It’s safe to say that the Scottish Women of the 2024 Paris Olympics did us all proud, showcasing the grit and determination of their country. Competing in a whole medley of sports, there were medals and there were tears – both of joy and heartbreak.
We’ve covered it all in one place so you have all the facts and figures that count, so sit back and enjoy.
Beth Potter came into the sporting world back at Rio 2016, although then competing in the 10,000m on the track. The following year she switched over to Triathalon and has well and truly made a name for herself. She competed in the 2018 Triathlon World Cup but took her first title in 2019 as European Champion. Last year she wowed everyone by taking her first World Championship. It’s possible that her biggest win came in 2023 as she was awarded SW/S Sportsperson of the Year. But in reality, her crowning glory came as she gained Scotland’s first medal at The 2024 Games – a bronze in the individual triathlon and another bronze in the mixed triathlon.
Kirsty Gilmour is no stranger to the Olympics, Paris was her third Olympic Games. And despite never making it to the medal table, she is still one of Scotland’s most successful badminton players. The last decade has seen her in the top thirty worldwide. Winning silver at the 2019 European Games and another bronze in 2023. With five European Championships and a silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games as well as a bronze in 2018, her medal cabinet is still the biggest in Scotland’s history.
Neah Evans, repeated her performance in the velodrome from Tokyo, adding another silver medal. Back in the 2020 Games, she competed in the Team Pursuit, but this time round her medal came in The Madison. All go along quite nicely with her World Championship title (also in Team Pursuit) from 2021, a silver and bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Not to mention her Team Pursuit gold in Glasgow World Championships 2023.
Sarah Robertson, Charlotte Watson, and Amy Costello all contributed to Team GB’s hockey team making it to the quarter-finals.
Lisa Thomson is no stranger to the Olympic stage. This was her third outing in Team GB’s Rugby Sevens. Although they were beaten by the USA in the quarter-finals, she only made her international debut in 2016 and captioned Scotland in the 2018/19 season.
Seonaid McIntosh had high hopes going into Paris. Although she started well she narrowly missed out on the shooting final. But at 28, she’s another athlete with a full trophy cabinet. The first British woman to be ranked number one in the world, all came together after winning the World Championship in 2018, five more World Cup medals and two bronze medals in 2018 at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Rebecca McGowan narrowly missed out on the taekwondo bronze. Coming into the games with an injury, she wasn’t expecting to medal so the fact she made it that far was still a positive take home for the Dumbarton hero.
Anna Burnett, along with her fiance brought home silver in the mixed multihull sailing from Toyko. It was sheer heartbreak on the shores of Marseille when they were disqualified for a false start. They were coming into the competition with two World Championships to the couple’s names and hopes for the gold but the hearts of a nation were well and truly broken in the aftermath. No matter though, they look forward to their upcoming wedding and working together towards more medals.
Rowan McKeller reflected on the European/World Championship in Rowing fours she achieved in 2022 to come home with bronze in Paris. Her second Olympic Games proved a success as she moved to compete in the women’s eight.
Kathleen Dawson MBE brought a world record-breaking gold medal from Toyko in the 4x mixed relay in the pool, setting a world record. It was unfortunate that in the same event, the team came in seventh place in Paris. She holds a national record for 200m backstroke as well as the European record in 100m backstroke. At only 26 she still has a lot to offer the sport and despite an ACL injury in the lead-up to the games she didn’t half do us proud.
Katie Shanahan, at 20 years old was competing in her first games. Coming fifth in the 200m backstroke final has only fuelled her dreams for L.A. A marked improvement from her two bronze medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Keanna McInnes, also making her Olympic debut made it to the semi-final in the butterfly event. As the first swimmer named for Team GB, at only 22 she’s already competed in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in the 100m and 200m Butterfly, as well as appearing in the fifth placed Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay.
Lucy Hope was coming into her second Olympics in the pool. She already has a silver in the 4x 200m freestyle relay at the World Championships, and is the most decorated Scot in the European Championships winning gold in seven of the nine competitions she has competed in. Part of the 4x200m mixed relay team that placed fifth in Paris.
Jemma Reekie spoke to Runner’s world saying she has her sights set on an Olympic medal, and she’s not planning on giving up until she gets one. Ranked in the world top three coming into the games it was a shock that she missed out on the final of the 800m track and field. Holding three British records in the 800m and 1500m and setting not only a personal best but a Scottish Best at the Diamond League we can expect more to come from Jemma.
Eilish McColgan had us in happy tears when she crossed the line at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games to claim the gold medal. As the first Scot to compete at four Olympic Games, we were all pleased to see her taking to the track despite a knee surgery earlier in the year. Although the results weren’t the outcome we had hoped, Eilish is still looking to compete in L.A but is looking to change disciplines and compete in the marathon.
It’s safe to say that the stand-out moment for Scots at The Games came when Eilish waited for the 22-year-old from Inverness, Megan Keith to cross the line. Despite coming last, she still finished the 10,000m final. In another Olympic debut, Keith received a resounding cheer from the crowd as she crossed the line, sustaining an injury during the race she ‘wasn’t able to compete at her best’ but we all know if there’s a Scot, there is resilience.
Nicole Yeargin, although born and raised in the USA, her mother hails from Dunfermline, so we can still claim her as one of our own. She won two bronze medals, in the mixed as well as the women’s 400m relay.
Laura Muir came to Paris with a silver medal in the 1500m from Tokyo. The 2017 European Indoor champion for both the 1500m and 3000m. Not to mention a silver and bronze at the 2018 World Championships. Despite setting a lifetime best in the Paris final for the 1500m event, she placed fifth and was quoted highly as saying the sport has moved on significantly since Toyko 2020.
So there it is your round-up of a fortnight of sporting highs, lows and everything in between.
From seasoned athletes to promising newcomers, these women represented their nation with pride, grit, and an unyielding spirit. Whether it was the thrill of victory or the heartache of near misses, we were all there, each step of the way, to see as their performances added to Scotland’s Olympic legacy.
Our sporting future is bright, and the legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympians will hopefully inspire generations to come.
The Games showcased the talent and determination of Scotland’s female athletes. In the first Olympics with true gender parity, we have seen The Games come a long way, but like always there’s still a way to go, and we’ll be back for no doubt the biggest and flashiest games in true USA style.
So let’s watch this space.
