Why Scotland’s youngest medal winner’s been told she can’t compete
Heartache for teenage swimming star as Paralympic bosses say she’s now ‘too healthy’ to compete again
HER medal-winning performance and heart-warming smile made her one of the brightest stars of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Erraid Davies, who shot to fame with Bronze in the Parasport 100 metres breaststroke while still only 13, provided one of the images of the Games as she stood beaming in disbelief on the podium.
But the shy Shetlander, who became the youngest ever winner of a Games medal, has been handed the devastating news that her para-swimming career is over.
Officials had already ruled that she is not disabled enough to compete in the Paralympics in Rio later this summer.
And yesterday, in a devastating verdict for the talented athlete, that decision was upheld when the 15-year-old was ‘failed’ by a medical appeal examiner in Berlin.
Erraid has struggled to overcome the debilitating conditions associated with Perthes disease, which has affected her hip bones and joints since birth.
Between the ages of four and eight, Erraid was trapped in a wheelchair because of her condition and could only walk with orthotic supports in her shoes.
In the 2014 Games, she competed in the SB9 category, a class where eligible swimmers have ‘minimal physical impairment’.
However, she was denied a place in the Rio Paralympics after losing her classification on the eve of the British trials in Glasgow, meaning she was declared ineligible to even enter the only race that would get her a spot on Team GB.
She sought a second opinion and it was arranged that she would be examined yesterday, allowing her to compete in this week’s international meeting in Berlin.
Last night, the teenager and her devoted parents David and Joyce were too upset to talk about the latest development, which could signal the end of what once promised to be a glittering competitive career.
Friends of the family, who insist that Erraid’s condition has not improved significantly, say the row over her eligibility has been extremely distressing.
A statement issued through Scottish Swimming said: ‘In line with
‘Extremely distressing’
the IPC classification process, Erraid Davies, of Delting Dolphins in Shetland, undertook a second classification review at the IDM 2016 Meet in Berlin, and has been deemed ineligible to compete in para-swimming.
‘This follows an initial classification review at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow back in April.
‘Erraid and her family are grateful for the support of the para-swimming community at this time but have asked not to be contacted direct in order they can digest the information.’
Changes in rules mean a classifier can now apply force to joints, instead of simply asking the athlete to demonstrate their range of movement.
A number of other para swimmers were also due for re-assessment in Berlin, following a review launched by the International Paralympic Committee in January. Erraid continued her training at the North Mainland Leisure Centre in Brae in the hope of being selected to compete at the Rio Paralympics due to start in September.
However, those dreams have now been dashed after the appeal ruling this week.
Speaking after Erraid’s disability was first downgraded in April, a spokesman for Scottish Swimming said: ‘She was really upset but Erraid is an amazing girl. We’re going to support her.’
Erraid started swimming at the age of four after being frustrated she could not walk.
Speaking after her daughter’s Commonwealth bronze medal victory in 2014, Mrs Davies said that being a good swimmer had always been important for her daughter because she could not take part in sports days and other school competitions.