South Scotland MSP and former Olympian Brian Whittle recently joined fellow MSPs from across the Chamber at Holyrood to celebrate the success of Scotland’s athletes at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The Games, held in Birmingham saw Scotland win 51 medals, including 13 gold, which saw them come sixth overall in the competition. Among the medallists were Laura Muir, who won golf in the 1500m and bronze in the 800m, and Jake Wightman who took bronze in the men’s 1500m. Scotland also won its first ever medal in squash, picking up a bronze.
In the debate, held shortly before the announcement of the Queen’s death, Whittle, who won a silver medal for Scotland in the 4x400m relay at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, used his speech to recognise how this generation of athletes are serving to inspire the next one. He also spoke of his memories of competing with the parents of Jake Wightman and Elish McColgan, whose mother Liz McColgan won two golds and a bronze in previous Commonwealth Games.
The MSP called for greater support for local sports clubs to ensure that young athletes, inspired by the success of Scotland’s Commonwealth champions, could have the opportunity to use their talents and fulfil their own ambitions to compete at the highest level in sport.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“Winning a medal at the Commonwealth Games was one of my greatest achievements as a professional athlete, so I know what it means to this new group of Scottish medallists.
Athletes like Laura Muir and Jake Wightman have been putting in the hard yards for years to reach this point. It takes an incredible level of effort and sacrifice to win a medal.
These medallists are an inspiration for the next generation of young aspiring athletes and it’s vital that we support the grassroots sports clubs and local facilities that give them a path to their own medal success.”
