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:

1. Badminton is a core sport at the Commonwealth Games and must be included every time the Games are held.

2. Badminton is the second most popular participation sport in the world after football.

3. The sport made its Commonwealth Games debut at Kingston in 1966.

4. Scotland have won ten Commonwealth Games medals in Badminton – one gold, two silver and seven bronze.

5. Scotland have won medals in Badminton at five out of the last six 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 Robert Blair & Imogen Bankier took Mixed Doubles bronze and Kirsty Gilmour took Women’s Singles silver before going on to take bronze at Gold Coast 2018.

6. 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.

7. England and Malaysia’s domination of the Team Event at the Commonwealth Games was ended by India at Gold Coast 2018. The two nations had won all 10 events previously held between them, but in 2018 India beat Malaysia 3-1 in the final to win gold.

8. A shuttlecock is make from cork, leather and 16 goose feathers. The best shuttlecocks are made with feathers from the left wing!

9. Badminton is the fastest racket sport with the shuttlecock reaching speeds of over 200mph.

10. Badminton was originally known as “Battledore & Shuttlecock”

11. 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.

12. On 24 November 2019 Alex Dunn and Adam Hall became the first Scottish pair to win the Men’s Doubles title at the Scottish Open for 36 years. Billy Gilliland and Dan Travers, the last Scots to hold the trophy aloft back in 1983, went on to become Scotland’s only Commonwealth Games Badminton gold medallists to date.

Adam Hall and Alex Dunn made history as they became the first Scots to win the Scottish Open Men’s Doubles for 36 years on a thrilling final day at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

Billy Gilliland and Dan Travers, the last Scots to hold the trophy aloft back in 1983, would go on to become Scotland’s only Commonwealth Games Badminton gold medallists to date as they emulated their victory three years later at Games of Edinburgh 1986.

Hall and Dunn were roared on by a raucous home crowd, easing past Danish pair Jeppe Bay and Mikkel Mikkelsen 21-10 21-17 to cap off a memorable week on home soil.

For Hall, who lost in the final here three years ago alongside former partner Peter Mills, the victory was particularly special and put the memories of missing out in that incredibly close 2016 final behind him.

“Part of me was really worried that the 2016 final was going to be my one chance to win here, so the fact I’ve come back and finally won it has really put that to bed,” the 23-year-old said. I feel like I can maybe, finally watch that 2016 final back now knowing that I’ve got the win! I don’t think you can really put into words how it feels – it’s absolutely unbelievable.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I first started coming here, and to actually finally do it gave me goosebumps out there. The crowd was amazing – they really do give us a real lift, especially when the points are getting a bit tight, so when we win one we get a really big boost when they’re screaming and shouting. They really make a difference, and when it got tight in that second set we knew they were behind us.”

Dunn, 21, added: “I guess being the first Scots to win here for 36 years does make it more special. We’ve been capable of winning this for a long time and to actually do it is really, really good. I think focus and being clinical have been important for us – it’s not been an easy road and the final was probably one of our best performances.

“I loved the atmosphere and it gave me goosebumps – my girlfriend was here again today, and that makes it even more special having friends and family here watching when we get the victory. We need to continue this forward in our next tournaments and then we can do really well.”

Hall and Dunn’s heroics were complemented by a strong Scottish showing across the doubles events. Hall himself also reached the semi-finals of the Mixed Doubles with Jullie MacPherson, the pair losing out on a final place to eventual winners Christiansen and Boje from Denmark. Christopher and Matthew Grimley were semi-finalists in the Men’s Doubles, while in the Women’s Doubles Julie MacPherson and Ciara Torrence missed out on a semi-final sport by the smallest of margins in an incredibly tight game with Swedish second seeds Karlsson and Magnusson.

It was a Scottish Open to remember for the home crowd and one that Adam Hall and Alex Dunn certainly won’t forget!

Featuring at every Commonwealth Games since it was first included in 1966, Badminton is next up in our ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’ Sport Focus, which features all 25 sports in which Scotland has competed at the Commonwealth Games.

With the Scottish Open underway in Glasgow, where Gold Coast 2018 Mixed Doubles pairing Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson are off to a winning start and into round two, as are up-and-coming pair Alex Dunn and Ciara Torrence who toppled the fifth seeded New Zealanders to the delight of the home crowd. Men’s Doubles pair Alastair Campbell and Callum Smith were also winners on the opening day as they took an incredibly close match against  over Wales’ Tsung Fong Mo and Victor Pang. With the quialifying match finishing 22-20, 19-21, 21-17 in the Scots’ favour, Campbell and Smith will take their place in the first round today.

