THE cheers have barely rung out and the ripples on the 50-metre pool are only just fading, but Scotland's Commonwealth gold success is already under threat of being tarnished.
Chris Martin, the coach credited with delivering a stunning six swimming golds for Scotland, has threatened to quit his post amid a dispute over the organisation of the sport.
Martin last night told Scotland on Sunday that his concerns over the f
uture "structure" of swimming training meant he could not guarantee staying at the helm.
And although the American refused to elaborate, insiders speculated he was concerned about any plans to strip him of his near total control over the training of élite swimmers.
The Scottish team was quietly confident of success at Melbourne, but its achievements, especially in the swimming pool, have taken the nation by storm.
Ten swimmers have won 12 medals, among them Glaswegian Gregor Tait, who scooped two golds and two bronzes.
Martin is employed by the élite Scottish Institute of Sport, rather than Scottish Swimming, the national association.
This arrangement is widely regarded as giving him the maximum freedom to groom the best talent and draw up customised training plans for top swimmers. But a review of the structure and funding of sport in Scotland is currently underway and could change that.
Martin last night dropped a bombshell, revealing that he could not guarantee he would still be the man in charge at the next Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in New Delhi in 2010.
He said: "In terms of can this [success] be sustained? Absolutely, yes, but I have a view on how that should be done and I don't know if other people share it.
"Carrying on doing it depends on the vision the people [in charge] have for the future of the sport and its structure. There seems to be a lot of reorganisation and structural stuff going on in Scottish sport. There are reviews and we're waiting to see how they go.
Martin added. "It's not funding, it's more structural. I know people say I'm supposed to ask for more money, but I believe it's about the structure and who's right about the structure."
He refused to spell out his concerns about the structure of the sport, but informed sources speculate a shake-up might see more power being given to Scottish Swimming rather than the Scottish Institute of Sport.
It is believed such changes might curtail Martin's freedom to train Scotland's top swimmers as he sees fit.
Jamie McGrigor, the Scottish Tory sports spokesman, reacted with alarm to any suggestion that Martin might leave.
He said: "Mr Martin is obviously doing something right and I hope we can keep him. I do hope that the powers-that-be will listen to his concerns and views.
"He and the others at the Scottish Institute of Sport are doing a great job. They are not afraid of élitism."
Graeme Smith, who won an Olympic bronze at Atlanta in 1996 and a silver and bronze at Manchester in 2002 said: "It would be a terrible shame to lose Chris. He has done so much good for the team. The medals are a great start, but the quality of the performances is really impressive too."
Richard Gordon, the director of coaching and development at Scottish Swimming, denied any suggestion of tension between the organisation and either Martin or the institute.
He said: "Chris has done an absolutely fantastic job for Scotland and Scottish swimming. There can be no doubt that we will fight tooth and nail to keep him. He has worked very closely with us at Scottish Swimming."
Katriona Bush, head of media at SportScotland, hinted that swimming might gain from the review. She said: "Work has started on the review but it will be April or May before the process is finished, and that's when we'll have conclusions.
"It will try to answer questions such as, how do we take sport to the next level? And it will also ask whether we have got the right core sports in the institute.
"But swimming is one of those sports that might expect to gain from the review process, since it has done phenomenally well and has obviously got things right."
Anne-Marie Harrison, chief executive of the Scottish Institute of Sport, has already reacted to suggestions that Martin might be tempted away from Scotland.
She recently said: "I will fight and walk over hot coals to hang on to Chris Martin. When he came here, the state of Scottish swimming all round was pretty dire. But he has put in a development programme for coaches who have delivered the next generation of swimmers."
The 2006 Melbourne squad is Scotland's most successful swimming team in Commonwealth Games history.
They have won 12 medals, six gold, three silver and three bronze for their efforts in the pool. In addition to Tait, Aberdonian David Carry won two golds and a silver, Caitlin McClatchey - born in England of Scottish parents - won two golds, Euan Dale from Cockburnspath won two silvers and Kirsty Balfour, from Edinburgh, took a silver and a bronze.
The results in the pool mean Scotland has had its most successful ever Commonwealth Games, winning 29 medals - 11 gold, seven silver and 11 bronze.
Tait has been chosen to carry the flag at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. The 23-year-old's tally of medals led him to be chosen as the top Scottish athlete.
He spoke of his pride at being picked to carry the Saltire, and said:
"The Games have been a mind-blowing experience and I have way surpassed my own expectations."
