Art of a sporting nation

OVER the next few weeks, new pictures of our  nation’s sporting stars are sure to become iconic images telling the story of Great Britain’s successes and failures at the Olympics.

With the country fixated on sport, museums and galleries across the country have opened exhibitions highlighting the artistic significance of athletic achievement and the quest for glory.

The Scottish National Portrait  Gallery in the Capital has put together its own insightful display featuring our most inspirational sportsmen.

An unusual view of Andy and Jamie Murray, who today launch their men’s  doubles campaign in the Olympic tennis at Wimbledon, is the centrepiece of the In It To Win It collection currently on show at the Queen Street attraction.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Hoy has already made headlines at this year’s Games, having carried the Union flag into the Olympic Stadium at the helm of Team GB during the opening ceremony last night.

Cyclist David Millar, who served a drugs ban, is pictured looking  focused, while a ponderous Colin Montgomerie was artistically snapped on the Ailsa course at Turnberry. Meanwhile, a patriotic interpretation of Jackie Stewart depicts the legendary Scots racing driver in his pomp. The background includes Stewart’s three World Championship-winning cars.

A spokesperson for the gallery said: “It is an exhibition that showcases the amazing calibre of Scottish athletes.

“For 2012, with David Millar’s triumphant return to cycling, Andy Murray’s achievements at Wimbledon and Sir Chris Hoy’s hope for repeating his previous extraordinary Gold record at the London Olympics, there is great excitement at the gallery as visitors love seeing sporting legends so vibrantly depicted.”

* In It To Win It is at the Scottish  National Portrait Gallery, in Queen Street, until October 7. Admission is free.