Look out for everything Badminton related on our website and social media channels in the coming weeks as we follow all the action from the Scottish Open as well as looking back at Commonwealth Games success for Scotland’s players from Mixed Doubles bronze at those first Games to Kirsty Gilmour winning her second Singles medal at Gold Coast 2018. We also look ahead to the rising stars targeting Birmingham 2022.

Badminton at the Commonwealth Games

Badminton was first included at the Commonwealth Games of 1966 in Kingston, Jamaica where Scotland were straight off the mark with Mixed Doubles bronze for Muriel Ferguson and Robert McCoig. McCoig also made it to the Singles semi-finals, losing out to eventual gold medallist Tan Aik Huang of Malaysia and just missing out on a medal as Dinesh Khanna of India proved too strong in the bronze play-off. Malaysia and England dominated in 1966, winning all five gold medals on offer between them, as well as four of the five silver medals. Both nations have remained forces to be reckoned with and top the all-time medal table in the sport.

The home Games of 1970 and the following Games of 1974 saw no medal success for Scotland, the best result a Men’s Doubles 4th place for Fraser Gow and Robert McCoig in 1974, going one game up in the bronze medal match but unable to hold on. At Edmonton 1978 however, Scotland were back on the rostrum courtesy of Mixed Doubles pair Joanna Flockhart and Billy Gilliland who took silver, beaten only by World Championship medallists Mike Tredgett and Nora Parry in the final.

While the home Games of 1970 had yielded no medals, it was a different story as the Games returned to Edinburgh in 1986. Billy Gilliland followed his silver from 1978 with gold in the Men’s Doubles alongside Dan Travers (still Scotland’s only Badminton gold to date) and bronze in the Mixed Doubles with Christine Heatly.

Scotland were back on the badminton podium at Kuala Lumpur 1998 as Elinor Middlemiss and Sandra Watt took Women’s Doubles bronze. Both were also part of the bronze medal winning Mixed Team four years later at Manchester 2002. Another member of that team, Susan Hughes, went on to win Scotland’s first Commonwealth Games Singles medal at Melbourne 2006 with bronze.

Back on home soil at Glasgow 2014, Badminton added to Team Scotland’s record medal tally through Mixed Doubles bronze for Imogen Bankier and Robert Blair as well as Women’s Singles silver for Kirsty Gilmour. Gilmour was back on the podium at Gold Coast 2018, this time winning bronze by defeating Canadian Michelle Li who had beaten her to gold in Glasgow.

Find out more about Badminton in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Badminton page.

Team Scotland Badminton Medallists

Click here for full details of Team Scotland’s Badminton medallists

Youth Games Success

Badminton has made three Commonwealth Youth Games appearances, the first at Bendigo 2004 followed by Pune 2008 and Isle of Man 2011 and has one of the best records of any sport in athletes progressing onto senior Commonwealth Games. Of the 14 players selected for Team Scotland at a Youth Games, seven have gone on to senior Commonwealth Games, with two athletes – Imogen Bankier and Kirsty Gilmour – winning medals.

Team Scotland have won two Youth Games Badminton medals to date, Martin Campbell Scotland’s first Youth Games Badminton medallist with bronze in the Men’s Singles at Pune 2008 before going on to represent Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018. Kirsty Gilmour followed suit in 2011, winning Women’s Singles bronze and remains the only Scottish badminton player to date to win medals at both Youth Games and Commonwealth Games.

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 and went on to record their highest overseas medal tally ever at Gold Coast 2018.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

With Judo set to return to the Commonwealth Games stage at Birmingham 2022 for the first time since the record-breaking success of Glasgow 2014, Scotland’s rising stars of the sport are hard at work in hope of emulating their home Games heroes.

One athlete with Birmingham firmly in his sights is 24 year old Aiden Moffat, making his mark in 2019 with gold at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in Walsall, just eight miles from the home of the 2022 Games. He took victory in the 73kg event, defeating India’s Nilesh Balhara, the 2018 gold medallist at 66kg, in the final.

“Fighting at an event like the Commonwealth Judo Championships was the highlight of my year,” said Aiden. “I love to represent Scotland and to go to a competition of that standard, with opposition of that level and come away with a gold standard performance, it makes all the training five days a week worthwhile.

“To stand on the top of the podium with our flag raised, singing our national anthem was just a surreal moment! I felt a real sense of pride and achievement. Also receiving the exposure and experience at that level will hopefully gear me up in the right direction towards Birmingham 2022.”

Since October last year, Aiden has been one of 18 rising stars across 11 different sports receiving the Team Scotland Youth Trust’s PHM Athlete Award, which supports athletes under the age of 26 in reaching their sporting ambitions. With a long commute each day to attend training sessions at Judo Scotland’s National Training Centre in Edinburgh, he says the support he has received has made a big difference.

