2009 is another big year for Scottish sport, with the British Lions travelling to South Africa in rugby, Open golf coming back to Turnberry and crucial football World Cup qualifiers paramount amongst a busy 12 months of commotion.

And that’s not to mention the qualification and rankings battles between Scottish and British athletes as they vie for places in the national squad travelling to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

But has there been a better year to look back upon in recent Scottish memory than 2008? 

In The Winning Zone takes a look back on an historic year for Scottish sport...

Pedalling Around

February 15th may be the day after Valentine’s Day for most people, but there will be few who showed as much heart and passion in 2008 than Mark Beaumont, the heroic expeditionist from Fife who cycled the perimeter of the planet in an amazing 194 days, as he arrived back in the romance-capital of the world, Paris.

Beaumont, on his specially designed bike, braved treacherous traffic, blistering heat, near-starvation and hostile locals as he rode 100 miles a day across some of the world’s most challenging terrain, travelling through four continents and across three oceans on his point to point adventure.

In doing so he broke the world record for a round-the-globe cycle by an incredible 82 days, becoming a household name in Scotland, and a true hero.

Track Heroes

In the much more confined arena of the velodrome, Scotland produced perhaps its most iconic sporting moment of all time when, at the Beijing Olympics in August, Chris Hoy powered his way past fellow Briton Jason Kenny to claim his third gold medal at the one games, a feat not achieved by a person of these isles in a century.

Having won the team sprint alongside Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff, Hoy then moved on to claim gold in the keirin, his ‘banker’ event, even though he had only been doing it for a couple of years.  After taking his third gold in the men’s sprint, an emotional Hoy wept on the podium, as his parents wept in the stands, savouring the moment when he became Scotland’s greatest Olympian of all time.

Ross Edgar also stamped his authority on the cycling world in 2008, taking home a silver medal from Beijing when he ran Chris Hoy close in the keirin.  It is Edgar’s first medal at a major event, and he was doubly delighted after being left out of the gold winning men’s sprint team just days earlier.

Olympic Honours

Beyond the two Scottish heroes on the cycle track, there are other reasons to be jolly if you’re a Scot looking back on 2008, thanks to the performance of several other Olympians, most notably David Florence and Katherine Grainger.

Having grabbed a qualifying place in the GB squad ahead of several other close rivals, canoe slalom star Florence was delighted just to be in the GB squad, making it a full quota of Scots in the slalom team as he lined up alongside Campbell Walsh and Fiona Pennie.  However Florence got stronger as the event progressed, and emulated his 2004 team-mate Walsh when he stormed to a silver medal in China,  making him Scotland’s first medal winner of the Games.

Also on the (slightly calmer) water starring for Scotland was one of our greatest living Olympians, Katherine Grainger.  Her women’s quadruple scull (with Annie Vernon, Debbie Flood and Frances Houghton) were tipped to win gold in Beijing earlier this year, but were pipped at the post after a late surge from the Chinese team.

However despite the disappointment – silver may be an honour for some but it was gold or nothing for Grainger – she still became the first British woman in any sport to medal at three consecutive Games.   And the 33-year-old from Aberdeen is determined to make one last stab at the medal that has frustratingly eluded her when the next games roll around in London in 2012.

There were Scots competing at the highest level all over in Beijing, and from the Bird’s Nest Athletics stadium to the spectacular water cube aquatics arena, it was a wonderful two weeks for Scotland and Team GB.

Perhaps the most disappointing outcome of the Olympics however was the decision of Scotland’s top swimmer, Kirsty Balfour, to retire.  The Edinburgh breaststroker suffered a disappointing Games, despite her hot form in the past few years, and she decided to step down from the sport shortly after her return.

Paralympic powerhouses

Back to the track we go – what is it about Scotland and cyclists?  Two more gold medals were won in the Laoshan Velodrome by Aileen McGlynn and her English partner, Ellen Hunter.  Visually impaired McGlynn – already a multiple world champion and Olympic medallist – took the top prize in both the Kilo and the Individual Pursuit in the BV&I 1-3 category.

On the athletics track, Libby Clegg lived up to her billing as one of the top visually impaired sprinters in the world, aged only 18, when she stormed to a silver medal in the women’s 200m with her guide runner, Lincoln Asquith.

And Paralympic stalwart Jim Anderson equalled his Athens tally in the pool by winning four medals at the China Games.  The 45-year-old just gets better with age, and took two silvers (200m S2 Freestyle, S2 50m Backstroke) and two bronze (S2 100m Freestyle, S2 50m Freestyle).  Sean Fraser also won a bronze in the men’s S8 100m Backstroke. 

