SCOTTISH ATHLETES are riding on a “groundswell of self-belief” since the London Olympics and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, aided by strong communication, new and improved support networks, and the creation of more paid positions in athletics development, creating a “sea change for the sport”.
These are just some of the reasons why — according to the body’s head of development and interim chief executive, Mark Munro, chairman Ian Beattie and the director of coaching, Rodger Harkins — Scots have claimed no fewer than 15 spots on the 2016 British Olympic team.
Those 15 athletes will form part of GB’s line-up for Rio – the highest contingent for an Olympics since 1972. It follows an historic national 21 medals won by those from north of the border at the British Olympic trials in Birmingham, Highgate and at the London Marathon.