Commonwealth Games: Why is being part of Team Scotland so special?

All three athletes have competed regularly for Britain and are at pains to make it clear that they enjoy and even enjoy doing it. But it is a rare opportunity to represent Scotland in the Commonwealth. their country Where did they come from?

For most, the difference is not even political. Instead, it’s something much less real. a feeling This is why it is not easy to explain, especially for people whose sports talents are their primary means of expression.

Ask the athletes why representing Scotland is special and immediately reach out for the rarity of the opportunity.

In some sports, this happens once every four years.

But must there be more to it? Not least because the Commonwealth’s other events have little of the cachet.

“Something feels different when you’re running for Scotland,” said the distance runner Hilsa McColganwho won a stunning gold medal in the women’s 10,000m at Birmingham 2022.

“It feels like I’m representing my hometown – Dundee – a bit more.

“You’re around people you’ve known since you were a kid – athletes you grew up with, coaches, support staff. And, when you were young, it wasn’t about running for GB. It was about running for Scotland. So it reminds you of home.”

For Murdoch, too, this sentiment is rooted in childhood.

“Just wearing the Scotland kit brings me back to being a wee boy,” he says. “I came from a wee estate in the Leven Valley and I remember watching Scotland win a medal at the 2006 Commonwealth and it seemed as big as the world could get.

“From then on, that’s all I wanted to do, so this hobby of mine got completely out of hand and I did it three times… I can’t even put it into words.”

hammer thrower Mark Dry Murdoch, like Carlin, McColgan and Gilmour – has been to the Olympics and World Championships and is “proud” to represent Britain. But none of those events, though materially more illustrious, made him feel “something to compete for Scotland”.

“It means everything to me,” he says. “Other championships, you’re doing it for yourself, but at the Commonwealths, you’re doing it for Scotland.”

Boxer Reese LynchHe, who made his Games debut in Birmingham, is of a similar mind. “Even when I’m competing for GB, I’m still representing Scotland,” he says. “This is where I come from and this is who I am.”