Fresh from success at the Commonwealth Championships in South Africa, Scotland’s wrestlers are in the spotlight this week as our featured sport in the run up to Gold Coast 2018. With Team Scotland places still up for grabs, every result counts before the selection period closes on 14 February.
Our Sport Focus Series features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.
Wrestling at the Commonwealth Games
Wrestling was one of the six sports included in the first Commonwealth Games in 1930 and while Scotland fielded no wrestlers that year, we didn’t have to wait too long for success. While Edward Melrose remains Scotland’s only Commonwealth Games Wrestling gold medallist to date, with victory in 1934, Glasgow 2014 saw a real return to form for Scottish wrestling as Vio Etko and Alex Gladkov each took bronze medals. They were the first medallists in the sport since Olympians Graeme English and Calum McNeil won bronze meals at the 1994 Games and took Scotland to 9th on the All-Time Commonwealth Games Wrestling medal table.
Women’s Wrestling was first included at the Delhi 2010 Games and with Scotland sending a full compliment of female wrestlers to both Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014.
Find out more about Wrestling in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Wrestling page.
Team Scotland 2018
Building on the back of the medal success of Glasgow 2014, Scotland’s wrestlers will once again be pushing for the podium in Gold Coast. Glasgow medallists Vio Etko and Alex Gladkov could make a return to Team Scotland for a second Games and 18 year old Ross Connelly, bronze medal winner at the Commonwealth Championships this month, is one of several young athletes looking to make their mark.
A total of 96 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in Athletics, Boxing, Beach Volleyball, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Triathlon and Weightlifting.
Further selections, including the final selection of the Wrestling team, will take place in February 2018.
Show Your Support!
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!
Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.
Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.
Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.
In the Sport Focus spotlight this week is Rugby 7s, as Scotland kicked off their World Series campaign in Dubai over the weekend and will be back on the field this coming weekend (9-10 Dec) at the second Series event in Cape Town. All eyes will be on the Robina Stadium on 13-15 April 2018 as Team Scotland aim for their first ever team sport medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Our Sport Focus Series features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.
Rugby 7s at the Commonwealth Games
Rugby 7s made its Commonwealth Games debut at Kuala Lumpur 1998 but it was four years later in Manchester that Scotland took to the field for the first time. Now one of the 10 core sports which must be included at every Games, Rugby 7s is a hugely popular addition to the sports programme with a record 171,000 spectators flocking to watch the action live at Glasgow 2014.
Women’s Rugby 7s will be included at the Commonwealth Games for the first time at Gold Coast 2018.
Find out more about Rugby 7s in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Rugby 7s page.
Team Scotland 2018
Team Scotland Rugby 7s are set to make their fifth Games appearance, having been confirmed as one of the 16 teams awarded a place in the Men’s competition at Gold Coast 2018. With a strong 2016/17 World Series season behind them, including a spectacular win at the season finale in London, they will be looking to improve on their 7th place finish from Glasgow 2014 and push for what would be Team Scotland’s first ever medal in a team sport.
A total of 68 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Triathlon and Weightlifting.
Further selections, including the final selection of Rugby 7s players, will take place in February 2018.
Show Your Support!
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!
Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.
Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.
Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.
Consistently in the medals in recent years, Team Scotland has a proud history in Badminton at the Commonwealth Games. To round off our Sport Focus, here are 12 things you might not know about Badminton:
- Badminton is a core sport at the Commonwealth Games and must be included every time the Games are held.
- Badminton is the second most popular participation sport in the world after football.
- The sport made its Commonwealth Games debut at Kingston in 1966.
- Scotland have won nine Games medals in Badminton – one gold, two silver and six bronze.
- Scotland have won medals in Badminton at four out of the last five Games, the exception being Delhi 2010. Elinor Middlemiss & Sandra Watt took Women’s Doubles bronze in 1998, there was a Mixed Team bronze in 2002, Susan Hughes reached the Women’s Singles podium with bronze in 2006 and there was double success at Glasgow 2014 as Kirsty Gilmour took Women’s Singles silver and Robert Blair & Imogen Bankier took Mixed Doubles bronze.
- Scotland’s only gold in Badminton to date came at the 1986 Games in Edinburgh where Billy Gilliland and Dan Travers won the Men’s Doubles.
- England and Malaysia have dominated the Team Event at the Commonwealth Games, winning all 10 events held between them.
- A shuttlecock is make from cork, leather and 16 goose feathers. The best shuttlecocks are made with feathers from the left wing!
- Badminton is the fastest racket sport with the shuttlecock reaching speeds of over 200mph.
- Badminton was originally known as “Battledore & Shuttlecock”
- The name Badminton comes from the place of the birth of the British game – at the country estate of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire in 1873.
- On 26 November 2017 Kirsty Gilmour became the first Scottish woman to take victory at the Scottish Open since Susan Eglestaff (nee Hughes) in 2009. She took the title 23-21 21-12 over Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark!
