Sunday Mail Scottish Sports Awards

Scottish Sports Personality – Duncan Scott (Swimming)

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Already a Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic medalist, the Alloa 21-year-old took things to another level in 2018.

His Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast was breathtaking. Winning gold in their blue riband event, the 100m freestyle, ahead of Olympic winner Kyle Chalmers, he added a silver and four bronzes to take the single biggest Games haul of any Scot in history.

The Learn to Swim ambassador then saw off Lithuanian World No1 Danas Rapsys in the 200m at the Europeans in Glasgow from the outside lane, his most spectacular result in another incredible event that saw him take three golds – two of them in relays – and a silver in the 100m.

*Award picked up by Duncan Scott’s parents.

Coach/Manager of the Year – Shelley Kerr (Football)

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Shelley Kerr took over the Scottish women’s national team after the finals of the Euros in 2016 – and has taken them from strength to strength this year, qualifying for their first-ever World Cup Finals.

In a tough section, Kerr’s team won seven of their eight games, overcoming higher-ranked Switzerland to take top spot in the group and qualify automatically for France next summer. Working under Malky Mackay, Kerr has also had a major influence on revolutionising the women’s performance squads at all age groups and contributes massively to the grassroots scene.

Young Sports Personality – Lucas Thomson (Diving)

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Just 16 years old when named in the Scottish Commonwealth Games squad, the Edinburgh diver drew on the vital experience of finishing fifth in his two finals as a springboard to medal success at junior level.

A stunning gold at the World Juniors was the highlight of a season also tinged with silver and two bronze at the European Juniors. But he has enjoyed solid success at senior level, too, scooping gold, two silver and two bronze medals in the FINA Diving Grand Prix Series.

Local Hero Award - Arthur Smith (Kilbarchan AAC)

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Arthur is the ultimate in commitment.

As if 50-plus years as a member of Kilbarchan Amateur Athletics Club and an honorary vice-presidency weren’t enough, Arthur Smith is still on the sidelines coaching the cream of the kids’ crop four days a week at the age of 84!

As lead coach of the club’s girls’ endurance group, he’s imparting a lifetime’s worth of wisdom and dedication to the Renfrewshire teenagers, and he’s there summer and winter, track or cross country, to record times and inspire. A former member of the Armed Forces and a decent runner himself in his heyday, Arthur has been a positive influence on the lives of hundreds.

*Award picked up by Jim Goudie, Club Treasurer and former president of Kilbarchan AAC. On behalf of Arthur Smith.

Local Club of the Year – Team United Sports (Football for autism, Broxburn)

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Team United are a group doing something unique in grassroots football.

Amid a growing number of disability clubs and groups, they’ve become the first to offer young people with autism the opportunities, support and pathway they were missing when it came to playing sport in an environment they felt safe. Their success across the Lothians has seen them rewarded with best Para Football Project at the SFA’s Grassroots Awards, earning glowing testimony from players and parents alike for their transformative work with kids who struggle with life in mainstream clubs but who are heard and seen on their own terms by coaches and volunteers who lift their confidence.

Disability Sports Award – Toni Shaw (Swimming)

Holder of an incredible 14 Scottish records in the S9 and S10 categories, 14-year-old Toni was the youngest athlete named for Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 - where she reached the final of all four of her events.

After a series of impressive swims at the 2018 British Para-Swimming International Meet, she went on to compete at her first World Para Swimming European Championships in Dublin, where she won six medals – two of each colour.

Part of a world-record breaking 34pt 4x100m Medley relay quartet on the final day of racing, Shaw also claimed individual gold in the S9 400m Freestyle.

*Award picked up by Shona Shaw on behalf of Toni.

School Sport Award – North Queensferry Primary School

This school have seen an incredible turnaround and shown that a massive increase in participation in sport also increases positive attainment and attendance right alongside.

In 2015, only 12% of the school participated in sport – that increased to 38% in 2016 and 78% in the 2017/18 academic year, a monumental shift. These days, an incredible 65% of pupils have represented their school competitively at a variety of sports. There are excellent links to a variety of community clubs, providing pupils with the opportunity to continue their sporting journey, with a strong link to the local secondary school, too.

Team of the Year – Scotland Women's National Football Team (Football)

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Showing the men the way in 2018, under the guidance of the brilliant Shelley Kerr, the Women’s national team have gone from strength to strength after the success of 2017 and reaching the Euros.

This time, the target was the World Cup for the first time ever and, despite a tough group featuring the higher-ranked Switzerland, and Poland, Scotland came good with seven wins out of eight, including a victory at home over the Swiss when it mattered most. Still in danger of a play-off spot, a goalless draw between Switzerland and the Poles, while Scotland were getting the job done against Albania, was enough to send them to France.

Sporting Event of the Year – Glasgow 2018 European Championships (Multi Event)

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This innovative festival of sport saw individual European Championships in Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon hosted simultaneously in Glasgow, while in Germany the cream of European athletics converged on Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

The result was an 11-day extravaganza in Glasgow, broadcast across the continent to 43 countries, attracting 4500 athletes from 52 nations, with new European champions crowned in a total of 187 medal events representing 33 countries.

More than 3500 hours of free-to-air programming is estimated to have reached an audience of approximately 1.03billion viewers against a brilliant backdrop, once again proving Scotland’s world-class credentials for hosting big events.

Inspirational Performance – Scotland v England (One Day International Cricket)

This was the greatest day in Scottish cricket history – and none of the 4000 in the ground in June would argue.

An associate nation inflicting a six-run defeat on the No1 ranked ODI team in the world sounds like fantasy, but it was real and it was deserved. And, broadcast live on Sky, it was seen by everyone. Inspired by Calum MacLeod’s astonishing 140 from 94 balls that powered a record total of 371 for five, Kyle Coetzer’s side then put in a tigerish display in the field that led to England being bowled out for 365 with just seven balls left of the 50 overs, sparking a joyous pitch invasion.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Dame Katherine Grainger

Editor's Choice Award – Team Scotland

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