“I have been using the funding I’ve received to pay for my commute to training from Perth to Edinburgh five days a week and to help with competitions and camps abroad which enable me to get the best level of training and exposure to elite level competition.

“Financially it has taken a huge amount of stress and worry off my day to day life. I don’t have to worry about having enough money to be able to afford my commute, meaning that I don’t miss any valuable training sessions. It’s allowing me to get better and keep improving, and it feels like someone is helping me along my journey to take another step up the ladder towards success.”

As the miles of round trips build up, his dedication is paying off. A competitor for Team GB at the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2011 and European Cup medallist at Cadet and Junior level, Aiden is now building on that early promise in the senior ranks. He recorded his best performance as a senior with 9th place at the European Cup in Malaga last month, as well as that gold medal win at the Commonwealth Championships. With Birmingham 2022 on the horizon and Scottish judokas’ past successes to inspire him, he’s determined to push on to the next level.

“Over the next year my goal is to maintain my position as number one in Scotland in my weight category and try to take the number one ranking position for Great Britain. I’d also like to put in some successful performances internationally.

“Birmingham 2022 is a huge opportunity for us to maintain our legacy and record as a stronghold for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games and to inspire our high performing judo athletes to continue medalling for Scotland. My dream would be to attend the Olympic Games and to have finished my career with a Commonwealth Games title to my name.”

Team Scotland’s most successful sport at each of the three Commonwealth Games it has been included, Judo is next up in our ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’ Sport Focus, which features all 25 sports in which Scotland has competed at the Commonwealth Games.

Look out for everything Judo related on our website and social media channels in the coming weeks as we follow Scotland’s judoka from their first appearance in 1990, to their incredible 13 medal haul at Glasgow 2014 and look ahead to the sport’s return to the Games for Birmingham 2022.

Judo at the Commonwealth Games

Following the Commonwealth Judo Championships being held as a demonstration event at the Edinburgh 1986 Commonwealth Games, Judo was first included as a medal sport at Auckland 1990. Judo has been a success story for Team Scotland ever since, racking up an impressive 31 medals: 8 gold, 8 silver and 15 bronze over just three Games appearances. The sport was next included at Manchester 2002, followed by Glasgow 2014 and will make its fourth appearance at Birmingham 2022.

Scottish judoka celebrated their first chance of Commonwealth Games glory at Auckland 1990 by becoming Scotland’s top sport of the Games with eight medals: one gold, three silver and four bronze.  Twelve years later they repeated the feat, this time winning ten medals: one gold, three silver and six bronze. Their crowing glory to date came at Glasgow 2014 where they delighted the home crowd with an incredible 13 medals from 14 athletes: six gold, two silver and five bronze, once again Team Scotland’s most successful sport at what was a record breaking Games all round.

With twelve year gaps between the three Games that have included Judo to date, there are only two Scottish judoka with more than one Commonwealth Games medal to their name. The title of Scotland’s most successful judoka at the Commonwealth Games belongs to Sarah Clark who won silver at Manchester 2002 and went one better for gold at Glasgow 2014. The only other athlete with two Judo medals is Graham Campbell who took bronze in both Men’s 95kg and Open events at Auckland 1990.

Find out more about Judo in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Judo page.

Scotland’s Commonwealth Champions

Scotland were straight off the mark in the gold medal stakes at Judo’s first Games appearance at Auckland 1990 as former World and European champion Loretta Cusack took victory in the Women’s 56kg event. Among Scotland’s six other medallists at those Games was her husband Billy with bronze in the men’s 71kg event and the Cusack family were back in the medals as part of Scotland’s ten medal haul at Manchester 2002 as Karen, sister of Billy, hit the podium with Women’s 52kg bronze. In another family affair, twins Donna and Fiona Robertson each took bronze in the Women’s 48kg event twelve years apart – Donna in 1990 and Fiona in 2002. Both would go on the represent Team Scotland in a further two Commonwealth Games after a change of sport to Wrestling.

World Champion in 1999 and a two-time Olympian, Graeme Randall was the star of Scotland’s Manchester 2002 Judo squad as he crowned a glittering career with gold in the 81kg event. Following a neck injury just six months before the Games his participation had been in doubt and the emotion was apparent after he threw England’s Tom Cousins for a match-winning ippon to clinch gold.

