It started slowly, before belatedly gathering momentum. But can the Scottish athletes’ medal pursuit really pick up pace in the final week of the Paris Olympics?
The first nine days of competition have yielded seven medals.
No Scottish person in history has won as many as swimmer Duncan Scott, who added 4x200m freestyle gold and 200m individual medley silver to his six bits of metal from Rio and Tokyo.
Showjumper Scott Brash delivered a flawless performance under huge pressure to replicate his London 2012 team gold.
Beth Potter swam, cycled and ran her way to triathlon bronze. And Nicole Yeargin earned the same in the mixed 4x400m relay after running in the heats.
And on Saturday, rowers Sholto Carnegie and Rowan McKellar claimed gold and bronze respectively in the men’s and women’s rowing eight events.
The Tokyo games last time round delivered a record tally of 14 – three gold, eight silver and three bronze.
Can the Scottish contingent get anywhere close to that mark in France?
Athletics – Can Kerr claim first individual gold?
An individual gold is still missing from the Scots’ haul but Josh Kerr has long since been the favourite to deliver that prize.
The world 1500m champion looked right at it in the rounds and has talked the talk about climbing to the top of the podium after winning a surprise bronze in Tokyo.
We’ll find out on Tuesday (19:50 BST) if he can be the first Scot to win track gold since Allan Wells 44 years ago.
Laura Muir went one better than Kerr in Tokyo in the women’s equivalent and will have a medal in her sights again in Saturday’s final (19:25).
And Yeargin has a chance of adding to her collection in the women’s 4x400m on Saturday (20:22).
Cycling – Might Evans & Carlin add to haul?
The freak injury that ruled Katie Archibald out of the Games was a savage blow both to her and to Scotland’s hopes.
But Neah Evans and Jack Carlin already have Olympic medals to their name from Tokyo and are likely to be right in among it again this time.
Evans took team pursuit silver alongside Archibald three years ago and looks set to take on that event again on Wednesday, as well as the Friday’s madison and the omnium on Sunday amid a crowded schedule.
Carlin, meanwhile, claimed silver in the team sprint and bronze in the individual event in Japan and will go in the same events again this time on Tuesday and Friday respectively.
Where else might a medal come?
Potter could become a double medallist when she teams up with men’s gold winner Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Sam Dickinson in the mixed relay triathlon on Monday (07:00).
And Brash could do likewise in the individual jumping at Chateau de Versailles on Tuesday (09:00).
Amy Costello, Charlotte Watson and Tokyo bronze medallist Sarah Robertson will have designs on the hockey podium, with GB’s women in quarter-final action against the Netherlands on Monday.
And Anna Burnet will be looking to add to her silver from Japan in the mixed multihull sailing alongside partner Jon Gimson.
Then on Saturday, Rebecca McGowan will compete in the +67kg taekwondo with a real chance of adding a first even Scottish medal in the sport.
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Source Agencies
