Neil DRYSDALE writes for STV

Scotland's Olympic voices share their thoughts on the 2012 games: Part 1
From gold medal prospects and coaches, to volunteers and armchair pundits, STV talks all things London Olympics.

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17 July 2012 06:30

Hannah Miley: The swimmer is hoping to replicate her Commonwealth success at the Olympics.
Pic: © SNS Group
As the countdown continues to the 2012 Olympics, STV has been finding out what some of the current competitors, former Games luminaries, coaches, and a variety of other Scots think about the looming London extravaganza.

Here, they share their thoughts and provide insight on being involved in and around the world’s biggest sporting event.

The Gold Medal Prospect

Hannah Miley (Garioch, who could be Britain's first gold medal-winner when the London Games begin).

“It’s intriguing when somebody asks whether I consider myself to be the favourite [in swimming’s 400m individual medley], because I can’t afford to think about it in these terms. Instead, I like to stay level-headed and keep things in perspective.

I could do a huge PB [personal best] and yet it might only be good enough to finish fourth or fifth. But that’s not failure. It isn’t. It’s not just about the medal, but about taking part, about enjoying the experience and doing the best I can, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and, however much you want to do well, it would be a shame if you lost sight of what the Olympic Games are supposed to be about in the first place.

“I appeared at the [London] pool in April, when there were only about 2000 spectators there and the atmosphere was unbelievable, so I can only guess what it will be like when there are eight times that number of people cheering us on at the Olympics themselves. I remember walking out with my headphones on and I had my hood up, so I couldn’t really hear the crowd.

"But they were making so much noise that I could feel the reverberations in my chest. So it will be a privilege to be involved. This is the Olympics, it is happening in Britain, and it has been a long time coming, but you can really feel the sense of expectation mounting and not just in London, but everywhere you go.”

The Olympian-turned-Ambassador

John Kerr (Livingston, who, together with his sister, Sinead, appeared in ice dance at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics).

"The Olympics have been a big part of my life and it was always a dream to be able to participate in one, never mind two. You knew you had pretty much made it in your sport if you got the chance to be a part of the Games and the only real step above that was to be a medallist and stand on the podium. It is such a special event to be a part of, and not just for the athletes, but for all the families and friends as well.

"The London Games are going to be amazing. As a member of the BOA Athletes Commission, I have seen at close quarters how much effort has gone into making this a truly remarkable event. It was always going to be difficult to top Beijing, but I think we will be pretty close. I was lucky enough to run with the torch in Edinburgh and you could see by the turn-out how much excitement is being generated throughout the country.

"So this is a huge opportunity for the UK to show that we can put on the greatest show on earth and I feel an immense sense of pride that I can be a small part of that. I think it is also a terrific opportunity for many of the lesser-known sports to really showcase themselves to the general public. And, if they can inspire a whole new generation of athletes to take up a sport they barely knew existed, then that would be fantastic."

The Volunteer

Mike Blackie (Glasgow, a former Premiership rugby champion, who now has a dental practice in the city).

"I have always been interested in the Olympics, so when I got the chance to do an interview to join the medical team in London, I jumped at the opportunity. I'll be working at the Excel Clinic in what is the second-biggest Games venue, and we will be looking after athletes in all the contact sports, including boxing, taekwondo, judo, wrestling, fencing (and weightlifting and table tennis). The medical centre is first-rate, and we have people covering every different area, from doctors and physiotherapists to anaesthetists and dentists and our job is to be available for whatever situations might crop up.

"It promises to be a fascinating experience, but it will be hard work as well. I am down to do nine or ten shifts throughout the Games and some of these will be from 6.30am-5.30pm, but I have tickets to watch gymnastics and I will try to catch some of the action at the Excel, because it is a fabulous venue. I am having to take time off from my own workplace [the Park Practice in Glasgow], but the Olympics aren't going to be in Britain again during my career, so I just wanted to be involved.

"From a sporting point of view, I honestly think that if our athletes do their absolute best, the nation can be proud of them, whether or not they win medals. I was down in London this weekend, and you could sense the anticipation building and, although there is some negative stuff in the media, I met some of the Army guys [who were filling in for G4S] and they were reacting to their new responsibilities with 100% professionalism. Once the Games commence, I have no doubt it will be memorable, and I'm fortunate to be involved."

This article was originally posted on 17-Jul-2012, 12:53 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 17-Jul-2012, 13:31.