After just one gold medallist at Auckland 1990 and Manchester 2002, Judo pulled out all the stops for the home Games of Glasgow 2014 with six Commonwealth Champions among their 13 medallists. On the opening night Kimberley Renicks assured her place in the history books, winning Scotland’s first gold of the Games and the first of an emotional double-gold for the Renicks sisters, as Louise replicated her sister’s gold medal winning feat just minutes later. The gold medals continued rolling in with Sarah Clark winning gold for her second Commonwealth Games medal 12 years after silver in Manchester.

It was then the turn of Team Scotland flag bearer, Euan Burton, who took to the mat determined to make up at least in part, for his London 2012 disappointment. Despite fighting up a weight category, he fought supremely to win gold in his final competitive match and bring the curtain down on an incredible sporting career. As if this this wasn’t enough for the crowd they cheered both Sarah Adlington and Chris Sherrington on to victory, to conclude an incredible week for Scottish Judo.

Team Scotland Judo Gold Medallists

Click here for a full list of Team Scotland’s Judo medallists

Youth Games Success

Judo made its Youth Games debut at Bahamas 2017 with Scotland represented by six young athletes. Before the evening’s Opening Ceremony had even begun, the team had claimed four medals with Emily Ritchie getting the team off the mark, going undefeated through three contests to claim Over 70kg gold, Scotland’s first of the Games and a first for Judo at a Youth Games.

The medals kept on coming in the second session with Fiona Todman at Under 48kg and Emma Forrest in the Under 57kg category both earning their place in the final and picking up silver. In the Men’s Under 90kg event, Louis Saez started his competition with a close defeat but showed real grit and determination to bounce back in his next bout. A record of two wins and two losses in his pool was enough to ensure he took home bronze for Scotland. Connor Wilson and Ryan Quigley both faced tough opposition in their draw with both narrowly missing out on medals. Both battled hard throughout the day and made sure they did themselves and Team Scotland proud.

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 and went on to record their highest overseas medal tally ever at Gold Coast 2018.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

Scotland’s second most successful Commonwealth Games sport, with 75 medals won, Athletics has been a core sport on the Games programme since they began in 1930.  From the highest number of medals won to record performances and historic firsts, here are just some of the highlights from almost 90 years years of Team Scotland medal success.

Edinburgh 1970 – Golden Quartet on Home Soil

Rosemary Stirling, Ian Stewart, Lachie Stewart and Rosemary Payne struck gold in front of a home crowd at Meadowbank Stadium for four athletics victories, a gold medal tally that has never been matched. Stirling won 800m gold with a beautifully timed sprint finish, just three hundredths of a second ahead of England’s Pat Lowe and less than a tenth ahead of bronze medallist Cheryl Peasley of Australia. Ian Stewart led home a Scottish one-two in the 5,000m as Ian McCafferty took silver after an incredible final lap which saw the two Scots leave Kenya’s Kip Keino in their wake in the closing stages. Scotland’s golden quartet was completed by Rosemary Payne in the Discus, her husband, Howard, making it a family double with Hammer gold for England.

Jim Alder, having won gold and bronze four years earlier in Kingston, completed his set of Commonwealth Games medals with silver in the Marathon and the medal tally was rounded out by bronze medals for Moira Walls in the High Jump and for Bill Sutherland in the 20 Miles Walk. This was the first Games ever to be measured in metric rather than imperial units. Several records were broken including a world record for Jamaica’s Marilyn Neufville as she won 400m gold in 51.02.

London 1934 – First Female Medallists Add to Ten-Medal Tally

A highlight of the 1934 Games was the inclusion of events for women in athletics, with careful consideration given not to include events that were considered ‘too exhaustive’. The running events were restricted to the short sprints and shortened relays instead of the 4 x 440 yard relay as per the men’s programme. Events on the field were high jump, long jump and javelin. Nevertheless this was a breakthrough for women in sport that would one day lead to full recognition and programming for women’s athletics on the international stage.

Cathie Jackson, Joan Cunningham, Margaret Mackenzie & Sheena Dobbie capitalised, winning Scotland’s first women’s athletics medal with bronze in the 660 yards Relay. Frank Hunter’s 440yds Hurdles gold led a 10 medal tally for the Scots – the best ever athletics total, and not tied until Brisbane 1982. Donald Robertson and Duncan Wright won Marathon silver and bronze respectively and there was a string of bronze medals for Ian Young (100 yards), John Mitchie (High Jump), William Mackenzie (Hammer), James Stothard (880 yards) and both men’s 4 x 110 yards and 4 x 440 yards Relay teams.

Brisbane 1982 – Wells’ Golden Double Leads Top Tally

Athletics led the Scottish medal charge in Brisbane with a record-equalling 10 medals including three gold courtesy of a sprint double from Allan Wells and victory in the Women’s Discus for Meg Ritchie. Reigning Commonwealth and Olympic champion, Wells continued his dominance, his win in the 100m seeing him nearly dip under the 10 second barrier followed by a dead heat in the 200m with England’s Mike McFarlane, while Ritchie was also in a class of her own with a Games record to seal discus gold.

