Glasgow 2014: Aileen McGlynn targets medal compensation

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Interview - Aileen McGlynn

Scottish Paralympic gold medallist Aileen McGlynn is determined to prove her worth at the Commonwealth Games having lost her UK Lottery funding.

She understands the British Cycling cash was withdrawn because she was considered too old to be a medal prospect for the 2016 Paralympic Games.

"Because I'm 40, they didn't think I would get gold in Rio," the Glaswegian tandem cyclist told BBC Scotland.

"But I feel that I've still got time and have still not reached my peak."

McGlynn has won six medals in three previous Paralympics, including three golds, and is targeting a podium place as para-cycling makes its debut at this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"To be honest, they have probably done me a favour because I'm now training at the venue I'm going to be competing in," she said of a funding loss she found "disappointing".

"It's definitely a different track from Manchester or anywhere else I've ever trained - it's a lot steeper - so it's definitely an advantage to be training here.

"A medal of any colour would be nice, but definitely gold is the aim."

Her medal bid has received a timely boost, with Glasgow Museums lending partially sighted McGlynn and her pilot, Edinburgh's Louise Haston, a new tandem for training and the competition itself.

Their bike will become part of the Riverside Museum's collection of transport artefacts after the Games.

"I have lost my UK Lottery funding, so things are a bit tight at the moment and I'm delighted to have the support of Glasgow Museums in this groundbreaking project," she added.

"We are going into the Games with the best equipment, so it's going to be fantastic."

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