Poor start for Scottish Olympians, but surely success is on the way?
Oops. There's a bit of tension around, isn't there?
Or at least there is here in London and Sunday was a subdued day.
Here's a thought: Everyone else is trying to win gold medals too!
There was supposed to be a medal bounce at these games, or at least a preliminary medal splash in the pool. But no. It was a disappointing first weekend for those Scottish athletes in finals.
From a Scottish perspective Imogen Bankier couldn't make it through the knockout stages of the mixed doubles.
David Millar and the cycling road race team didn't realise that the rest of the world might not just allow them to dominate and win for Mark Cavendish.
Andy and Jamie Murray were beaten in the tennis doubles, and Elena Baltacha announced she might quit and have ankle surgery.
The first real Scottish medal chance fell to Inverurie's Hannah Miley (pictured below) and it just didn't happen for her, and while David Carry made his final without medalling, Michael Jamieson and Craig Benson failed to make theirs.
In Hannah's case I found it gut wrenching as I remember a Phil Goodlad film for Sport Nation which followed her rising early in the morning, jogging to work, training in a small pool, receiving acupuncture, and fitting university into the mix.
I hope she goes well in her next event.
Caitlin McClatchey in Team GB couldn't win a medal in their relay.
And it got me thinking about whether we should be worried about this?
Evidently the Aussies were alarmed at the lack of medals in the Sydney games, and the Canadians were trembling at the beginning of the winter games.
In some ways this is both the beauty and horror of sport. There is no such thing as a guaranteed medal. Money in at one end doesn't mean a country is rewarded at the other by a medal.
Pressure will now build on athletes who are publicly funded in a country's hope that they win medals.
Our guess prior to the games was that Scots should win ten or eleven of team GB's medals but thanks to the advent of some Chinese superstars in the pool it looks as though Hannah Miley now might not be one of them.
But it's time to cheer up.
Still to come are Katherine Grainger, Chris Hoy, Mhairi Spence, Heather Stanning, more from Andy Murray who cruised through his singles match, Daniel Purvis, Euan Burton, Luke Patience, Colin Fleming and David Florence.
But winning medals might be tougher for Team GB, and its Scottish athletes, than we realised.
Before I go, my fun bit for today is this piece of video you have to watch. Who was she?
/news/world-asia-19035551
I was born in Borneo, spent my formative years swinging from the trees, and you might know me as an international rugby player, but now I'm off to London to give you my opinion on all things Olympic as part of the 91Èȱ¬ Scotland Sport Nation Olympic team.
Comment number 1.
At 30th Jul 2012, Scotch Get wrote:Ìý
Good morning!
It's taking a long time for the new blog threads to become available. Isn't there a special Olympic lane you can use?
Your link at the bottom of the page isn't working, but you can access it here.
You're welcome!
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Comment number 2.
At 30th Jul 2012, John Beattie - 91Èȱ¬ Sport wrote:Scotch git: Thanks, medal chance today with mens gymnastics team.
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Comment number 3.
At 30th Jul 2012, Ecossais24 wrote:You are the only contact I can get with Scottish involvement at the Olympics, as I live in France, and due to "contractual reasons" radio scotland is no longer available outside the Uk. However watching french tv, you see sports that are not shown in Uk. Handball is a great spectator sport, and am now a big fan of judo. Big hopes for team GB in athletics.
Looking forward to Sport Nation on sats. when Olympics are finished.
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