enquiries.
We are an equal opportunities organisation and welcome applications from all suitably qualified
persons regardless of their age, sex, gender identity, disability, marital or civil partnership status,
pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation
or age. Further details of the CGS Equality policy can be found on www.teamscotland.scot/about-us/
Programme Administrator
Location: Stirling
Salary: £16,000-£20,000 Dependent on Experience
Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity for the right person to join us in our preparation for Birmingham 2022 and beyond through the 2026 Games cycle. You will play a major role assisting us to deliver a successful Team Scotland, inspiring Scots, particularly young people, to be active and engage in sport in their communities.The successful candidate will provide administration support to assist and support colleagues to deliver our team operations, corporate services and marketing support programmes.
This full-time position will suit either someone with prior administration support experience or a recent graduate looking for their first role.
A job description and application form can be found on our current vacancies page. Completed applications should be returned to jobs@gravitatehr.co.uk who can also answer any informal enquiries.
The closing date for this role is Noon on 8th January 2021 with interviews to be held on 26th January 2021.
We are an equal opportunities organisation and welcome applications from all suitably qualified
persons regardless of their age, sex, gender identity, disability, marital or civil partnership status,
pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation
or age. Further details of the CGS Equality policy can be found on www.teamscotland.scot/about-us/
As Scots around the country celebrate St Andrew’s Day, athletes in three sports aiming for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have further cause for celebration with the announcement of the selection standards required for nomination to Team Scotland.
Athletics, Rugby 7s and Wrestling are the first sports to agree the sport specific standards required for consideration, as Team Scotland aims to build on the momentum of the most recent two Games: the most successful ever overseas Games at Gold Coast 2018, and best ever home Games at Glasgow 2014.
All the sports policies follow the criteria laid down in the CGS General Selection Policy with athletes again being required to demonstrate potential to show a top six performance at the Games, each sport to meet its stated performance aims and for all athletes to have a positive experience at the Games. A further key aim is having a higher percentage of athletes selected who then meet or better the selection standards during the Games competition itself.
Jon Doig, Chief Executive at Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Following the publication of our General Selection Policy, I’m delighted that the Athletics, Rugby 7s and Wrestling selection policies and standards have been published today. We aim to have all sports represented and are making good progress in developing standards for the remaining 16 sports, despite what has been an extremely difficult year for all. Having standards in place as early as possible means athletes aspiring to a place on the team and their coaches can target their preparation in the knowledge of exactly what is required to be selected.”
The Athletics selection window will open on 1 March 2021, closing on 15 June 2022 as an extension to the general selection period. Athletes will be required to achieve one selection standard within this time frame. Given the exceptional nature of the marathon, the selection period will run from 1 January 2021 to 28 February 2022, while for Para-Sport events the qualification window will be 31 December 2020 to 31 December 2021.
In accordance with the Commonwealth Games Federation’s quota system, Scottish Athletics has been allocated a maximum of 23 places by Team Scotland to include relay athletes but excluding Para-Sport events, which follow a separate allocation. Athletes will be selected in three phases: in September 2021 where any athlete with a top 12 placing at the Tokyo Olympic Games may be nominated, in March 2022 (marathon only) and a final selection in June 2022.
“It’s always an exciting moment when we’re able to publish the Selection Policy for a Commonwealth Games and now we can show athletes and coaches the path to Birmingham,” said Stephen Maguire, Director of Performance and Coaching with Scottish Athletics.
“We’ve put in a lot of work on this over the past few months and there’s a great detail in the document, as ever.
“Medal potential and top six placing is right at the top of the list in terms of the goals for Team Scotland and I think we’ve a pretty big number of Scottish athletes who can realistically be thinking that way about the Commonwealths.
“Competition for 23 places will be very intense – there is no doubt about that. But I think we want to see that because that will help drive better performances and raise the bar further. Gold Coast 2018 medal success followed on from Glasgow 2014 and I firmly believe the prospects for 2022 are very bright.”
Selection for both Men’s and Women’s Rugby 7s teams will be subject to CGS receiving an invite to the tournament, which will feature 16 Men’s teams and eight Women’s teams. England as the Home Nation is eligible to enter one Men’s and one Women’s team, therefore the remaining top 15 Commonwealth Nations for Men based on World Rugby Ranking and the top 7 for Women’s through the World Rugby Women’s Qualification Process will receive an invite.
In addition, the Men’s team must show a ranking of top ten or above of the Commonwealth countries competing at Birmingham 2022, at the end of April 2022, as evidence of potential for a top six finish at the Games.
Stephen Gemmell, Technical Director with Scottish Rugby said: “It’s been a challenging year for everyone, so with the publication of this policy, it’s nice to be able to give our athletes and players something look forward to in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The first priority will be to get both teams qualified and for all players aspiring to the Games to know exactly what they have to do to be selected to Team Scotland.”
The selection window for Wrestling runs from 1 March 2021 to 15 April 2022 and, if standards are met, will see a minimum of two athletes join Team Scotland for Birmingham 2022. Selection will be based on medal performances at British Senior, Scottish Open and English Open Championships, as well as top six results at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships and other agreed international competition falling within the selection window.
Welcoming the official announcement of the Wrestling selection policy and standard, Vlad Gladkov, Scottish Wrestling Head Coach said: “The Wrestling family in Scotland is absolutely delighted to be part of Team Scotland at the upcoming UK based Games. This will be an amazing lifetime experience for our athletes and support staff.
“I am very pleased to say that Scottish Wrestling and Commonwealth Games Scotland have been working hard together to ensure that the wrestling selection policy is communicated well in advance. This will help athletes plan and ensure a preparation at the highest standard. Due to COVID 19 this an unprecedented time for sports, especially contact sports like wrestling. Nevertheless, I truly believe in our dedicated athletes and their great potential.”
The overall Team Scotland selection period detailed in the CGS General Selection Policy is 1 March 2021 to 15 May 2022. This policy, along with the detailed selection standards for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in all three sports published to date are available to download at: https://www.teamscotland.scot/games/birmingham-2022/team-selection/
The sport specific selection standards for all 19 sports will be published ahead of the selection window opening on 1 March 2021.