Scott swims to success for Scotland in India

Published on Thursday 16 October 2008 10:16

THE Scottish team lifted a second gold as they more than doubled their medal count on day three of the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India.

Strathaven's Douglas Scott won the 50 metres breaststroke final in a time of 29.54 seconds, equalling his personal best and Scottish junior record whilst setting a new Commonwealth Youth Games record.

"I was quite pleased with it but I thought I would have swum a bit better and gone a little bit faster," said the 18-year-old after beating competitors from South African and Singapore into second and third place.

Minutes later, Daniel Scott from Glenrothes won the silver medal in the 50m butterfly. In his heats and final he has set his own PBs of 24.69 and 24.38 seconds respectively.

The third Scottish medal of the day came in wrestling courtesy of Clydebank's Craig McKenna, 17, who had made it through the first two rounds of the 50kg event on byes.

"In my first match I got beaten by an Indian but in my bronze medal match I beat an Australian 3-1 in the first round and 2-1 in the second," he said.

Scotland will be guaranteed a further three medals in the boxing event after flyweight Josh Taylor from Prestonpans, Jonathan Slowey, a featherweight from Glasgow and Fauldhouse light welterweight Robert McKee, reached today's semi finals (bronzes are available to both semi-final losers).

"It's been a great experience so far and it will be good to get a medal," said Taylor. "I'm guaranteed a bronze, but I'm not looking for the bronze, I'm looking for the gold."

In the badminton event, Edinburgh's Martin Campbell and Paul Van Rietvelde from Longniddry have both reached the semi-finals in the singles where they each face Indians – and a partisan home crowd.

"It's a massive thing for us both to get this far and it will be a massive thing to win a medal as well," said Campbell, who would be more than delighted to meet his friend Van Rietvelde in the final.

In track and field there were some good performances but no medals.

In the 1500m final Bearsden's Beth Potter, 16, finished fifth and Carnoustie's Eilish McColgan came eighth whilst Livingston's Chris O'Hare finished eighth in the boys' event. Callum Sharp from Bishopbriggs finished fifth in pole vault, in the process setting a new personal best of 4.60m. Calum Innes (Bearsden) produced two new personal bests in 110m hurdles - 14.45 seconds in the heats and 14.48 in the final to finish seventh.

It was not the best of days for Falkirk's hammer thrower Myra Perkins who produced five no-throws in her final to finish fourth, although the throw that was allowed was just 12cm off the silver medalist's. And in the last 16 of the table tennis singles draw, Edinburgh's Craig Howieson missed a match point at 3-3 before losing 4-3 to Australian David Powell.

"I knew he was tough because I played him before and any matches once you get in the knock out rounds are tough here, but it's difficult to comprehend I'm out and I can't get a medal here," said Howieson.