Who are the 34 Scots in Team GB for Paris Olympics?
- Published
Almost three dozen Scots athletes will take to the biggest stage in sport as part of Team GB at this year's Olympic Games in Paris.
From athletics to taekwondo, and from household names to emerging stars, these are the competitors to watch out for over the next couple of weeks...
Athletics
Neil Gourley
Age: 29 Event: 1500m.
A calf injury ended Gourley's hopes of going to Tokyo and he also missed this year’s World Indoor Championships in his home city of Glasgow through injury.
However, he recovered to claim his Paris place with a 1500m win at the trials.
Having gathered his first major medal last year – 1500m European indoor silver – he will be confident about his Olympic debut.
Megan Keith
Age: 22 Event: 10,000m
Keith’s rise has been remarkable. As recently as early March, the former European under-23 cross country and 5,000m gold medallist, had never raced over 10,000m.
But in the three times she has competed over that distance since, she qualified for the Olympics, won a British title, and claimed a European bronze.
She's already fourth on the UK all-time list – not bad for someone who admits to finding the 10,000m "pretty boring".
Josh Kerr
Age: 26 Event: 1500m.
Kerr has carved a reputation as one of the world’s top middle-distance runners over the last few years.
He took 1500m bronze in a stunning Olympic debut in Tokyo, the only British man to collect an athletics medal in Japan.
The Scot backed that up with a world gold over the distance last year, then world indoor gold over 3000m earlier this year.
It is easy to see why Kerr is viewed as a gold-medal contender for Paris.
Eilish McColgan
Age: 33 Event: 10,000m
British record-holder McColgan will become the first track and field Scot to go to four Olympics.
Given her lengthy injury troubles, it is some achievement for the 10,000m Commonwealth Games champion and a European silver medallist.
Laura Muir
Age: 32 Event: 1500m.
Muir made history in Tokyo with silver in the 1500m run - the first individual track and field Olympic medal for a Scot for 33 years.
She has a glistening collection of medals at world, European and Commonwealth level and broke her own British 1500m record at the Paris Diamond League event earlier this summer.
Nick Percy
Age: 29 Event: discus
Percy admits he is "very small" in discus terms at 6ft 2in, but it hasn’t stopped him achieving his lifetime goal of competing at an Olympics.
The five-time British champion, who is second on the UK all-time list, has competed at world and European championships, as well as at the Commonwealth Games.
Jemma Reekie
Age: 26 Event: 800m
Reekie knows she can mix it at Olympic level, having been edged into fourth in the 800m final in Tokyo.
Major medals have been hard to come by for the Ayrshire athlete until she won silver over the distance at the world indoors in Glasgow earlier this year.
The 26-year-old is in fine form, having just smashed the Scottish record at the London Diamond League.
Jake Wightman
Age: 29 Event: 800m.
Wightman’s route to Paris has been far from straightforward.
Injuries have hobbled him after winning the world 1500m title in 2022. He was unable to defend his title, then missed this year’s world indoors and the trials.
As a consequence, he missed out on a 1500m place in Paris, but received a discretionary pick for the 800m. He won European silver over that distance two years ago and leads the 2024 UK rankings.
Nicole Yeargin
Age: 26 Event: 4x400m relay
Earlier this year, the US-born Scot admitted that she had considered her future in the sport after a disappointing indoor season.
But she stuck with it and has been rewarded with a 4x400m relay squad spot.
Yeargin, who has a Scottish mum, made her Olympic debut in Tokyo and has won world, European and Commonwealth bronze medals.
Badminton
Kirsty Gilmour
Age: 30 Event: Women’s singles
In a career that has yielded an impressive haul of medals at European and Commonwealth level, Gilmour is continuing to fly the flag for Scottish badminton.
Ranked 24th in the world, she will become just the second player to represent Team GB in the women’s singles at three Olympics.
Cycling
Charlie Aldridge
Age: 23 Event: men’s mountain bike.
Aldridge may have spent a number of years going downhill, but his career has very much been on an upward trajectory.
He topped the podium at the 2019 World Championships in the junior cross-country event and did the same in the under-23 event four years later.
Jack Carlin
Age: 27 Events: men’s sprint & team sprint
Carlin returned from Tokyo with silver and bronze medals, having become accustomed to podium appearances at world, European and Commonwealth level.
That trend has continued but the only thing that is missing is a major championship gold. Might it come in Paris?
Neah Evans
Age: 33 Events: women’s madison & omnium
Despite only taking up cycling full-time seven years ago, Evans has a fine collection of medals of all colours at world, European and Commonwealth level.
The former vet is a double world gold medallist and is world champion in the madison currently.
On her Olympics debut in Tokyo, she won team pursuit silver, and admits gold is her target in Paris.
Diving
Grace Reid
Age: 28 Event: women’s 3m springboard
Paris will represent a third Olympics for Reid, who has been a trailblazer for women’s diving in Britain and has claimed an impressive collection of medals.
Another podium place in France might be a big ask, but just being selected is an achievement for an athlete who considered quitting after Tokyo.
Equestrian
Scott Brash
Age: 38 Event: Individual & team jumping
Brash had an Olympic debut to remember in taking team gold at London 2012.
Having collected several more major medals in the team and individual disciplines since, he will be hoping to be in contention in both in Paris in his third Games.
Hockey
Amy Costello
Age: 26 Event: women's team
After being a reserve in Tokyo, Paris will represent Costello's first taste of competitive Olympic action.
The Surbiton Hockey Club defender has amassed well over 100 caps for Great Britain and Scotland combined.
