Scotland, the land of hope, glory ... and a sackful of medals?

Published on Sunday 21 July 2002 01:00

THE best selling point of the Commonwealth Games as far as competitors are concerned is the fact that, win or lose, they do it for Scotland. No GB vest or God Save the Queen to muddy allegiances. As a proud Scot learning their trade this is the one they allegedly yearn for.

Some cynics might believe the renamed British Empire Games are welcomed by many as they rule out the annoyingly strong US competition and allow second-tier nations like England, Australia and Canada to dominate.

But even those sportsmen and women who have succeeded at the top level while wearing a UK vest insist it is a special buzz seeing the Saltires rather than the Union flags flying in their honour.

Yet there’s is no doubt that the relative lack of strength in depth means that there are otherwise unknown Scottish athletes who will be transformed into household names by these Games.

So, just which Scots will we see on the podium?

Having had his taste of glory and fame following the 2000 Olympics, where he, Craig MacLean and Jason Queally won silver, the Edinburgh track cyclist Chris Hoy is hungry for more and he has a chance in both the team sprint and in the individual events. The team sprint should also furnish MacLean, Ross Edgar and Marco Librizzi with a medal, which could realistically be gold, but Hoy has the chance of a double as he is amongst those to beat in the kilo time trial after impressive performances in the World Cup series.

"Manchester is my home-from-home now and you can’t underestimate the importance of being comfortable in your surroundings," says Hoy, who remains unwilling to make medal promises he may live to regret.

"I’ve been training in Manch-ester since 1995 and I know every single board on the track."

That home advantage could also help the swimmers who are now well-used to the Manchester facilities. With a number of the squad likely to make the finals in the categories, the best hopes for gold remain Alison Sheppard (Commonwealth record holder in the 50m freestyle, and ranked No.2 in the butterfly) and former Olympic medallist Graeme Smith, who is still ranked No 2 in the Commonwealth behind Australia’s Olympic champion, Grant Hackett.

Swimming has served up more Commonwealth Games golds for Scotland than most sports but two of the exceptions to that rule are boxing and bowls. They may be considered extremes but they will be dominating the Scottish media for the duration of the Games, with podium places again looming large on the horizon.

Ian Millarvie, the Scottish super heavyweight champion, is our best prospect of a medal, not least because the small number of super-heavyweights (91kg+) means he has a good chance of only having to fight one or possibly two opponents on the way to the semi-final.

Indeed, he may even get a bye into the semis and be guaranteed a bronze. But he can definitely win gold.

The blood and guts may be absent on the well cut lawns but there will be sweat and toil as the bowlers strive to uphold their proud medal tradition. It is more than 20 years since a Scottish bowling squad failed to deliver at least one gold at the Commonwealth Games and in the women’s event this year Margaret Letham has a great chance of adding the singles title to the gold she won with Joyce Lindores in the pairs four years ago, and current world pairs champions George Sneddon and Alex Marshall are the front-runners for the men, while a host of their team-mates could add to the overall tally.

When judo was last on the Games programme, in 1990, the Scottish team won eight medals, more than any other sport and while fulfilling potential under pressure at a major Games may be a problem for some, judo is blessed with some gritty performers, both in terms of talent and mental toughness. 1999 World Champion Graeme Randall, back from injury, is the man most likely to upset the English/Australian/Canadian applecart.

The shooters, stationed 250 miles from Manchester in the Surrey village of Bisley, are also a rich potential source of medals, with team manager Hamish Hunter predicting as many as six gongs if all goes to plan.

Mike Thomson and Ian Marsden, following their gold in the Olympic Skeet during the Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships at the same venue last year, have an excellent shout, as have most of their team-mates.

The glamour golds of track athletics may still go elsewhere but considering Scottish optimism in the so-called minority events, instead of Scots Wha Hae, Land of Hope and Glory would be more appropriate - provided it’s the bagpipe remix, of course.