20/07/2014 Sport XIV

# Think about it

# There must be a higher love

# Down in the heart and in the stars above... #

The host for the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be Glasgow.

CHEERING

# Things look so bad everywhere

# In this whole world What's fair...? #

Wells wins and Scotland gets the gold.

# ..Falling behind in what could be

# Bring me a higher love

# Bring me a higher love

# Bring me a higher love

# Where's this higher love I've been thinking of? #

Hello and welcome to this special edition of Sport XIV.

You can feel the buzz around the city and the country.

We're now just three days away from the start of Glasgow 2014.

And the first chance for Scots to win medals

will come at the men's Triathlon.

And for Hamilton native Grant Sheldon, it will be a bit special

because he grew up just a stone's throw away from Strathclyde Park.

I'm up on the first day.

I guess it's a good thing, it gets it out of the way

and then I just get to soak up the atmosphere without seeing

anyone else do their event and just waiting and waiting.

I can see how it would be good to get done first.

I grew up in Hamilton, at the top of Hamilton,

Strathclyde Park's at the bottom.

Me and my family used to go for walks around it when I was little.

And when I started triathlon training, I went out

on my first bike rides around there, my first sort of training runs.

Yeah, so I know it pretty well

and it will be pretty cool to race in the Commonwealth Games there.

We've been down there recceing the place quite a few times.

We know the course really well.

And we've adjusted our training accordingly.

It will also be good to have a lot of friends

and family make the journey down...

just for that, I need moral support.

So, triathlon is swim, bike, run, in that order.

Swim 1,500m, 40km on the bike

and then a 10km run.

So it usually lasts just under two hours,

so it's very much an endurance event.

I've watched the Commonwealth Games since I was a little kid.

It will be pretty cool to finally be a part of it and get in the mix.

Good luck to Grant, and there's plenty of other action to come

in the opening two days.

Gyurta wins the gold and it's a fantastic silver medal

for Great Britain and Michael Jamieson.

In day one, the biggest interest could well be in the pool.

And Michael Jamieson will be looking to go one better than silver

in the final of the 200m breast stroke,

but will face stiff competition from Ross Murdoch.

While Hannah Miley will be defending her 400m medal title from Delhi.

And Caitlin McClatchy looks to regain the 200m freestyle title

she won in Melbourne eight years ago.

It's 12 years since judo was represented at the Games

and John Buchanan is a survivor from that team.

He competes in the 60 kilo weight category.

While hopes are high for a medal from Connie Ramsay in the 57 kilo division.

The men's singles squash gets underway at Scotstoun

and runs until the 28th.

Watch out for Scotland's Alan Clyne, Greg Lobban and Kevin Moran.

While Scotstoun will also host the table tennis team competition

which also runs until the 28th.

Craig Howieson will be key to Scotland's hopes.

In cycling, Aileen McGlenn

and her pilot Louise Haston will be in action in the sprint tandem event.

Big things will be expected of Katie Archibald

in the 500m time trial.

While Mark Stewart will be a key member

of the 4,000m pursuit team.

The Hydro hosts the boxing, which begins on day two.

First up for Scotland are Lewis Benson, Joe Ham, Ross Henderson,

Reece McFadden, Stephen Lavelle and Scott Forrest.

At the velodrome, Paralympic star Neil Fachie and pilot Craig McLean

will be hard to beat in the 1km tandem time trial.

While Charline Joiner will be one of four Scots

going for gold in the 3K individual pursuit.

The pool matches in the hockey competition get under way at Glasgow Green.

The men will be relying on the goals of Kenny Bain

in their opener against South Africa.

While the women begin their campaign against Malaysia.

Over at the Barry Buddon shooting centre,

Sian Bruce will be aiming for glory in the skeet competition.

Day two of the judo, and 2002 silver medallist Sarah Clark

will be rolling back the years.

While Scottish hopes also rest on Patrick Dawson

and Olympian Sally Conway.

It's gone to Robbie Renwick.

Robbie Renwick of Scotland wins the men's 200m freestyle

at the Commonwealth Games.

Back at the pool,

Robbie Renwick will be defending his 200m freestyle title.

And on day three, we'll see something unique in sport

as two sisters battle it out for the gold medal.

Shooter Jen Macintosh, whose father Donald is the team manager

and mum Shirley, a Commonwealth champion,

is being joined on the range by younger sister Seonaid.

