Olympic timing perfect to give Glasgow Games a boost, says Salmond

FIRST Minister Alex Salmond yesterday lavished praise on Scotland’s athletes – and the entire Team GB Olympic squad – as he forecast that the success of the London event could benefit the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014,

Speaking for the first time since the curtain came down on the London Olympics, Mr Salmond said: “I think the overall performance by Team GB was exceptional and I think the contribution of the Scottish athletes was absolutely superb.

“It is not just a record haul of medals for Sco-lympians in Scotland – but I think only two of the Caribbean countries surpassed Scotland in terms of medals per head of population. That is one way to measure to success, but it’s important, because it tells that in terms of achievement, our athletes have excelled with the very best that the world had to offer.

“I think the London Games as a sporting event were an extraordinary success and the Scottish athletes’ role within it was huge and important. “

Mr Salmond said there was already evidence of a clear legacy from the Games in terms of the public’s enthusiasm for sport.

He continued: “I always said we would have two great advantages from the Olympics as regards the Commonwealth Games. The first is the boost that the interest in sport the Olympics provides will focus on to the Commonwealth Games. That is starting now.

“Secondly, it allows us to see the things that worked really well for the Olympics – and there were many of these right from the torch relay to the closing ceremony, which I thought were superbly done. It has also allowed us to have a look at the things that worked less well, like the ticketing and the security, so that we could avoid some of the pitfalls.”