STV reports


It was one of the most dramatic, honour-studded years in the history of Scottish sport: a period which featured a major tennis triumph for Andy Murray, Ryder Cup glory for Paul Lawrie and a heart-rending Olympic gold medal for Katherine Grainger.

There were a string of other successes, including a grand haul of Games glory for Scotland’s representatives and myriad other prizes across international sport.

Here, we catch up with some of the country’s leading stars and find out their thoughts on what was best in 2012, while they explain their hopes for 2013.

CRAIG BROWN (Hamilton).

(Aberdeen FC manager, former Scotland coach).

Best of 2012: “There were so many great moments this year, but if I had to choose one, it would be Martin Kaymer’s trophy-clinching putt in the Ryder Cup – although I’d have preferred if it had been our own Paul Lawrie – or Andy Murray destroying Roger Federer to lift the Olympic gold. Both were totally inspiring.

Hopes for 2013: “I’d like to see the Dons win the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1999 and mount a serious title chance in the league and, once we get our injured players back, I see no reason why we cannot do both!”

EILISH McCOLGAN (Dundee).

(London Olympian and GB athletics star).

Best of 2012: “Being in the Olympic Stadium on the Saturday evening, to witness Mo Farah winning his first Olympic gold, along with Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis also surging to gold medals in their events. I will remember that day for the rest of my life.”

Hopes for 2013: “I am off to Kenya training for the first time in the New Year, so I hope I can come back fitter and stronger for the summer season and, hopefully, make my first-ever World Athletic Championships in Russia later in the season.”

DAVID FLORENCE (Aberdeen).

(Two-time Olympic canoeing medallist).

Best of 2012: “That was winning gold in both the C1 and C2 [classes] at the World Cup in Cardiff . This made history in our sport [it had never been done before] and was an achievement that I hardly dreamed was possible.”

Hopes for 2013: “I want to find new ways of training and pushing myself to excel at my sport and improve, both as an athlete and a person.”

MIKE BLACKIE (Glasgow).

(Glasgow rugby star and Olympic volunteer).

Best of 2012: “Everything about the action at the ExCel Arena [in London ] was set up for hugely entertaining sporting theatre and that was exemplified by the night that Jade Jones won gold in taekwondo. The combination of a partisan home crowd, an underdog rising to the occasion, and the sheer joy which Jade demonstrated, while collecting her medal, was a sight to behold and will live with me forever.”

Hopes for 2013: “In both football and rugby, I hope we can turn potential and near misses into results which will make the sporting world begin to sit up and take notice again. In rugby especially, we have a lot of quality youngsters and maybe we can get our attacking skills back to the fore and boost our representation before the selectors sit down to pick the squad for the [summer’s] Lions tour to Australia.”

SUSIE WOLFF (Oban).

(Williams F1 test and reserve driver).

Best of 2012: “Exiting the pits at Silverstone for my first-ever F1 test. It was both exciting and a challenge, but I really enjoyed every bit of it.”

Hopes for 2013: “To stay healthy and happy and become the third driver at the Williams F1 team. [This would take her closer to gaining a Grand Prix drive than any other British woman in the history of the sport.]

This article was posted on 30-Dec-2012, 17:40 by Hugh Barrow.