Anne Clarkson bravely won 800m silver despite two broken ribs, whilst Scotland’s sprint dominance in Athletics was shown by Cameron Sharp’s bronze in both the 100m and 200m and the Men’s 4x100m Relay team who won bronze to follow their 1978 gold.  The Women’s 4x400m Relay team also came away with a bronze to match.

Ritchie was not the only success on the field with bronze medals won in the Pole Vault by Graham Eggleton and in the Hammer by Chris Black.

Auckland 1990 – McColgan Defends 10,000m Title

Liz McColgan’s win in the 10,000m was Scotland’s only gold medal on the track in Auckland as she became the first Scottish woman ever to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games title in Athletics. This historic victory, almost 10 second clear of silver medallist Jill Hunter of England, came four days after winning bronze in the 3,000m, just behind team mate Yvonne Murray who improved on her bronze in the same event from 1986. Murray would go on to keep the 10,000m title in Scottish hands at the next Games in Victoria, completing her full set of Commonwealth Games medals.

In the men’s events there was silver for Mark Davidson, David Strang, Tom McKean and Brian Whittle in the 4 x 400m Relay behind a Games record breaking run from Kenya, while Geoff Parsons took bronze in the High Jump, tying with Milton Ottey of Canada.

Gold Coast 2018 – Highest Athletics Medal Tally for 24 Years

Despite the early start to the competitive season, there were good performances from the Scottish team and, with five medals, Athletics celebrated their biggest medal tally since 1990. Beth Potter, selected primarily for Triathlon, also competed in the 10,000m on the track, marking a historic first.

Hammer thrower, Mark Dry led the way, replicating his bronze medal winning feat from Glasgow 2014 with his final throw. Flag bearer Eilidh Doyle took a third successive silver medal over the 400m Hurdles, while there was also silver for 18-year-old Maria Lyle in the para-sport Women’s T35 100m on her Commonwealth Games debut. Jake Wightman was the final medallist on the track, bouncing back from the agony of a fourth place finish in the Men’s 1500m, with bronze in the 800m. There were also two near misses for Samantha Kinghorn. She finished fourth in the para-sport Women’s 1500m T54 on the track and again she came agonisingly close with another fourth place in the Women’s Wheelchair Marathon T54.

However, there was final day drama and contrasting fortunes for Scotland’s two Marathon men. There was on outpouring of concern and well wishes for long-time leader Callum Hawkins, as he succumbed to the heat with just a mile to go, while teammate Robbie Simpson came through to claim bronze and secure Team Scotland’s final medal of the Games.

Team Scotland’s second most successful Commonwealth Games sport, Athletics is next up in our ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’ Sport Focus, which features all 25 sports in which Scotland has competed at the Commonwealth Games.

Look out for everything Athletics related on our website and social media channels in the coming month as we follow Scotland’s stars of track and field from their first appearance in 1930, to their five-medal haul at Gold Coast 2018.

Athletics at the Commonwealth Games

One of the six sports included in the first Commonwealth Games in 1930, Athletics has been contested at every Games to date. At the first Games in 1930 there were 19 events for men on the programme with nine women’s events first added in 1934. Over subsequent Games events were added to the women’s programme until, with the addition of the 3000m Steeplechase in 2006, the programmes became identical with the exception of the now discontinued 50km Walk and a Heptathlon for women in place of Decathlon for men. Para-Sport events were first contested in 2002 and have remained on the programme ever since, though the categories and disciplines included change from Games to Games.

With 75 medals: 18 gold, 23 silver and 34 bronze, Athletics is second only to Aquatics in terms of Scotland’s most successful sport at the Commonwealth Games. Scottish athletes have won medals at every Commonwealth Games to date, with the exception of Cardiff 1958.

Sprinter Allan Wells holds the prestigious position of being Athletics’ most successful athlete, winning four gold, one silver and one bronze for Scotland over two Commonwealth Games. He topped the Scottish all-time list of top Games athletes across all sports until the Gold Coast 2018 Games when lawn bowler Alex Marshall claimed top sport by winning his fifth Commonwealth Games gold. Liz McColgan is Scotland’s top female athlete with two gold and a bronze from two Games.

Find out more about Athletics in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Athletics page.

