OFF THE PITCH.. ON THE MARCH
8 TO FOLLOW OUTSIDE OF FOOTBALL
As 2022 begins, a Winter Olympics looms along with a huge summer of sport beyond. Here are eight rising talents ready for a breakthrough over the next 12 months. ATHLETICS Fourth in the 1500 metres at the Euro U20 Champs, Falkirk Harrier Kane Elliot, below, joined the intense battle to compete at the 2022 Commonwealths with a qualifying mark last autumn. It will be a big ask to knock Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman and Neil Gourley out of Scotland line-up, but his promotion onto UK Athletics Futures Academy underlined the faith in Elliot.
BASKETBALL
Currently in her first year of a scholarship at Toledo Uni, GB youth player Ella Doherty has her eyes set on conquering the USA after coming through at Perth Phoenix and Caledonia Pride. The teen could yet turn out at the Commonwealths. CRICKET Plucked to feature for Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, Glaswegian legspinner Abtaha Maqsood underlined how Scotland keeps producing talented young women cricketers who can hold their own. Her reputation is growing on the global stage. CURLING Silver for Bruce Mouat as Scotland’s skip in the men’s world champs in 2021 was complemented by gold in the mixed doubles with Jen Dodds. It sets him up nicely for a medal two-step in February’s Winter Olympics. CYCLING Twenty-year-old Anna Shackley, left, earned rave reviews for her support work in Tokyo. Now with the Dutch Worx team. ROWING Teen Abigail Topp has made the traditional switch south after excelling in the juniors, joining the famed Leander Club in Henley. Quickest in the recent GB U23 trials, the GB team’s disastrous show at the Olympics could work in her favour. SNOWSPORT Visually-impaired alpine skier Neil Simpson has reached the podiums of five World Cup events before the age of 20, including three golds at the start of 2021. Will be a medal contender at the Winter Paralympics. SWIMMING European junior gold medallist Katie Shanahan proved she’s a medley master in the making by reaching the final of the world short-course champs. She’s set to join Duncan Scott and Kat Dawson in the Stirling Uni training group.