The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Eilidh Doyle is named as Team Scotland’s flag bearer for the 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on the Gold Coast, Australia.
Athlete celebrates honour by taking dinghy trip across lagoon
Eilidh Doyle had her “David Beckham moment” as she waved the saltire in the coastal breeze from a dinghy across a 200 metres lagoon on Australia’s Gold Coast.
She was escorted by Australian lifeguards at Surfers Paradise as she was named flag bearer for tomorrow’s XXI Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
Doyle said: “It was a bit surreal. I was more worried about staying in the boat and not falling in the water, because there were lots of phones out and a lot of cameras.
“I used to swim before I did athletics. If I’d have fallen in I would’ve been OK, but I don’t think my pride would’ve been.
“It was really cool to get that entrance into it and a lovely welcome.”
Doyle becomes the first female Scottish flag bearer and was selected from a shortlist including shooter Jennifer McIntosh and lawn bowls pair Alex Marshall and Paul Foster, who will be invited to walk out immediately behind Doyle as deputy flag bearers.
Doyle captained the Great Britain athletics team at last year’s World Championships in London, where she won a 4x400 metres relay silver to become Scotland’s most decorated track and field athlete.
She won Olympic bronze in the women’s 4x400 metres relay in Rio and the London 2017 medal was her third world medal from the same event.
Doyle wont heEu rope an400mhurdl es title in 2014 and has twice claimed silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in the hurdles, but described competition here as “fierce”.
She said: “When you’re growing up and start doing athletics, you want medals and you want times and you want to go to championships. You forget about these things you can do along the way.
“Last year getting voted to be team captain was huge and this is on a par with that. When I’m long retired these will be the things I look back on and will be the highlights. That’s the biggest honour you can get – that people value and appreciate you.”
Whatever happens on the Gold Coast over the next two weeks, it is already sure to be an unforgettable Commonwealth Games for one local athlete.
Eilidh Doyle has been given the honour of flying the flag for Scotland at tomorrow’s opening ceremony.
She will be Scotland’s first ever female flag bearer, and admits it is among her proudest moments.
One to tell the grandchildren, and no mistake.