Scottish Olympic athletes do us proud - Angus Robertson
Scottish athletes at the Paris Olympic Games have done us all proud. While one short of the highest-ever Scottish medal total won at Tokyo, a fantastic 13 medals were won by the 36-strong contingent on the track and field and in the water.
Huge congrats to gold winners Duncan Scott, Sholto Carnegie, and Scott Brash. Four silver medals and six bronze medals were also taken home across a number of sports.
In addition to the athletes, Scots were well-represented in commentary and punditry. Sir Chris Hoy was a constant fixture of the fantastic BBC reporting, lending insight into the experience of being an athlete in the Olympic Games and his unparalleled cycling expertise. Andrew Cotter and Hazel Irvine led the coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as commentary of a great number of live events – showing athletic-level stamina and focus over the two weeks of the games.
Of course, 20 more Scots will be competing in the upcoming Paralympic Games.
Some medal hopefuls are para-canoeist, Hope Gordon; para-cyclist, Neil Fachie; Sammi Kinghorn and Ben Sandilands in para-athletics; Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt in Wheelchair tennis; and para-swimmer Stephen Clegg.
Another to watch out for is para-triathlon competitor Alison Peasgood who, incredibly, qualified for the Games less than a year after giving birth.
Scotland’s presence on the global sporting stage is ever-growing, whether as individuals bringing home medals, broadcasters brining sports to the nation, or as a country hosting international events such as the Cycling World Championships, World Athletics Indoor Championships, and World Mixed Curling Championships.