10 Scottish athletes poised to win medals at the Commonwealth Games

Paul Foster & Alex Marshall This pair grabbed the headlines on their way to pairs gold at the 2014 Games but their plentiful success – as individuals and team-mates, in domestic and world competition – goes far beyond a “get-it-up-ye” gesture in that semi-final victory over the English. Defending champions in both the pairs and fours, they are competing in their fourth and sixth Games respectively and few would bet against them adding to their collective haul of seven gold medals. Callum Skinner The Olympic silver medallist in the sprint, finishing behind GB team-mate Jason Kenny, he is one of the favourites for gold in the event this month, although he will face tough competition from other GB riders, including fellow Scot Jack Carlin. The two of them will also compete in the Keirin, where another medal is a strong possibility. Katie Archibald An Olympic, World and European gold medalist, the 24-year-old, who will compete on the track and road in Gold Coast, is hoping to upgrade the Commonwealth bronze she won in Glasgow. A strong, versatile and committed rider, she will tackle the individual pursuit, points and scratch races on the track before hitting the road for the individual time trial and road race. Callum Hawkins An athlete on the advance, he followed a 20th place in the Commonwealth Games marathon in 2014 with ninth place in the 2016 Olympic Games, before coming home fourth at the World Championships last year, equalling the best-ever finish by a Brit in the event. But the 25-year-old is aiming higher in Gold Coast. Hannah Miley A swimmer who has been there and done it, Miley is not only going for gold when she competes in her fourth senior Commonwealth Games, she is aiming for a place in the history books. A two-time winner in the 400m individual medley, a defence of her title would render her the first Scot ever to win three gold medals in the same Commonwealth event at three successive Games. On top of the 400m IM, she will battle for medals in a further five events for Team Scotland. Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban Hoping to secure Scotland’s first squash medal for 20 years, Clyne has been close in the past, finishing fourth in the past two Games, but his pairing with Lobban looks to have enhanced his chances. In their first major tournament, they claimed World Championship doubles gold in 2016 and were also members of the first Scottish team that took a European Team Championship medal for the first time in 17 years. In 2017 they again made it to the final at the World Championships, overcoming a long injury lay-off for Lobban to eventually win silver. Jen McIntosh Jen is Scotland’s most successful female athlete at the Commonwealth Games and the five-time medalist and her younger sister Seonaid are only two of the strong medal contenders in the team. Enjoying a successful 2017, both sisters claimed individual gold at the European Championships in Baku. There was more success at the Commonwealth Championships as they finished first and second in the Prone event, with Seonaid also claiming gold in the 3 Position. Kirsty Gilmour Four years ago, in Glasgow, the hometown girl became the first Scottish woman to reach a Commonwealth Games badminton singles final, winning silver. She has since won back-to-back silver medals at the European Championships, in 2016 and 2017, and after a beneficial stint in India at the end of 2017, competing among the world’s best in the Premier Badminton League, she is aiming to ensure another appearance on the podium in Gold Coast. Reece McFadden Boxing is the only sport in which Scottish athletes have won at least one medal at every Games since they began in 1930, and while there are a few members of the current team with a solid chance of emulating the feats of 2014 gold medalists Josh Taylor and Charlie Flynn, McFadden is the only one already in possession of a Commonwealth medal. He won bronze in Glasgow but the 52kg flyweight wants to improve on that Down Under. Dan Purvis The Scottish men’s gymnastics team wrapped up the 2014 Games with a brilliant five medals, including a first-ever medal in the Team event where they claimed second place behind the Auld Enemy. In his debut Commonwealth Games Purvis weighed in with two of the individual medals, taking gold on the parallel bars and bronze on rings. Surprised and gutted to be left out of the GB team for the Rio Olympics, he has a point to prove.