Badminton picks up the baton from Squash and Aquatics as the third Gold Coast 2018 sport to feature in the Team Scotland Sport Focus series. All eyes will be on Glasgow’s Emirates Arena from 22-26 November for the Scottish Open Grand Prix as top class international badminton returns to the venue of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and recent World Championships.
Keep an eye on our website and social media channels over the coming week as we follow all the Grand Prix action and highlight Badminton as part of our countdown to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in April.
Our Sport Focus Series features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.
Badminton at the Commonwealth Games
Scotland has won nine Badminton medals since the sport made its Commonwealth Games debut in 1966, including gold for Men’s Doubles pair Billy Gilliland and Dan Travers at Edinburgh 1986 and Kirsty Gilmour securing Scotland’s best Singles result with silver at Glasgow 2014.
Badminton is a core sport in the Commonwealth Games, meaning it must be included on the sports programme, and will make its 14th Games appearance at Gold Coast 2018.
Find out more about Badminton in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Badminton page.
Team Scotland 2018
Badminton will be looking to maintain their strong record in Gold Coast, having taken medals at four of the last five Games. The Badminton competition will take place in the newly constructed Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre with a spectator capacity of 2,500.
Thirty three athletes have been named to Team Scotland 2018 to date, with selections announced in Aquatics, Lawn Bowls and Squash. Badminton selections will be made in February 2018 with final selections for all sports announced by 1 March.
View the full Gold Coast 2018 team.
Show Your Support!
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!
Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.
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Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.
Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.
Team Scotland has a proud history in Aquatics at the Commonwealth Games with our swimmers and divers winning medals at every Games with the exception of 1978 and 1990. To round off our Sport Focus, here are 12 things you might not know about Aquatics at the Commonwealth Games:
1. Aquatics is Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games sport with an all-time medal total of 83 ahead of Athletics on 70 and Boxing on 63. This places Scotland 5th on the all-time Commonwealth Games Aquatics medal table behind Australia, Canada, England and South Africa.
2. Australia have topped the Swimming medal table at the Commonwealth Games on all but four occasions, the most recent being 1978 when Games hosts Canada came out on top.
3. Swimming is a core sport in the Commonwealth Games, meaning it must be included on the sports programme, while Diving, Synchronised Swimming and Open Water Swimming are optional sports. Despite Diving being an optional sport, it has been included, along with Swimming, at every Games since they began in 1930.
4. Peter Heatly is Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete in Aquatics with three gold, one silver and one bronze in Diving, won between 1950 and 1958.
5. Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games swimmer is David Carry with two gold, two silver and one bronze won at the Melbourne 2006 and Delhi 2010 Games. Hannah Miley is Scotland’s top female swimmer with two gold and a bronze. She will go for a third successive gold in the 400m Individual Medley at Gold Coast 2018.
6. Aquatics can claim Team Scotland’s youngest ever Commonwealth Games medallist with 13 year old Erraid Davies taking bronze in the Para-Sport SB9 100m Breaststroke at Glasgow 2014.
7. Synchronised Swimming has been included in the Commonwealth Games on seven occasions with Canada the top nation, winning all 15 gold medals contested. Scotland’s Lauren Smith won bronze at Delhi 2010 in the solo event.
8. 18 year old Scott McLay became Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Youth Games athlete in history, winning three gold, one silver and one bronze at Bahamas 2017. He has made an immediate step up into the senior team and will represent Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018.
9. Swimming and Diving at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will take place at the Gold Coast Aquatics Centre which has been redeveloped for the Games with a new 50m, 10 lane pool for competition. The original 50m pool will become the warm up pool in Games mode.
10. Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool is the only venue ever to be used at three Commonwealth Games (1970, 1986 and 2014). It also hosted the Swimming events at the 2000 Commonwealth Youth Games.
11. At Sydney 1938, English swimmer John G Davies won the 220 yards Breaststroke event and broke the existing record by using what was later to become known as the Butterfly stroke. At the time it was merely regarded as a legitimate variation of the Breaststroke with the result that the record established by Davies was to stand until 1958.
12. The Edinburgh 1970 Games were the first to be measured in metres rather than yards. David Wilkie was Scotland’s only Aquatics medallist with bronze in the 200m Breaststroke.
Find out more about the sport in the Commonwealth Games on our dedicated Aquatics page and look out for our next sport focus as we profile each of the sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme.
Swimmers set to represent Team Scotland at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games were out in force at the British Universities and Colleges Short Course Swimming Championships, held from 10-12 November. World and Olympic medallist Duncan Scott was the stand out performer, swimming to an impressive six gold and one silver, as the Scottish contingent shone in Sheffield.
In his first competitive outing since the summer, Scott stepped out of his comfort zone in his first event of the Championship to take gold in the 1500m Freestyle. He went on to add further individual titles in the 200m and 400m Freestyle and 200m Butterfly, taking silver in the 100m Butterfly. He added a further two gold in the relays within strong University of Stirling teams which included double Olympian Craig Benson and multiple Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Scott McLay.