Chris McLaughlin has been to meet them both.

How much different do you think these Games will be,

given the fact it's a home Games?

How much extra pressure do you think that brings on you?

In some ways it brings extra pressure.

You know, like the expectation, the awareness and everything.

I suppose that's something that comes with being a shooter,

that cool, calm, collected...

I'm pretty good at being cool and calm and collected

when I need to be, but it's generally not a core value of my personality,

I would have thought.

How does it feel to be part of such an illustrious shooting family?

Yes, it's absolutely fantastic.

There's a huge wealth of experience and knowledge here.

It's great to be able to draw on that

and also pass it on to the wee yin.

The wee yin, she's calling you.

-You've got a lot to live up to, haven't you?

-Kind of, I guess.

Other people would see it that way, I don't really,

it's just something I do.

When you put your heads on your pillow at night thinking of Glasgow

and the Commonwealth Games, is there one thing that keeps popping up?

I think standing on the podium, but not by myself,

with her standing next to me, hopefully down a step.

You know, at the Commonwealth Games, she's just another athlete

and I need to separate that and just focus on myself and, you know,

just treat her like I would any other athlete.

Talk me through the dream, the Commonwealth dream.

Just...it's been one of those things, I've always been...

always been around Commonwealth Games.

My mum won her first medal in 1994, so I was three years old.

I guess I just always wanted to be like...be like her

and win medals like her and be successful like her

and now it's kind of about personal pride, more than family pride.

Elsewhere on day three...

Boxing continues on day three with Charlie Flynn, Aqeel Ahmed

and Kieran Smith in action.

But the star Scottish attraction will be

Delhi's silver medallist, Josh Taylor.

But in a split second Euan Burton's been thrown.

More judo, and the nation will have everything

crossed for Euan Burton after his London 2012 heartbreak.

Also in action, Chris Sherrington, Matt Purssey and Sarah Adlington.

The Rugby Sevens competition begins at Ibrox.

First up for Scotland will be New Zealand.

And in the pool,

the 100m breast stroke final could be a race not to be missed

with Michael Jamieson, Craig Benson

and Ross Murdoch all in contention for gold.

Sophie Smith will be the first Scottish weightlifter

in action at Glasgow 2014 when she competes at the Clyde Auditorium.

And the netball competition gets under way

at the Hydro as the Scottish Thistles

take on New Zealand in their first preliminary match.

Athletics begins with the men's and women's marathon.

Scottish eyes will be trained on Derek Hawkins, Hayley Haining,

Joasia Zakrzewski and Susan Partridge.

Jenny Davis, on the left, will be looking to improve her silver medal

performance from Delhi in cycling's team sprint

where she's paired with Eleanor Richardson.

It's knockout time in the Rugby Sevens,

and you can expect the mighty All Blacks to be feared

and admired in equal measure, but could it be Scotland's day at Ibrox?

And it weightlifting, Georgie Black,

who has shed an incredible 15 kilos in two years, will take the stage.

Hopes are high for success in bowls,

and in the women's singles final Caroline Brown could be in the mix.

But look at Libby Clegg. Absolutely flying!

Day five, and Hampden could see its first Scottish gold medal

when Libby Clegg goes in the T12 100m.

No Usain Bolt in the 100m,

but England's James Dasaolu could cause a stir.

The team events in the artistic gymnastics get under way

at the Hydro. Veteran Adam Cox will captain the home side,

supported by Liam Davie and Frank Baines,

as well as Olympians Daniels Purvis and Keatings.

And the women are represented by Emma White,

appearing in her third Games,

Hannah Kennedy, Erin McLachlan, Carly Smith and Amy Regan.

There they go! That's the victory dance! Yes!

At Kelvingrove,

don't be surprised to see Scottish pair Alex Marshall

and Paul Foster in the shake-up for the men's pairs title,

a prize they won eight years ago in Melbourne.

Jonathan Hammond won four medals last time out at Delhi,

and will be hard stopped from retaining his 50m prone title.

The wrestling begins at Scotstoun, and first up for Scotland

are the evergreen Robertson twins - Donna and Fiona, 45 years young.

Now, Hampden has seen

so many special occasions in the history of Scottish sport, but maybe

with athletics being hosted there it's about to write a new chapter.