How many will we get in 2012?

Murray magic

In 2007, Jamie Murray took the plaudits for his mixed-doubles win at Wimbledon.  But this year was the year that Scotland, and the world, saw what the mercurial Andy Murray was truly capable of.  He started slow with early defeats at the Australian and French Open, but in the second half of 2008 he was truly magnificent.

His entrance to superstardom came after a dramatic win over Frenchman Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon.  Two sets down, Murray looked to be heading out of his home tournament early, but a breathtaking, nail-biting comeback that went on until near total darkness saw him come back to win 3-2 on a tiebreak.  Britain went wild!

However, though he won the Cincinnati and Madrid Masters titles, the highlight of Murray’s year was undoubtedly the US Open in New York in September.  Making his way to his first ever grand slam semi-final, Murray faced up to one of his best friends, but also his arch-rival, Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard had just overtaken Roger Federer as world number one, and was on a winning streak that had brought him the French Open title, the Wimbledon title and the Olympic gold.  To boot, he had never lost against Murray.

But that was all to change. Over two dramatic evenings, Murray dismantled Nadal in a way in which no-one had ever seen.  For every power-play Nadal threw at the Scot, Murray had a return that was both graceful and aggressive in equal measure.  He outclassed the best player in the world to make his first slam final. 

Unfortunately, coming up against an in-form Roger Federer in the final proved too much for Murray, but it set the standard for which all of Britain hopes will be an ever better 2009!

Amateur Excellence

It was an average year for Scotland’s professional golfers, but it was the amateur trio of Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear and Callum Macaulay who coped with the pressure of the world on their shoulders after capturing the World Amateur Team Championship in Adelaide, Australia in October.

The trio fought against horrendous weather conditions to win comfortably, by nine holes, over the USA.  Obviously being from Scotland gave them a considerable advantage over their transatlantic rivals when it came to coping with a storm! 

Their victory (briefly) meant Scotland were the proud holders of a unique double, being the World Champions at both amateur and professional level, as Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren won the pro version of the competition in December 2007.  Unfortunately their defence fell flat in November 08.

And of course, it was also a great year for Scottish coach Bob Torrance, whose star man, Podraig Harington, became the darling of world golf after taking both the Open and USPGA Championships in the latter half of 2008.

Curling Gurus

Continuing Scotland’s dominance on the big stage of curling, David Murdoch’s Scotland team triumphed once again against Norway in the European Championships in Sweden winning 7-6 at the Swedbank Arena in Ornskoldsvik.

And Scotland’s junior women also gave us an exciting glimpse into the future when Eve Muirhead’s team (with Sarah McIntyre, Kerry Barr and the Stranraer sisters, Vicki and Kay Adams) pummelled Sweden to take the World Junior Championship.

Big Break

Never write off John Higgins.  Every time his star begins to fade, he will turn round and do something special, just as he did at in October by winning the Glasgow Grand Prix, competing in his first final since winning the World Championship in 2007.

Now, a Grand Prix isn’t nearly as big as a world title, but for Higgins to win his first ranking tournament on home soil in Glasgow is quite special.  It was also fitting that he equalled the feat of Stephen Hendry by claiming a record fourth Grand Prix title.

Glasgow potter Stephen Maguire also had a great season, claiming victory at the prestigious China Open, making the quarter finals and semi finals of the World and UK Championships respectively, and climbing to an all time high of number two in the world rankings.  He is also joined in the world’s top ten by fellow Scots Higgins and, of course, Hendry.

Celtic Kings

Well, it wasn’t quite ‘shinty,’ but it was still a significant victory for Scotland.  In the annual clash between Scotland and Ireland in the shinty / hurling mixed rules international, it was the men from the mainland who came out on top over their Emerald Isle rivals.

Despite fielding two full Irish internationals, and even though the match was played in the cauldron of Kilkenny, the heartland of the Gaelic game in Ireland, Scotland proved too stubborn for the men in green, and prevailed as 13-12 winners.

Heroes in the Making?

In October, Scotland won a total of 18 medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune, India. 

Three of those were gold, with Banff’s Kay Copeland winning the 50m prone rifle event, but it was Strathaven’s Douglas Scott who stole the show for Scotland in India: he won two golds in the pool in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.  He added a bronze in the final day in 4x100 medley relay.

