Judo: Going for a Burton not on radar for star Euan

EUAN BURTON and Andy Murray are both ranked in the top five in the world and enjoy a globetrotting existence but only one of them would be mobbed on the way to the supermarket.

A quiet trip to the local store as he prepares for his biggest Grand Slam of the season - Wimbledon later this month - is simply out of the question for Murray.

Not so for Beijing Olympic veteran and one of Scotland's brightest London 2012 medal hopes, judoka Burton.

Despite a relative conveyer belt of talent being produced north of the border, headed by Burton and fellow Olympic veteran Sarah Clark, judo just doesn't come close to the hype of Murray mania.

Burton's rewards are of the more intrinsic variety, but with the London showpiece event looming ever larger the Edinbugh Judo Club member wouldn't have it any other way - for now.

"I imagine there is a hugely different experience in terms of my day-to-day life and Andy Murray's," said Burton, who is lending his support to Bank of Scotland's National School Sport Week, an initiative that will involve over 1400 schools across Scotland this week.

"Because tennis is such a big sport it's inevitable that there is a lot more attention.

"He is a great ambassador for Scottish sport and I'm sure that has its benefits but it is quite nice to go out to Tesco and not be recognised and have to sign an autograph. I am sure it would be nice sometimes to have that attention but it doesn't happen with judo. I think for it to happen in judo the sport needs to have a lot more TV exposure. Judo hasn't been on the TV in the UK for a long time, since the last Olympics, whereas in big judo countries like France and Korea it is on a lot and that makes a difference.

"But with London 2012 coming up so soon I can't really be worrying about that. I need to be thinking about performing well there. After the Games maybe I can look into trying to promote the sport a lot more and being involved in that."

Despite a vintage 18 months in the run-up, Burton failed to make it onto the podium at the European Championships in Istanbul earlier this year.

He will have the opportunity to make amends at the World Championships in Paris in August, but whatever the result the Scot won't be reaching for the panic button.

"Judo is one of those sports where you can do as much as you want and feel as good as you can but ultimately you are fighting against other players and anything can happen on the day," added Burton.

"I didn't have the best European Championships but I am not worried about that and it's all in the past. Hopefully I can have a good World Championships but there are lots of opportunities to fight the best players in the world after that before London.

"Just because you win the worlds doesn't mean you are going to win the Olympics and it's all about working to a plan."

n Bank of Scotland National School Sport Week, in partnership with sportscotland, uses London 2012 to inspire children to achieve a personal best in Olympic and Paralympic sports. To help your local school carry the Olympic Flame in the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, or to win tickets, visit: www.bankofscotland.co.uk/ nationalschoolsportweek