It got a taste of what's in store

when the Diamond League came to town last weekend.

A very warm and sunny welcome to Hampden Park in Glasgow

for two days of top-class athletics.

Let's go live to our Commonwealth Games reporter Chris McLachlan who's

there for us and, Chris, who are we expecting to see this evening?

Who are we expecting to see?

The big favourite for the home fans, of course, Eilidh Child.

She will go shortly in the 400m hurdles.

Eilidh Child, one of the faces for Scotland of the Commonwealth Games.

Eilidh Child bringing them all home at the moment,

and as she hits the home straight the noise will swell again

inside Hamden, because it's Eilidh Child, the Scot,

who's bringing them home into the sunshine towards the final barrier

and towards the line now. This is a very impressive victory.

How is the time? 54:39.

Here in front of your home crowd and just before the Commonwealth Games.

A season's best. Perfect timing.

Yeah, that was technically my best race this season.

Just to have the crowd cheering, and it's only half full.

Such an amazing atmosphere and it really got me

fired up for Glasgow now.

Now Libby Clegg is going to be in lane four.

Mikhail is going to be running with her.

Libby Clegg gets away really well alongside Hayes.

Look at Mueller-Rottgard!

Comes through for the win. Wow! 12:29!

A season's best for Libby Clegg,

so improving all the time, coming into good form.

12.4, in third place.

Let's talk women's Steeple Chase,

and Eilish McColgan will be a crowd favourite.

She's had a bumpy ride. Trained really well but struggled

a little bit,

and then had this issue with her heart palpitations,

so she's not in the best of shape.

She knows that, but she really wants to perform well here.

This is a hard run today for Eilish.

Nine minutes and 43 seconds she needs to claim a place in the British

team at the European championships.

She might be just outside, and she will, she's punching for the line,

but I think she got there in around nine minutes and 44.

Agonisingly, she's missed to by about a second.

Chris O'Hare in the orange, and Chris actually the man who was

Britain's number one last year.

What a tremendous race. He had a bit of a hamstring twinge,

they've come back superbly well.

Yeah, I've been kind of held together by tape the last few weeks,

and I went for it and I tied it up, tied it up with 100 to go,

but we've got a couple of weeks left and er...

yeah, I'll be fit

and healthy to work on some speed for the next couple of weeks.

So the women's 800m here at Hampden.

So much interest, so much intrigue around this race, Mike Costello.

Yes, there is, and we're expecting prominent performances

here from two Scottish athletes - Laura Muir and Lynsey Sharp.

And I thought Lynsey Sharp promised a lot.

I think Lynsey Sharp in the Commonwealth Games is going

to be one to contend with.

Laura Muir looked a little bit disappointed further down.

What a cracking two days of action.

We're back here for the Commonwealth Games in two weeks' time. Can't wait.

Can't wait. Can't wait.

Now, all 310 of our competitors are serving Scotland

in a sporting context.

But, for swimmer Martin Cremin,

that extends to his role as a special constable in Police Scotland.

The 1,500m swimmer gave our cameras a glimpse into his life

as a law enforcer in Falkirk.

My name is Martin Cremin.

I work as a Special Constable based at the Forth Valley Division

of Police Scotland.

There's a nationwide campaign to target incidents of violence.

Today we take part in Operation Tetra, which is

in line with Police Scotland's initiative to keep people safe,

and today we were essentially visiting violent offenders,

trying to pick them up, take them off the streets,

as well as visiting victims of crime and reassuring them.

And also being a visible police presence in the area.

We are off to try and get a hold of a guy that's wanted

on a warrant for assault and a hate crime.

It's no guarantee that he'll be there,

but hopefully we'll get a result.

-Can we come in and have a word with you?

-Aye.

We're here to speak to you in relation to an assault

that took place at the weekend.

Yeah, well, it was just an argument.

Er...er...regarding...

something that somebody had done that same day.

We're going to have to take you back to the police station,

you'll have to come back with us, all right?

The reason for that is you're going to have to be interviewed

-so we can get your version of events.

-Right, that's fine.

You're not obliged to answer any further questions,

but anything you do say, I will record.

You've already given me all your details so we're good to go.

We're heading up to Falkirk just now, we'll take you into the custody suite

where you will speak to the custody sergeant.

As I said to you earlier,

we will have to keep hold of you...

