IN just over two weeks, the 2018 Winter Olympics will kick-off in Pyeongchang, South Korea. But while the headlines will focus on the two parts of the divided country, North and South, marching together under the one flag, the pressure will be on Team GB to perform. They have been set their highest-ever medal target of five medals and while that is likely to be a tough ask, a number of GB’s best medal hopes are Scots.
One of the highest-profile athletes in Team GB for the Pyeongchang Games is Elise Christie – the speed skater who famously suffered heartbreak at the Winter Olympics four years ago. As one of the world’s highest-ranked skaters Christie went into Sochi 2014 with expectations of returning from Russia with at least one piece of silverware. But disaster struck and the Livingston skater was ultimately disqualified from not one, not two but all three of her short-track events for collisions and not crossing the finishing line.
Christie considered quitting but she stuck with it and has bounced back stronger. Last year saw the 27-year-old become triple world champion and the world record-holder goes into next month’s Olympics a more mature and experienced athlete – and one of GB’s strongest medal hopes. She will be joined in the short-track team by Kathryn Thomson from Kilmarnock.
Scotland has a proud curling tradition – who can forget Rhona Martin’s Olympic gold medal-winning exploits in 2002 – and this is likely to continue at the 2018 Games. Both of GB’s curling teams are made up entirely of Scots, with the women’s team heavily favoured to win a medal. Eve Muirhead is skip and, with Pyeongchang her third Olympic Games, she is not short of experience.
Muirhead’s rink took bronze in Sochi in 2014 but the 27-year-old from Perth will be looking to improve on that in a couple of weeks’ time. Alongside Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams, Lauren Gray and Kelly Schafer, Muirhead knows that gold is a realistic target and the experience of her rink will play in her favour. Competition will be stiff though, with Canada, who are the reigning World and Olympic champions, GB’s greatest rivals.
But having won European gold and World Championship bronze in 2017, Muirhead and her rink have every chance of following in Martin’s footsteps by becoming Olympic champions.
Muirhead will have a vested interest in how the men’s curling team do as well as it includes two of her brothers, Thomas and Glen. Along with Kyle Smith, Kyle Waddell and Cammy Smith, the men will be looking to spring a surprise and snatch a spot on the podium. There is less pressure on the British men’s team than the women’s but, having won European silver last year, they are in the form of their lives and have the potential to follow up the silver medal won by GB at the 2014 Winter Olympics with more silverware this time around.
The Scots still waiting for selection
DESPITE the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics being just 19 days away there are still dozens of British athletes waiting to hear if they have made the team. Following the selection of the curling teams, plus a brace of speed skaters, Scotland has a good chance of increasing its representation further.
Halfpipe skier Murray Buchan from Glasgow is almost certain to secure selection to follow on from his appearance at Sochi 2014. Also in with an excellent chance of making Team GB is alpine skier Charlie Guest, 24, from Perth who broke her back in a training accident a few years ago. However, she has recovered fantastically and is a regular on the World Cup circuit.
Cross-country skier Andrew Musgrave, 27, has already competed in two Winter Olympics, with Pyeongchang almost certain to be his third. He has forced his way to the top despite being up against athletes from nations which consider cross-country skiing as one of their national sports. But Musgrave’s surprise victory at the prestigious Norwegian Championships in 2014 highlighted his potential and an Olympic medal is not out of the question.
Biathlete Scott Dixon has a proud family tradition of Olympic representation – his father Mike competed for GB at a remarkable six Winter Olympics. The younger Dixon has yet to make his Olympic debut but 2018 could be the year.
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