The Scottish sporting success stories of 2022
Eilish McColgan enjoyed the best year of her career, setting three British road-race records and breaking her mum Liz’s 10,000m Scottish track record.
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Your support makes all the difference.The past 12 months have seen a number of Scottish sporting successes in an action-packed calendar, which encompassed Commonwealth Games, Winter Olympics and two other major track-and-field championships.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at some of the best 2022 achievements on the wider stage with the focus on 10 sports.
Athletics
Jake Wightman stunned himself and his father – who was commentating in the stadium in Oregon – when he became the first British man to win the 1500 metres title at the World Championships since 1983. He followed that with Commonwealth and European medals. Laura Muir overcame an early-season injury to claim four medals from the three championships, including 1500m Commonwealth and European golds. Eilish McColgan enjoyed the best year of her career, setting three British road-race records and then breaking her mother Liz’s 10,000m Scottish track record before emulating her with gold in the same event at the Commonwealth Games. She also won silver in the 5000m and then two medals at the European Championships.
Curling
There was major success for Scotland’s men and women, starring with Eve Muirhead and Bobby Lammie winning the World Mixed Doubles Championship in April. Both the men and women’s teams won European titles before the stunning success of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, where Muirhead led her team to gold and Bruce Mouat skippered Britain to a silver medal.
Amateur Boxing
Sam Hickey became the first Scot to win a medal at the European Championships for 16 years when he took bronze – just two months after claiming the same prize at the junior event. The 22-year-old surpassed himself in Birmingham, winning a gold medal and being named male boxer of the tournament. Sean Lazzerini and Reese Lynch also won golds. Elsewhere at the junior event in Italy, 16-year-old Niamh Mitchell became the first Scottish female boxer to win a major international competition and only the second Scot to do so at the event.
Football
Rangers swept to the Europa League final against the odds with the help of victories over Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side missed out on glory by the narrowest of margins when they lost on penalties in the final against Eintracht Frankfurt. The men’s Scotland national team also enjoyed success after missing out on the World Cup. Steve Clarke’s side gained promotion to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League after finishing above Ukraine, the Republic of Ireland and Armenia to claim their second promotion in three campaigns.
Para Lawn Bowls
Scotland enjoyed unparalleled success at the Commonwealth Games as they swept to all three titles. Garry Brown and Kevin Wallace won the men’s pairs, Rosemary Lenton and Pauline Wilson triumphed in the women’s pairs, and Robert Barr and Melanie Inness claimed gold in the mixed event with the help of Sarah Jane Ewing and George Miller.
Aquatics
Duncan Scott overcame illness to collect his second six-medal haul at a Commonwealth Games, which included two golds. Stephen Clegg claimed two gold medals at the World Para Swimming Championships and a silver at the Commonwealth Games, while Ross Murdoch came out of retirement to claim two bronze medals in Birmingham as Scotland finished with a tally of 12 medals. Lucy Hope collected two gold and two silver medals at the European Championships. In diving, James Heatly and Grace Reid claimed gold in the synchronised 3m springboard at Birmingham.
Skiing
Banchory brothers Neil and Andrew Simpson won Super Combined silver at their first World Championships in Norway before making history in Beijing by claiming Britain’s first male Paralympic gold on snow in the Super-G competition. Visually-impaired Neil and guide Andrew then took a bronze medal in the Super Combined.
Cycling
Neil Fachie became Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games para-athlete of all-time when he won gold and silver in Birmingham to add to the four golds he already owned. Jack Carlin won five medals in all at Commonwealth, European and World championships. Neah Evans won three British titles, three Commonwealth medals and then gold and silver medals at the Track Cycling World Championships.
Judo
Sarah Adlington defended her +78kg Commonwealth Games title – which she had won at Glasgow 2014 – to become the first Scottish judoka to win two gold medals.
Darts
Peter Wright won his second World Championship when he beat Michael Smith 7-5 in a tense final at Alexandra Palace in January.