No-one wants to see us today.

The problem with pursuing offenders that are wanted on apprehension

warrants is that usually they do know that we're coming

and they conveniently make themselves unavailable by maybe being

out for the day, and we just tackle that by being a persistent presence,

maybe chapping their door a couple of times each shift

until we get a hold of these people.

Yeah, this is often quite frustrating cos you can suspect

that there is someone in there and you have no means of

actually getting into the premises to secure that person without

being 100% sure that they are actually there.

Could you control that dog and bring it in here, please?

Policing has changed my perspective on society.

You do get a real insight into how certain individuals live.

It's quite humbling.

Every time you go out on shift you are definitely helping

the community. Whether it be just by being a police presence,

getting people off the street, reassurance visits...

Yeah, it's definitely a rewarding thing to do.

So tonight we saw me taking part in a land circuit, which just

involved some really high intensity exercises and short rests.

That kind of high intensity workout has been devised for me.

I lost my fitness last season just as I was beginning to

get into racing time. That was a type of work I needed to be doing

to get myself in shape and fast.

It worked really well, so I've just maintained that within my programme.

I'm going to be representing Team Scotland

in the 1,500m swimming event.

I think if I can push my PB down well below sub 1520,

then I'll be in with a chance of making the final.

Watch out for Martin on day five...

then, on day six...

Laura Muir, the Glasgow student, takes the win!

At Hampden, the final of the women's 1,500m should

see new Scottish record-holder Laura Muir in the shake-up after

her incredible season so far.

While our three hammer stars, Chris Bennett, Mark Dry

and Andy Frost could give the home crowd something to cheer about.

The singles and doubles competition in badminton begins at Scotstoun.

The pairings of Imogen Bankier and Kirsty Gilmour,

and Robert Blair should be hard to beat,

while Gilmour in singles competition will be strongly favourite to medal.

Cathkin Braes hosts the mountain biking,

and Kerry McPhee represents Scotland in the women's race.

In squash, we turn our attention to the mixed doubles.

Alan Clyne and Franya Gillen-Butchert lead the charge,

with Kevin Moran and Alex Clark.

Ross McFarlane and Brian Harper will be the Scottish wrestlers in action,

while the star of Scottish weightlifting, Peter Kirkbride,

could go one better than the silver medal he won in 2010.

Men's high jump final, and should they qualify from the heats,

David Smith, Alan Smith and Raymond Bobrownicki

will be the Scottish interest.

Last year's UK champion Emma Nuttall will be in action as the women's

competition gets under way.

Rachel Mackenzie and Jayne Nisbet also compete.

The qualifying rounds of the women's long jump will see Scottish

record-holder Jade Nimmo

and UK championship bronze medallist Sarah Warnock in action.

The women's steeplechase features Lennie Waite and Eilish McColgan,

and how she'd love to win gold like her mum did in 1986 and '90.

Continuing the family tradition, this time in diving.

James Heatly follows on from grandfather Sir Peter Heatly

who won three Commonwealth gold medals in the sport.

The biggest day of wrestling yet - Jayne Clason and Sarah Jones

and Viorel Etko will be Scotland's big medal hopes.

On day eight it will be the individual finals time

in gymnastics.

Daniel Purvis won bronze in the floor exercise at the 2010

European Championships, but will be a danger in every discipline.

Likewise, Daniel Keating, who has pedigree in the pommel horse.

He's been European Champion twice in the event.

Child wins - 55.59.

Back at Hampden, newly-crowned UK champion Eilidh Child

will be a medal contender in the 400m hurdles,

and on her day she could well pick up gold.

The final of the T54 1,500m could feature

Megan Dawson-Farrell and Samantha Kinghorn.

And the final of the men's 800m may well feature Guy Learmonth.

It's the finals of the women's triples in bowls,

with the Scottish team led by Margaret Letham.

A gold medallist in 1998,

and appearing at her fifth Commonwealth Games.

Having the nation behind you should be an asset for most athletes,

but for some it could be a burden,

and that is where our next guest comes in.

He's Misha Botting, he's a former ballet dancer

and now psychologist with the SportScotland Institute of Sport,

and he's on board with Team Scotland to make sure our athletes

perform on the big stage.

I trained in Moscow Ballet Academy for ten years,

and then I performed in Moscow professionally for five years

before I came to Scottish Ballet, and I worked with Scottish Ballet

for six years.