In total, Scotland won 10 of their 18 medals in the water.  Four came from shooting, three from boxing, with one-a-piece being contributed by the athletics team, the wrestlers and the badminton players.

Local Heroes, but National Headaches

Football

In Scotland’s two favourite sports, football and rugby, results have been mixed in 2008.  There were some fine performances on the national and international stage, but the club team outgunned the national squads this year.

Celtic maintained their domestic dominance, with Gordon Strachan claiming a third consecutive SPL crown, a feat not achieved since the days of the late, great Jock Stein.  A gutsy Champions League performance also saw the Hoops through to the last 16 for the second year running, though unfortunately they couldn’t repeat it for a third time as the 2009 knockout stages approach.

Rangers have experienced similar peaks and troughs.  Though pipped at the post in the league by their Glasgow rivals, Walter Smith’s Gers took both domestic cups (though special mention must be made to First Division side Queen of the South for making the Scottish Cup final) and overcame some fearsome European opposition to make the final of the UEFA Cup, before falling to Russian outfit Zenit St Petersburg in the final at Old Trafford.

The national teams, men’s and women’s, have endured a difficult 2008.  George Burley’s men have yet to perform to the same high standards set by his predecessors Alex McLeish and Walter Smith, though they are still very much in the race for World Cup 2010 qualification. 

Anna Signuel’s women came heart-breakingly close to qualifying for the European Championships, which would have been a first for Scotland, but fell gut-wrenchingly short of the line after losing out on goal difference in the play-off against Russia.

Rugby

It was similar story for Scotland’s rugby fortunes, with the clubs out-shining the national side, though there were also a couple of highs for Frank Hadden’s men.

2008 may just be the year remembered in history as the ‘coming of age’ of Scotland’s two top professional clubs, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors.  With two world-class coaches in Andy Robinson and Sean Lineen, both sides have began punching above their weight in the Magners League and the Heineken Cup, claiming, each of them claiming notable scalps against top European opposition.

The national side meanwhile have, as always, endured a topsy-turvy season.  Big wins against England in the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield and World Cup semi-finalists Argentina in Buenos Aries allowed the year to end with a ‘tick’ beside it, but more will be expected of the men in navy blue in 2009. 

The biggest plus of the year, however, must be the emergence of Mike Blair as a truly inspirational new captain, and his nomination for IRB World Player of the Year.  Next stop, the 6 Nations!

Rising stars

2008 was an amazing year for Scottish sport, but these youngsters typify what commitment and hard work will bring to anyone, and they are role models to all Scots, young and old.

East Dunbartonshire triathlete, Kirsty McWilliam, bettered her second place the European Junior Triathlon Championships by winning the World Junior Championships in Vancouver, Canada in June.

The 18 year old former swimmer, who is equally skilled in all of the sport’s three disciplines, felt at home in the cold conditions.  She was third out of the 750m swim and finished in the leading pack on the 20km cycle leg. 

However it was on the 5km run that she left everyone in her wake.  By the half way stage she held a 39 second lead over the second placed athlete, a gap she maintained until crossing the finishing line in 1 hour four minutes and five seconds.  You will definitely be seeing more of her in the future!

Further north, Aberdeen tennis starlet Joanna Henderson continues her relentless march towards superstardom.  Having maintained her status as one of Britain’s best juniors, becoming the singles and doubles Under-16 champion in 2008 – aged just 14 – she has now stepped up her efforts to start conquering the rest of the world.

And she did so in style, teaming up with Junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson to make the final of the World Junior Championships, bringing back a silver medal to Blighty!  Watch out Ana, Serena, Venus and Maria!!

Meanwhile Gymnast Danny Keatings completed an outstanding European Championships in April by adding individual gold medals in the pommel horse and floor to the junior team and overall titles in Lausanne in Switzerland.  It was the best ever haul of medals by a British gymnast at a major championship.

Then, days after winning gold on the pommel horse at the "World Stars" competition in Moscow, the teenager was selected for Team GB to go to the Olympics.  He didn’t make the final, but after a fantastic year in ’08, all eyes will be on young Danny as London 2012 approaches.  Keep an eye out for him at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year!

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Finally, tribute must be paid to Jason McIntyre, the Scottish road racer who was tragically killed in a car accident, and three men of footballing legend in Glasgow, Gretna and Dundee respectively, Tommy Burns, Brooks Mileson and Eddie Thompson, who died this year after long battles against illness.  In The Winning Zones dedicates Scotland’s winning 2008 to these men.

Have a fine ’09!

RO
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