Benson scored his own individual success with gold in both the 100m and 200m Breaststroke but had to settle for silver in the 50m event behind young University of Stirling team mate Zak Aitchison. Rio 2016 Paralympic medallist Andy Mullen was in record breaking form, setting new European bests in the S5 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly
Also in fine form was Edinburgh University’s Lucy Hope who erased Alison Sheppard’s long standing Scottish record over the 100m Freestyle. Hope stunned the crowd by touching ahead of pre-race favourite Anna Hopkin of Bath University in a new Scottish Senior and British Universities record. She added a second gold in the 50m Backstroke, also in a British Universities record, and took silver in both the 100m Backstroke and 200m Freestyle. There was also gold for Edinburgh in the 4x200m Freestyle relay as Hope was joined by double individual gold medallist and Welsh record holder Kathryn Greenslade, Team Scotland 2015 Youth Games medallist Tain Bruce and Evie Edwards.
Recently selected for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Corrie Scott and Kathleen Dawson were both triple medallists, Scott taking a silver and two bronze in the Breaststroke events and Dawson gold in the 100m Backstroke and silver in both 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly.
Other Scottish swimmers on the podium, who will be heading to Gold Coast next April, included Craig McNally, Jack Thorpe and 2015 Youth Games flagbearer Craig McLean.
In a hugely successful championship, University of Stirling finished in second place overall, with University of Edinburgh in third. The overall title was taken by defending champions Loughborough University.
Scottish swimmers will be back in action at the Scottish Short Course Championships, the final event in the Team Scotland Series, on 9-11 December at Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool.
While World Doubles medallists Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban are celebrating their selection to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018, and aiming for a podium place next April, the next generation of Scottish Squash stars are waiting in the wings.
Step forward Georgia Adderley – at just 16 years of age the Scottish Senior National Champion and most recently, British Junior Champion. All the more remarkable given that, until May of this year, she was splitting her time between Squash and playing age-group football for Scotland.
Having made the decision five months ago to concentrate fully on her Squash, Georgia is already seeing the benefits as she aims for her ultimate ambition – a place on Team Scotland at a future Commonwealth Games.
“It was a really, really difficult decision, but one that I’m really glad I made,” she says. “Whichever way I decided, I knew that I had to focus on that sport and try to make a future out of it and I’m really seeing the benefits now. I’m able to train a lot more, recover better and I’m just able to put more time and energy into one thing. I’m able to have more coach one-to-one time and I’ve also been able to be a bit more relaxed and chilled going into events because I’ve felt like I’ve prepared a bit better. It’s all really encouraging.”
In a year of change, Georgia also took the decision to move from school to college, to give her even more time to dedicate to her sport and the inevitable travel that comes with top level competition.
“I was missing a lot of school last year which meant I had to do a lot of catching up. This year when I’m away I’m not missing too much, one or two college classes, which is a lot better than three or four days of school. It gives me more time to come back and recover, instead of rushing off to the next thing. That was quite tough last year, as much as I loved it.”
There is a fair amount of travel planned in the next few months with the US Junior Open in New Haven, Connecticut at the start of next month, followed by the British Junior Open in January, her last event in the Under 17 age-group. She’ll then be back to her favourite type of event, competing for Scotland, with representative matches, including the European Senior Championships, on the cards through March, April and May.
“Representing your country is the best part,” she says. “It’s not about winning for yourself, it’s about winning for the team and certainly I’ve found that, when you win for your country, it feels so much better because you’ve got people around you, supporting you a lot more. That’s why the Commonwealth Games is such a big, big target.
“Watching the Games in Glasgow was amazing, going along to watch the Squash and supporting the team. Team Scotland is just fantastic and to compete alongside some of the best athletes in the world looks amazing. It’s a big dream to compete and to win a medal for Team Scotland at a future Games.
As Scotland’s first British Junior Champion in almost 25 years, could she make an appearance at Gold Coast 2018?
“It would mean the world to be part of Team Scotland and it’s been a goal since I first started playing for Scotland, but I’m still very young for Gold Coast. I’ll take it one day at a time and see what happens. Squash players peak later in their career and you can improve so much in just a few months. 2022, with four or five years more training, is probably more realistic so I’ll just keep training hard and see where it takes me.”
With Scotland’s top players regularly training together, Georgia doesn’t have far to look for inspiration in pursuit of her goals.
“It’s so great to see the likes of Greg and Alan doing so well in the World Doubles and looking to see if they can take medals in Gold Coast. It’s inspiring to be in the gym or on court with them, just watching the way they play and train. That’s such a great thing about the way we are in Scotland because you’ve got this amazing environment and it means that young players like myself can be right next to some of the best players in the world. It makes you want to get so much better so much quicker, because you’re aspiring to be where they are.”