Accreditation as a sports psychologist,

and now I work with SportScotland Institute of Sport.

I believe that there are much more similarities rather than

differences between, say, ballet performance and a rugby match.

Everything else is pretty much the same in terms of tough preparation,

in terms of choreography, and in rugby they call it tactics,

audience there, the stage, the lights, the costumes.

Fundamentally, it is very, very similar type of activity,

and that's why me being sport psychologist with a ballet

background, I understand very well.

Not only in performance, not only performing on big stages,

but also bouncing back from injuries,

and indeed bouncing back from making errors.

This very much was my background, and that's why

I transfer this experience and knowledge in my work day to day.

The key message is that we perform as a Scottish national team

on home soil, and that is very important for us

to feel that the crowd, the supporters,

the nation is behind us, and it works for us rather than against us.

We perform on home soil with a home crowd behind us.

This is a great experience.

Control the controllables.

It can be boiled down to three little things,

and that is what athletes can do, what they think an what they feel.

These three elements are under their control,

and therefore everything else has to build around that and focus

on their performance, on their optimum performance, is the key.

The final three days should see plenty of excitement.

She's got this one easily. That's a great way for the Scot.

The British champion. Well done, Lynsey Sharp.

Day nine and the final of the women's 800m should be a cracker.

Lynsey Sharp, who's been in terrific form of late, should be there,

and perhaps, too, Laura Muir,

who could be eyeing a second medal of the games by that stage.

Emily Dudgeon also competes at that distance.

Three Scottish representatives are in the men's 10,000m -

Andrew Lemoncello will be accompanied by Callum Hawkins and Luke Caldwell.

At the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Grace Reid goes in the springboard final.

And it's classification match time in hockey.

Will Scotland's men and women still be involved?

Final day of track and field, it's the women's pole vault final,

and Scotland's sole representative in that event is Henrietta Paxton.

Langat's going to take the gold, Hamblin the silver,

Twell the bronze for Scotland.

Steph Twell, a bronze medallist in the 1,500m in Delhi,

goes in the 5,000m, along with Laura Whittle and Elizabeth Porter.

No doubt about our winner - Chris O'Hare!

The men's 1,500m should feature last year's British champion

Chris O'Hare. And when so many feared he wouldn't come,

the final of the men's 100m relay will almost certainly see the fastest

man in history, Usain Bolt, earning his first ever Commonwealth medal.

In powerlifting, Afghanistan veteran

and double-leg amputee Micky Yule will be in action.

If he can lift his target of 190 kilos,

then a medal may well be within grasp.

And the boxing finals will take place with the home crowd hoping

that Josh Taylor's tears of disappointment

from 2010 will be tears of joy this time around.

The final day of Glasgow 2014, and there could be medals in the offing

at Scotstoun as the badminton and squash competitions

reach their conclusion.

And in cycling,

the women's road race should see a strong Scotland team led by,

from left to right, Katie Archibald, Eileen Roe and Charline Joiner.

England's Olympic medallist Lizzie Armitstead will be hard to beat.

In the men's events, David Millar will be out to defend the gold

he won in Delhi four years ago, and while injury has ruled out

Mark Cavendish, Sir Bradley Wiggins will still be a star attraction.

It seems a long way away, doesn't it?

But the curtain will come down and the baton will be

passed on to the Gold Coast City.

The next two weeks will be historic for the athletes

and for the country, and we wish them well.

From me and the Sport '14 team - enjoy the Games.

In life...

..you have two names.

The one you were given when you were born...

-Eilidh Child.

-Lynsey Sharp.

..and the one you go and make for yourself.

-Lynsey Sharp!

-Laura Muir!

-McColgan!

-Eilish McColgan!

We've sacrificed.

We've suffered.

And we've lost.

But we have never been beaten.

Pain lives long in the memory.

I've let my mum and dad and my brother down.

But success?

One moment of brilliance.

Success is the motto.

What a great moment for the host nation.

He has done it! He has done it!

The eyes of the world have fallen on Scotland.

-They will be watching.

-And we will be ready.

Because this is our moment.

And it's yours.

Be the difference.

Be the difference.

Be the difference.

And Scotland get the gold!

Power.

Passion.

Scotland.

Power.

She'll remember this day.

Passion.

Scotland.