Scotland’s Commonwealth Champions

Scotland were straight off the mark at the inaugural Commonwealth Games in Hamilton in 1930 as Dunky Wright took Marathon gold ahead of England’s Sam Ferris and Canada’s Johnny Miles, Scotland’s only medal in Athletics of those Games. Four years later it was bronze for Wright but Frank Hunter stepped up to become Scotland’s second gold medallist with victory in the 440 yards Hurdles, also taking bronze in the 4 x 440 yards Relay. There was no gold in 1938, David Young with silver in the Discus Scotland’s only Athletics medallist, but the Scots were back to winning ways in 1950 as Duncan Clark struck gold in the Hammer.

The Marathon again produced gold in 1954 as Joseph McGhee took victory following the collapse of England’s world record holder Jim Peters in the closing stages and in 1966 Scotland once again took the top step of the Marathon podium through Jim Alder. Edinburgh 1970 proved to be the first Games in which Scotland won more than one gold medal in Athletics and remains the sport’s most successful Games to date as Lachie Stewart took the 10,000m title, Ian Stewart the 5,000m, Rosemary Wright the 800m and Rosemary Payne the Discus in front of a home crowd at Meadowbank Stadium.

Rosemary Payne couldn’t quite defend her title four years later in Christchurch, her Discus silver the only medal for Athletics, but 1978 saw Allan Wells come to prominence with gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m, followed by a second gold alongside David Jenkins, Drew McMaster and Cameron Sharp in the 4 x 100m Relay. Four years later Wells was back with another golden double – this time in the 100m and 200m, the latter in a dead heat with England’s Mike McFarlane – before also taking 4 x 100m Relay bronze to give him the title of Scotland’s most successful Games competitor with a tally that would not be bettered for the next 36 years. The 1982 Games also saw Meg Ritchie take Discus gold in a Games Record of 62.98m, four metres ahead of her nearest rival.

The home Games of Edinburgh 1986 saw the Scots bring home six Athletics medals but only one gold courtesy of Liz Lynch, who finished nearly 12 seconds clear in the 10,000m final. Now competing as Liz McColgan, she was once again Scotland’s only Athletics gold medallist four years later in Auckland where she defended her 10,000m title and added bronze in the 3,000m behind team mate Yvonne Murray in silver. Murray stepped up to the 10,000m at Victoria 1994 and onto the top step of the podium, winning what would prove to be Scotland’s last Athletics gold for 20 years before Libby Clegg, guided by Mikhail Huggins, had the Hampden home crowd on their feet with a sensational win in the T12 100m at Glasgow 2014.

Team Scotland Athletics Gold Medallists

Click here for a full list of Team Scotland’s Athletics medallists

Youth Games Success

At the Commonwealth Youth Games, just as in the main Games, Athletics is a core sport and must be included on the sports programme. Scottish athletes have won at least one Athletics medal at every Youth Games to date, including at Samoa 2015 where all six athletes selected won medals, winning three silver and four bronze between them.

In 2004, javelin thrower James Campbell and 1500m runner Morag McLarty were Scotland’s first Youth Games gold medallists in Athletics and were followed by Tom Holligan with 200m gold in 2011 and Erin Wallace with 1500m gold in 2017. James, Morag and Erin all went on to compete as seniors at the Commonwealth Games, with Erin competing in Triathlon at Gold Coast 2018.

Others who competed in the Youth Games before going on to compete for Team Scotland in the Commonwealth Games include Pune 2008 representatives Lynsey Sharp, Chris O’Hare, Eilish McColgan and Beth Potter, who all went on to represent Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 and Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

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 and went on to record their highest overseas medal tally ever at Gold Coast 2018.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

With the 2019 Netball World Cup in full swing in Liverpool, check out these fast facts about the tournament and Scotland’s participation over its 56 year history:

1. The first Netball World Cup (then known as the Netball World Championships) was held in Eastbourne, England in 1963.

2. Held every four years, there have been 15 editions of the Netball World Cup. Scotland have played in 14 of them.

3. Australia have won the World Cup 11 times, New Zealand four times and Trinidad & Tobago once.

4. Yes our maths is correct! There was a three way tie in 1979 between Australia, New Zealand and Trinidad & Tobago as the competition format was a round-robin with no way to decide an outright winner.

5. Scotland’s best finish is 6^th place, which they have achieved on three occasions. At the last World Cup in 2015 they finished 12^th.

6. Scotland hosted the Netball World Cup in 1987 as 17 teams came to Glasgow. New Zealand lifted the trophy on that occasion while Scotland were 9^th.

7. The highest number of teams to contest a World Cup was 27 in Birmingham in 1995. Following fields also in the mid-twenties at both the 1999 and 2003 events, the competition format was revised to its current 16 team roster.

