NO one in Team Scotland has gone to Australia for the 2018 Commonwealth Games thinking that we will do as well as a nation as we did in Glasgow 2014, but I for one am very confident that Scotland will bring back some gold from the Gold Coast.
And Silver. And Bronze. And a heap of personal bests and stirring performances as our competitors take their chance to shine in the blue of Scotland on the biggest stage in which this country competes as an entity in its own right.
We just cannot repeat Glasgow’s haul of 19 gold, 15 silver and 19 bronze but we could set a record for the most ever won on foreign soil, which means beating the total of 29 medals gained in Melbourne in 2006. I believe that’s a realistic target because we have the people to do it.
So who can bring home the medals? Last time around I covered the judo, boxing, and shooting and saw plenty medals won, and I have a feeling that we will win decent medals in the latter two sports – not judo, obviously, as it has shamefully been left off the roster of sports this time around.
Boxing is the only sport where Scottish competitors have won at least one medal at every Games since they began in 1930, and the team of 2018 will not sully that proud record. Indeed. I think we can gain a decent haul, and I hope that the likes of 20-year-old light-heavyweight Sean Lazzerini can live up to the promise he has shown.
Reece McFadden should get a medal of some colour again, but the man I fancy most to take gold is John Docherty of Montrose who has an outstanding chance based on his record as a Commonwealth Youth gold medallist and the progress he has made in the unpaid ranks.
I also have a sneaking feeling that light-flyweight Aqeel Ahmed might step up on his performance in Glasgow and get a medal. It would be wonderful if our women boxers Megan Gordon and Vicky Glover could earn a medal for Scotland as the distaff side makes its Games debut in dark blue, but I am more hopeful than confident, especially as they are both still under 20 and will be facing very experienced boxers.
In shooting, Jen McIntosh will have to go some to emulate her record at Delhi in 2010 when she won two golds and a silver, but I know how disappointed she was up at Barry Buddon in 2014 when she ‘only’ won silver and bronze to become our most decorated Commonwealth Games competitor ever. She must be a certainty for some sort of medal and I would not be surprised if gold is in there. In bowls, Alex ‘Tattie’ Marshall is better than ever at the age of 51 and he can inspire our team to medals all round, with Darren Burnett also in the form that can secure him a second singles gold.
Katie Archibald can do the same for our cyclists. Watch out for Callum Skinner and Jack Carlin – these guys are stars in the making.
In the pool, can Ross Murdoch emulate his astonishing feat in the 200m breaststroke in Glasgow? Of course he can, as long as England’s Adam Peaty doesn’t perform his best and he might not even turn up for an event that is not his metier.
Dan Wallace has a good chance of defending his title as does Hannah Miley, who will have the opportunity to make history for Scotland in any sport by winning her third 400m individual medley title. Duncan Scott can also medal.
If you look at the medal table, athletics and swimming account for a third of all the golds available, and that’s why we need to see serious performances from our track and field stars.
For what it’s worth I think our best hope of a gold medal is in the men’s 1500m when Chris O’Hare and Jake Wightman both have a serious chance of a medal. I believe O’Hare has trained to peak at these Games and there will be plenty of liquid cheer flowing at The Gordon Arms and the Old Bakehouse in West Linton should the local lad make that podium.
Eilidh Doyle, Lynsey Sharp, Zooey Clarke, Steph Twell and Eilish McColgan must all be in with a medal chance, and hopefully one or more can get the headline writers digging out that old cliché about Golden Girls.
On the field, Mark Dry will have a tough task to repeat his medal-winning performance at Glasgow in the hammer, but he can do so. And what a conclusion it would be if Callum Hawkins could get a medal in the marathon.
Sorry but I’m not too over-enthusiastic about our chances in the team sports such as basketball and netball, but there’s no reason why our rugby 7s team should not give a good account of itself.
In fact that is what I hope for most of all. That all our Scottish competitors in the Gold Coast go out there, enjoy themselves and do their best for their country.
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