Holligan leads charge as young Scots rack up 14 medals in a day

SCOTLAND enjoyed a bumper day at the Commonwealth Youth Games on the Isle of Man yesterday, winning 14 medals – a gold, silver and two bronze in athletics, a gold in gymnastics, a gold and four bronze in swimming, three silvers in boxing, and a bronze in badminton;

Sprinter Tom Holligan won gold in the 200m, with the European Youth Olympic Festival champion from Edinburgh finishing in 21.52s, with 100m Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Tahir Walsh (Antigua & Berbuda) in second.

Holligan started well in lane three, and came quickly off the bend to finish in first place. “It feels even better than the European Youth Olympics”, said the 17-year-old, who was the team’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony. “I was scared at the start, and I think that helped me. I came on to their shoulders and it just catapulted me through. I think my reaction shows how much it meant to me. I knew I was ahead when I hit the line, and I had a wee glance to the right and I saw I was clear.

“I felt a bit of pressure coming into this after being named the flagbearer. I was happy with my performance in the 100m and I knew coming into the 200m I was going to give it a real go. I’m delighted with my time so late in the season.

“I am so happy that my family were able to see it this time, because they couldn’t make it to Turkey (for the European Youth Olympic Festival).”

Fifteen minutes before Holligan took gold, 17-year-old Chloe Lambert from Glasgow won bronze in the women’s 200m. Lambert had qualified first in her semi-final in 24.75s, and she went even quicker in the final (24.49s) to finish third.

The final throw of the men’s hammer landed just minutes after Lambert’s success, with Scotland’s Isle of Wight-based Nick Percy winning bronze. Percy, 16, who won silver in the discus on Saturday, threw 58.96m to pick up his second medal of the Games.

Edinburgh hammer thrower Kimberley Reed, also 16, collected the fourth athletics medal, winning silver in the women’s competition. She threw 54.22m, to finish second behind England’s Louisa James (58.10m).

In the final race of the day the Scottish 4x100m relay team (Emma Brown, Zoey Clark, Chloe Lambert, Yasmine Milne) finished fourth in 49.21s.

Bothwell badminton player Kirsty Gilmour, 17, won the bronze in the women’s singles. The No 2 seed was up against Malaysian Li lian Yang, but played superbly to win 21-16, 22-20.

“I am on top of the world right now,” she said afterwards. “I would have loved to be in the gold/silver match but I’m really happy with a bronze medal.

“I felt I played really well out there today.

“To be classed up there with the top three seeds is where I want to be, and to be recognised as being as good as those guys is great.”