8. The 16 teams contesting the 2019 World Cup are: Australia, England, New Zealand, Jamaica, South Africa, Malawi, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Fiji, Samoa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Sri Lanka and Singapore. It is the first time Zimbabwe have ever qualified for the tournament.

9. The next World Cup will be held in Cape Town in 2023, the first time the competition will ever have been hosted in South Africa.

With the Netball World Cup just around the corner and Scotland celebrating their recent rise to 7th place in the World rankings, it’s time for Netball to step into the Team Scotland Sport Focus spotlight. All eyes will be on Liverpool from 12-21 July as 16 of the world’s top teams battle it out for the World Cup and Scotland will be full of confidence on the back of their highest ever world ranking as they join England, Uganda and Samoa in Group D for the preliminary stages.

The Scottish Thistles will begin their campaign against Samoa on the opening day of competition before facing a tough match against Commonwealth champions and hosts England the following afternoon. Scotland’s final group game will be against Uganda on Sunday 14 July, after which the top three teams from each group will progress to a second group stage to decide the semi-finalists.

A strong squad of 12 players has been named with eight of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games team included within their number. Claire Maxwell will captain the side and is set to receive her 100th international cap during the tournament. At the other end of the experience scale, 17 year old Emma Barrie will make her senior international debut.

See the full team line-up here.

Follow the Thistles’ progress at the World Cup on Team Scotland and Netball Scotland social media channels. We’ll also be delving into the archives for tales of past success and looking ahead to the rising stars of the sport in Scotland as part of our ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’ theme featuring all 25 sports in which Scotland has competed in the Commonwealth Games.

Netball at the Commonwealth Games

Netball is a Commonwealth Games core sport for women only and one of three team sports introduced in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. New Zealand and Australia had won every gold medal between them until England took gold by a single goal at Gold Coast 2018. Outside of these three nations the only other country to have won a Netball medal is Jamaica who won bronze in 2002, 2014 and 2018.

At Glasgow 2014, Scotland fielded a netball team for the first time ever, having climbed steadily up the rankings over the previous four years. Leading the charge for the Scottish Thistles was 34 year-old captain Lesley MacDonald who had earned a staggering 118 caps for her country and competed in three World Championships.

Making their Commonwealth Games debut, Scotland got their campaign underway with a strong 58-30 win over St Lucia at the SECC. However, match two saw them face world ranked number two, New Zealand. The girls played well and put in a good defensive effort, but were overcome 71-14 by the Silver Ferns. Further losses in the remaining three group games consigned them to a play-off for 9th/10th place against Trinidad and Tobago. In their final match of the Games, they gave a strong and composed performance to finish on a high with a convincing 46-28 win.

At Gold Coast 2018 a talented squad of 12 players were selected with an even split of youth and experience. Six players returned from the Glasgow 2014 team, including Captain Claire Brownie, Vice-captain Lynsey Gallagher and stalwart Hayley Mulheron, who had over 100 caps for the national side.

Scotland suffered defeat 28-74 in their opening match as they battled hard in a fierce contest with England, the eventual winners of the gold medal match. They then enjoyed a win over Wales in their second home nations clash. After a cagey opening half Scotland were trailing 23-24, but some good passages of play and sharp shooting from 18 year old Beth Goodwin helped drive the team on to prevail 51-47. However Scotland lost their final three Pool matches against New Zealand, Malawi and Uganda, with the loss by one point to Malawi 50-51 in a thrilling match ultimately proving costly.

Placed fifth in Pool A, Scotland faced Barbados in the classification games. In a topsy-turvy match, Lynsey Gallagher continued to keep the Scots within touching distance and as time expired Gallagher scored to tie the game at 39-39, forcing overtime. Scotland ran out the winners 50-48 to conclude their Commonwealth Games in ninth place, matching their result at Glasgow 2014.

Find out more about Netball in the Commonwealth Games on our dedicated Netball page.

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 and went on to record their highest overseas medal tally ever at Gold Coast 2018.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

Scotland’s fourth most successful Commonwealth Games sport, with 51 medals won, Shooting can also boast the nation’s most decorated male and female athlete in Games history as well as the most successful male and female athlete at a single Games. With all this achieved since Colin McEachran and Alister Allan won Scotland’s first medals in the sport in 1974, none of the 12 Games since would look out of place on a top five list. From the highest number of medals won to record performances and historic firsts, here are just some of the highlights from 45 years of Team Scotland medal success.