Lee Morton
Age: 29 Event: men's team
After being dropped from the GB programme in 2019, the Glasgow-born player battled back to become a key player in qualification for Paris.
The midfielder also captained Scotland at the 2023 EuroHockey Championships II, where they placed third.
After spending the last few years with English side Old Georgians, Morton will spend next season with Dutch top division side AH&BC Amsterdam.
Sarah Robertson
Age: 30 Event: women's team
The only Scottish hockey player picked for Tokyo, she is one of four this time round.
Robertson – who plays for Hampstead and Westminster - won bronze in Japan, scoring in the 4-3 victory over India that secured the medal.
The attacking midfielder brings plenty of experience to the side, with 116 Scotland caps and 91 GB appearances to her name.
Charlotte Watson
Age: 26 Event: women's team
Watson has established herself as a key part of the GB squad, scoring 11 times in her 28 outings.
The forward has also scored 23 goals in her 91 Scotland appearances, and the Dundonian would love to mark her Olympics debut by adding to her tally.
Rowing
Sholto Carnegie
Age: 29 Event: men’s eight
Carnegie was another to endure a near miss in Tokyo as the men's four finished just outside the medals.
But multiple golds at world and European level will give him belief he can get some success in Paris as part of the men’s eight.
Rowan McKellar
Age: 30 Event: women’s eight
Earlier this year, McKellar revealed that the "slow burn" start to her career led her to consider calling time on the sport.
Thankfully, she perservered and now has a host of major championships medals, including world and European gold.
After finishing fourth in the women’s four in Tokyo, she is confident about her chances of getting on the Paris podium as part of the eight.
Rugby
Lisa Thomson
Age: 26
The only Scottish player in the squad, it is a second Games appearance for the back, who featured in Tokyo last time round despite travelling as a reserve.
The Borders-born player has been capped 60 times for her country.
Sailing
Anna Burnet
Age: 31 Event: mixed Nacra 17
Burnet and partner John Gimson won silver in Tokyo and have two world titles to their name.
Given that impressive CV, it would come as no surprise if they are able to go one better and top the Olympic podium this time round.
Fynn Sterritt
Age: 36 Event: men’s 49er
After missing out on qualification for Tokyo, Sterritt endured a "dark few months".
After a period away from the sport, he and partner James Peters decided to give it one more go and now the Highlander has turned his Olympic dream into reality.
The pair have twice won World Cup gold and are well-placed for the Paris podium.
Shooting
Seonaid McIntosh
Age: 28 Events: 10m air rifle, 50m three position rifle & mixed team 10m air rifle
Britain's most successful female shooter ever is one of the strongest hopes of a Scottish gold.
Having put together a magnificent haul of medals at world, European and Commonwealth Games level, all that is missing for the world number one in the 50m is some Olympic silverware.
Swimming
Kathleen Dawson
Age: 26 Events: 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 4x100m mixed relay
Dawson is already an Olympic goal medallist, as part of the 4x100m mixed medley team in Tokyo. That made her the first female Scottish swimmer to top the podium in over 100 years.
The Fifer, who can also boast four European golds, suffered a career-threatening back injury after that, but has battled back to make the team.
Lucy Hope
Age: 27 Events: 200m freestyle & 4x200m freestyle
Hope's highlight came at the European Championships three years ago, where she claimed four relay golds.
She added silver in the 4x200m freestyle at this year’s World Championships, which would suggest there is plenty to be optimistic about for Paris.
Keanna MacInnes
Age: 22 Event: 200m butterfly
A double gold medallist at last year’s European Under-23 Championships, MacInnes booked her Paris place by overcoming world champion Laura Stephens at the British Championships in April.
Duncan Scott
Age: 27 Events: 200m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 4x100m freestyle relay & 4x200m freestyle relay
In Tokyo, Scott won four medals – one gold and three silver – making him Britain's most successful athlete at a single Games, and their most decorated swimmer ever.
He has won over 40 major championship medals in the pool, including four world golds and nine European ones. More Olympic prizes seem very likely.
Katie Shanahan
Age: 20 Events: 200m backstroke & 400m individual medley
After a stellar youth career, Shanahan had a real breakthrough year in 2022 as she won a European Championship silver as well as two Commonwealth bronze medals.
She will go in two individual events in Paris, with making finals her primary goal.
Taekwondo
Rebecca McGowan
Age: 24 Event: +67kg category
After being an understudy to triple world champion and double Olympic bronze medallist Bianca Cook in Tokyo, McGowan vowed she would be competing in Paris.
The two-time world championship medallist - who also has a European gold - got her Olympic wish, when she was selected ahead of Cook for Paris.
And McGowan is travelling in confident mood, saying "there is no doubt in my mind" she can top the podium.
Tennis
Andy Murray
Age: 37 Event: men's singles & doubles
This looks like being the swansong for arguably Scotland's greatest ever athlete.
Murray memorably won Olympic singles golds at London 2012 and repeated the trick in Rio.
Time and fitness are catching up with the former world number one, but signing off in France would be a fitting way to bring the curtain down on his remarkable career.
Cameron Norrie
Age: 28 Event: Men's singles
Norrie is not taking the kind of form he would want to Paris but, on his day, he can compete with the best.
A Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2022, he is going to need to rediscover that level if he is to have a realistic chance of challenging for a place on the podium.
Triathlon
Beth Potter
Age: 32 Events: women's & team triathlon
As reigning world champion, Potter is a genuine gold medal hope for Paris.
This is her second Olympics, and her first as a triathlete, having made her Games debut in Rio in 2016 in the 10,000m.
The progress she has made since switching has been described as "amazing" by two-time former gold medallist Alistair Brownlee. Can that continue in Paris?