Which Scottish athletes won medals at Tokyo 2020? How many medals did Scotland win in total?

Tokyo 2020 draws to a close on Sunday after one of the more unusual Games in recent years.
Scottish athletes won 16 medals at Tokyo 2020Scottish athletes won 16 medals at Tokyo 2020
Scottish athletes won 16 medals at Tokyo 2020

Delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, there were empty stadiums and stringent rules and health measures for athletes to follow, as well as punishing heat throughout.

But despite all that, Team GB equalled its medal haul from London 2012 with 11 Scots contributing to the overall tally.

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There were medal wins for Duncan Scott and Jack Carlin while Scottish Olympians tasted success in sailing, cycling, swimming, track, rowing, and hockey.

How many medals did Scottish athletes win?

Of Britain’s overall total of 65 medals, 16 were won by Scottish athletes. Duncan Scott, Katie Archibald, Kathleen Dawson, Jack Carlin, Angus Groom, Harry Leask, Neah Evans, Laura Muir, Anna Burnet, Sarah Robertson, and Josh Kerr all made the podium over the course of the Olympics.

How many golds?

Duncan Scott, Katie Archibald, and Kathleen Dawson all won golds in Japan.

Scott triumphed in the pool as part of the British team to win the 4x200m freestyle relay; cyclist Archibald won gold in the women’s madison, and Dawson swam the first leg of the final of the mixed 4x100 metre medley relay, setting a world record time of 3 mins 37.58 seconds as she, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin won gold.

How many silvers?

Ten of Scotland’s 16 medals were silver. Scott took silver in the 200m freestyle, 200m medley, and the 4x100m medley while Archibald, Neah Evans, and the Team GB women came second in the women’s team pursuit event.

Staying in the velodrome Jack Carlin won silver in the men’s team sprint.

Rowers Angus Groom and Harry Leask won silver in the men's quadruple sculls while Anna Burnet came second in sailing’s Nacra 17 event.

On the track, Laura Muir put in a stunning performance to take silver in the women’s 1500m final.

What about bronze?

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Carlin added to his team sprint silver with a bronze in the individual sprint event, while Edinburgh-born Josh Kerr took bronze in the men’s 1500m final and set a new personal best of 3 mins 29.05 seconds as he narrowly missed out on silver with a stunning run.

How does it compare to previous Olympics?

The performance of Scottish athletes at Tokyo 2020 falls between London 2012, and Rio 2016.

In London, Scottish athletes won 14 medals: seven gold, four silver, and three bronze. Andy Murray took gold in the tennis men’s singles and silver in the men’s doubles while Sir Chris Hoy bagged gold in the men’s team sprint and keirin cycling events. Heather Stanning and Katherine Grainger won gold in the rowing, while Scott Brash and Tim Baillie won the equestrian team jumping and men’s C-2 team canoe slalom events respectively.

David Florence took silver in the men’s C-2 team canoe slalom while Luke Patience came second in the men’s 470 sailing event. Michael Jamieson won silver in the men’s 200m breaststroke.

Daniel Purvis won bronze as part of the men’s team all-round gymnasts while Emily Maguire and Laura Bartlett won bronze in the women’s field hockey.

In Rio Scotland won 18 medals : four golds, 11 silver, and three bronze. Murray again won the men’s singles while Callum Skinner won gold in the cycling men’s team sprint.

Katie Archibald also took cycling gold in the women’s team pursuit and Stanning won again in the women’s coxless pair event in the rowing.

Swimmers Dan Wallace, Duncan Scott, Robert Renwick, and Stephen Milne all won siler in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay while Scott also took silver in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.

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Grainger, Karen Bennett, and Polly Swann all won silvers in the rowing, while Florence repeated his London 2012 performance in the men’s C-2 team canoe slalom.

Mark Bennett and Mark Robertson won silver in the men’s rugby sevens while Skinner picked up silver in the men’s individual sprint. Sally Conway and Eilidh Doyle added bronze medals in the judo and 4x400m relay respectively.

Who are Scotland’s most decorated Olympians?

Sir Chris Hoy remains out in front with seven medals comprising six golds and one silver, while Duncan Scott is in hot pursuit with six medals; one gold and five silver.

Ian Stark picked up four silver medals in equestrian eventing between Los Angeles 1984 and Sydney 2000.

Katherine Grainger remains the most decorated woman with five medals (one gold, four silvers) from five different games while Katie Archibald (two gold, one silver) now has three.

What have the medal-winners said?

Duncan Scott, after winning his sixth medal: “It’s all my teammates, that’s what that is. I’m fortunate to be part of some excellent relay teams, this being one of them.

"We’re all pretty disappointed with this but in 2015, when we started coming together, back-to-back Olympic silvers in this event... we’d have taken that all day.”

Katie Archibald: "I've been dreaming about having this conversation. I've never wanted something so much, I've never been so nervous but we've been so clinical with our approach [in the madison].

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"We had a change of coach last year for this event. We're going for the all round and trying to spread between events and it feels so satisfying for it to come off."

Kathleen Dawson: "It's surreal, unbelievable what we've done; I couldn't have imagined this in my wildest dreams.”

Laura Muir: “I really still can't believe it. I've waited so long for this but now I've got a medal and it's surreal.

“I knew I would cry after the race regardless of whether I won a medal or not, but I'm just glad they were happy tears.

"I just hope this medal inspires a few more Scottish people to be involved in sport and maybe winning their own medal some time down the line.

"I'm from Scotland, I train in Scotland, I'm just like them.”

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