GAMES REVIEW COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCOTLAND NEWSLETTER ISSUE 22 – AUTUMN 2014 OurOur bestbest GamesGames ever!ever! 19 15 19 After years of planning by Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) and all the key partners in Scottish sport, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games delivered a truly memorable and successful 11 days of competition in packed, world-class venues, with the home crowd roaring Team Scotland on to their best performance ever. A record haul of 53 medals, 19 Gold, 15 the XX Commonwealth Games Silver and 19 Bronze to finish fourth on at Celtic Park on 23 July, to the medal table, was just reward for the the rapturous welcome of the huge team effort that made the whole of crowd. In an amazing spectacle, Scotland proud. Team Scotland certainly everyone enjoyed a night of excitement the Commonwealth Games Federation lived up to its billing of 17 Sports – One and pride, setting the tone for the 11 days of flag into the stadium. It was then the turn Team! competition that were to follow. of the legendary Sir Chris Hoy, who had the honour of being the Following a magnificent build-up to the Para-Sport sprinter Libby Clegg and guide final baton bearer Games, Team Scotland fielded its largest Mikail Huggins took the oath on behalf and he presented team ever, with 310 athletes meeting of the athletes of the Commonwealth. the baton to the selection standards for the Games. Shooting Team Manager, Donald McIntosh Her Majesty the The athletes chose multiple World and represented the coaches, while Victor Queen at the end European medal-winning judoka, Euan Keelan from Scottish Wrestling represented of its incredible Burton, to carry the Scottish Flag and lead the officials and former Judo Gold journey across the the team into the Opening Ceremony of medallist, Graeme Randall accompanied Commonwealth. MICHAEL CAVANAGH Chairman’s view I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the last few amazing weeks for Scottish sport and for Team Scotland in particular, where our 310 athletes collectively inspired the nation over all 11 days of competition. They gave us so many moments to remember and treasure forever What will live with me for the rest of my life will be the enormous sense and they delivered the best medal of pride I felt every time I watched Scottish athletes giving everything to haul ever by any Scottish team at a perform at their best, roared on by the most amazing crowds at every venue. Commonwealth Games – a staggering 53 medals! commitment, which led to the delivery General Team Manager, Elinor Middlemiss of such an incredible ‘athlete centred’ and our small HQ team in Stirling. Joined However, it did not happen by accident. experience for the teams of the 71 nations by numerous committed volunteers at This Team Scotland performance was and territories. Team Scotland certainly Games time and supported throughout by the culmination of 12 years of planning delivered, but so did the Organising the 17 sports governing bodies and the high by CGS for these Games. It was just after Committee, a combined success which has performance expertise of sportscotland Manchester 2002 that CGS led by Louise made the experience of the last few weeks and its institute network, the collective Martin, in partnership with then First all the sweeter. focus was to ensure that the needs of the Minister, Jack McConnell, decided that athletes were always the first priority. From Scotland should launch a bid for the 2014 Thanks especially to the spectators who team selections to the team camp, then the Games. From the beginning, our bid had filled the venues and made their own preparation camp and finally at the Games all-party support in Scotland and following enormous contribution to the success of Village, everything was geared to helping selection of Glasgow as the host city by the Games. our athletes perform at their best. And CGS, the whole country got behind the bid. perform they did! I also want to thank the Games partners We were awarded the Games in November who worked so closely with us on this These Games have demonstrated how 2007 and, as the old saying goes, the rest long journey. The Scottish Government important the ‘17 Sports – One Team’ is history and what an amazing read the has provided magnificent support over philosophy is to the overall success of record books will be when we look back the last 12 years, with all three Sports Team Scotland. That feeling of being at Glasgow 2014! Indeed, all involved, and Ministers during that time, committed part of something special was constantly it has been a massive team effort over to the planning and delivery of such a mentioned by Team Scotland athletes in many years, can be rightly proud to have great Games. Shona Robison in particular the media. The ‘Go Scotland!’ campaign played their part in delivering the best has done an outstanding job since her expertly led by our communications team Commonwealth Games ever. appointment in early 2009. ensured that the Scottish public got fully behind us and enjoyed a clear insight into I would like to pay tribute to Glasgow 2014 Glasgow City Council has been 100% the athlete journey to the Games. – the board, senior management team and committed to making Glasgow 2014 the their workforce, contractors and of course, success that it undoubtedly was. The Team Scotland athletes went on to produce the Clydesiders, for their hard work and slogan ‘People Make Glasgow’ said it all. so many memorable moments that I I knew that Glasgow 2014 don’t think I’ll ever be able to answer the was always going to be a question I was asked so often – “What great Games, but the way was your favourite moment?” There were the city and its citizens took simply too many to pick just one. What will the Games to heart was a live with me for the rest of my life will be big part of what made it the the enormous sense of pride I felt when I best ever. Thanks to Council watched Scottish athletes giving everything Leader, Gordon Matheson, to perform at their best, roared on by the Councillor Archie Graham, most amazing crowds at every venue. Bridget McConnell, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life My second and final term as Chairman and others too numerous to ends next May and I want to thank all mention. of the CGS board members and our member SGBs, for their great support. It Closer to home, I’d also like to has been a privilege not just to serve as recognise the outstanding job CGS Chairman, but to have had the good done by the Team Scotland fortune to lead this great sporting family General Team Management, at such an exciting and successful time. led by our Chef de Mission, I certainly don’t envy the Gold Coast in Jon Doig and ably assisted by trying to live up to Glasgow 2014! 2 A shared moment with Team Fiji Queen’s Baton comes home Building public support for the Games and for Team Scotland was vital and the 40 days of the Queen’s Baton Relay in Scotland, hosted by CGS and working in partnership with sportscotland proved key. It was proudly carried through sportsmen and women past the length and breadth of and present, on route to the the Commonwealth sharing Opening Ceremony. There the warmth and friendship of were many local opportunities Glasgow and Scotland with to celebrate and promote some of the world’s most diverse sport, as well as increasing communities. Then on Saturday the profile of Team Scotland 14 June, the 2014 Queen’s Baton athletes. Indeed the incredible returned home to Scotland, marking response to the QBR as it journeyed across the final straight of a 100,000-mile epic Scotland gave the team an early indication journey and the final countdown to the of the amazing level of support they could Commonwealth Games. expect at the Games. round to Fiji, marching to a spontaneous After 248 days visiting 69 nations and Team members also enjoyed opportunities rendition of Flower of Scotland. territories, the baton crossed the border to the see the baton for themselves, both back into Scotland at Coldstream. It was at the Team Camp in Stirling and then with There they were met by a welcoming and passed by England’s legendary triple only a few hours to go until the Opening clearly emotional Fijian Team whose Chef Commonwealth Gold medallist Daley Ceremony on 23 July, it came to Scotland de Mission thanked the Scots warmly Thompson to Team Scotland athletics star Street in the Athletes Village. for their gesture before they treated Eilidh Child and welcomed with a guard of them to a melodic rendition of their own honour of local children, holding flags of Greeted warmly by Scotland, the baton national anthem in what was a memorable the Commonwealth. was passed hand-to-hand down one side Commonwealth Games moment. of the street and back up again, ensuring For the next 40 days the baton visited all everyone present got their own special And finally, at Celtic Park that evening 32 local authorities, was carried by more reminder of the visit. the baton reached its final destination than 4,000 baton bearers being recognised – the Opening Ceremony of the XX for their inspiration, hard work and impact But the Queen’s Baton visit didn’t end Commonwealth Games, where Her Majesty on the lives of others, as well as Scottish there. In a special gesture of goodwill, the Queen read out her special message Team Scotland took to the Commonwealth and declared the the baton down to Games open.