The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Burnett leads bid to strike gold again
Arbroath bowler Darren Burnett will get the chance to go for back-to-back gold medals after being chosen in the first group of Scottish athletes for next year’s Commonwealth Games.
With less than 200 days to go until the Gold Coast games, Team Scotland has announced its lawn bowls and swimming selections.
Burnett, who clinched the singles title in Glasgow 2014, will be joined by Fife’s Lesley Doig in Australia in the spring.
In swimming, Perth’s medallist last time round, Stephen Milne, has been named, as has his Perth City Swim Club team-mate Scott McLay, who made history at the recent Commonwealth Youth Games.
Former Strathallan pupil Duncan Scott will be a strong medal contender on the back of Olympic and World successes.
Fife will be represented by Kathleen Dawson and Mark Szaranek.
Both sports were major contributors to Team Scotland’s record medal haul in Glasgow.
There are six defending champions, as well as Olympic, World and European medallists.
Hannah Miley will aim to make it three 400m individual medley titles in a row, a record for any sport.
Team Scotland’s most successful Youth Games athlete in history, with five medals at Bahamas 2017 just over two months ago, 18-year-old McLay steps up into the senior team.
Scotland’s bowlers returned from the 2016 World Championships with five medals from eight events.
Alex ‘Tattie’ Marshall will be joined by fellow Glasgow gold medallists Paul Foster, and Burnett.
The women’s team is looking for a first medal since 2006. While Gold Coast will be their first Commonwealth Games experience, Strathmiglo’s Doig recorded Scotland’s top result at last year’s World Championships with silver in the singles.
Jon Doig, Team Scotland chef de mission, said: “We are delighted to welcome our first athletes to Team Scotland 2018. We are off to a strong start with swimming and lawn bowls, two of Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games sports with a track record of success in Australia.
“They are also two of Australia’s top sports, so we can count on a fantastic atmosphere and tough competition in Gold Coast.”