Delhi 2010 – Gold Rush and Highest Medal Tally

Shooting was Scotland’s top sport at Delhi 2010, winning nine medals: four gold, three silver and two bronze. The four gold came in a clean sweep of the 50m Rifle Prone events as Jon Hammond and Jen McIntosh took individual victories before teaming up with Neil Stirton and Kay Copland respectively to add gold in the Pairs events. Both pairs also took bronze in the 3 Positions, with Jon adding silver in the individual event. With two gold, one silver and one bronze Jon became Scotland’s most successful athlete at a single Games, while Jen’s tally of two gold and one bronze was the best female performance at a single Games.

Shona Marshall came up trumps with a silver in the Individual Trap event and it was also silver for Angus McLeod and Ian Shaw in the Fullbore Pairs.

Brisbane 1982 – Golden Double for Alister Allan

Seven of the 11 shooters in Brisbane won medals, led by a golden double for Alister Allan. He took victory in the Individual 3 Position event, ahead of England’s future double Olympic champion Malcolm Cooper, and added a second gold in the Air Rifle Pairs alongside Bill MacNeil. The pair were on the podium once again with bronze in the 3 Position Pairs, taking Alister’s overall medal tally to five, just one behind Scotland’s top performing Games athlete at that time, sprinter Allan Wells. Alister would go on to eclipse Allan’s record as he added another five medals over a further three Games appearances.

Scotland’s other gold medallist at these Games was Arthur Clarke, who put in a brilliant performance to win the Fullbore Rifle Queen’s Prize. While Fullbore remains a successful discipline for Scotland, with medals in the Pairs event at the last three Games, Arthur’s win is Scotland’s only Fullbore gold to date. Scotland won their first ever pistol medals as James Cairns won silver in the Centre Fire Pistol event and took a second silver in the Rapid Fire Pistol Pairs alongside Hugh Hunter. There was also a first as Martin Girvan and James Young won bronze in the Trap Pairs, Scotland’s first medal in a Clay Target event.

Melbourne 2006 – Sharp and Jackson Turn Silver to Gold

Shooting was in the spotlight before competition began as Ian Marsden, competing at his sixth Games, was named as Team Scotland flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony. Gold medallist in 1990 and bronze in 1994, both in the Men’s Skeet Pairs, Ian finished 6th in the Pairs with Mike Thomson and 9th in the individual event in Melbourne.

Neil Stirton and Martin Sinclair got the ball rolling with Scotland’s first Shooting medal of the Games with silver in the Men’s Prone Pairs, setting a Scottish record of 1179 in the process. Having taken silver in the Women’s Prone Pairs four years previously in Manchester, Sheena Sharp and Susan Jackson made it gold Down Under, Sheena showing tremendous form with the top score of the competition on 588. Sheena added a second gold in the individual event. One shot ahead going into the final round, all three of the top ranked competitors shot scores of 98 out of 100, giving Sheena the gold.

Elsewhere Emma Cole-Hamilton set two Scottish records – with Susan Jackson as they finished sixth in the Women’s 3 Position Pairs and with Heather Rudd in the Women’s Air Rifle Pairs, finishing in 8th place. Ian Shaw and Lindsay Peden were just outside the medals in the Fullbore Pairs in 4th.

Victoria 1994 – First Female Medallists

Shooting events were split by gender for the first time in 1994 and Shirley McIntosh & Patricia Littlechild were straight off the mark with Scotland’s first Women’s Shooting medals, winning gold, silver and bronze between them. They combined forces on day one for silver in the Prone Pairs before an outstanding performance in the Individual event saw Shirley take gold with 586 and Patricia finish just a single point behind for bronze.

Alister Allan added two medals, a silver in the Men’s 3 Position Pairs with Bill Murray and bronze in the individual event, to bring his overall Commonwealth Games tally to 10. He remains Scotland’s most decorated Games athlete in history. Further bronze medals came from David Rattray and Robin Law in the Men’s Air Rifle Pairs and Ian Marsden and Mike Thomson in the Men’s Skeet Pairs.

Gold Coast 2018 – Sensational Six

Competing at his sixth Commonwealth Games and chasing his third back-to-back Commonwealth Games medal, Ian Shaw took bronze in the Fullbore Open Queen’s Prize Pairs alongside Games debutant, Sandy Walker. David McMath, competing at his first Games, took Scotland’s first ever individual gold in the Men’s Double Trap, setting a Games record in a thrilling final, while Linda Pearson, competing in her second Games after missing out in 2014, also showed Scotland’s prowess at Double Trap with a bronze, to win her first Games medal.

With a gold, silver and bronze to his name from previous Games, Neil Stirton was selected for his fourth Games and took his fourth medal – his first in an individual event – with silver in the Men’s 50m Rifle Prone. Seonaid McIntosh added to her family’s Commonwealth Games legacy, with two bronze medals in the Women’s 50m Rifle events rounding out a successful Games on the range up in Brisbane.