SCOTTISH sporting leaders were yesterday celebrating a record Olympic medal haul at a games outside the UK after further cycling and rowing successes in Rio – with more in prospect last night.

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was guaranteed either gold or silver as he attempted to become the first man to win back-to-back Olympic tennis singles titles by beating Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro.

Young cyclist Callum Skinner was also going for gold in the velodrome against Jason Kenny in the men’s sprint – but either way Team GB was guaranteed both gold and silver.

Katie Archibald helped Team GB take gold in the women’s pursuit in the velodrome in a world record time, while rowers Polly Swan and Karen Bennett claimed silver as part of the women’s eight team.

Scots won a total of 13 medals at London 2012 but the previous record at an “away Games” was seven at Sydney 2000.

The gold and silver for the British team in the women’s eight rowing means athletes supported by sport scotland have contributed to nine medals so far.

Swimmers Stephen Milne, Duncan Scott and Dan Wallace were the first to claim a medal with silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay, quickly followed by a bronze for Sally Conway in judo.

Silver has also been won by the canoeist David Florence, rugby players Mark Bennett and Mark Robertson and rower Katherine Grainger – making her Britain’s most decorated female Olympian.

Skinner has already helped Team GB to gold in track cycling’s team sprint while Heather Stanning also took gold in rowing’s women’s pairs with Helen Glover.





Speaking to the BBC after winning gold, Archibald, who has distinctive pink hair, joked that she could now dye it gold.

Sportscotland performance director Mike Whittingham said he was looking forward to more success in last night’s events.

“What a brilliant performance by Katie Archibald and her Team GB colleagues to win gold in the Team Pursuit and break the world record,” he said.

“I’m utterly thrilled for Katie, who has come back from rupturing her posterior cruciate knee ligament and fracturing her elbow last year to become an Olympic champion in her first Games.”

Whittingham, speaking from Rio, added: “Congratulations to the Scots Polly Swan and Karen Bennett along with their colleagues for winning silver in the women’s eight.

“It’s the first time in Olympic history that a British team has won a medal in this discipline, and it was a wonderful performance by the team to finish in second place behind the imperious USA crew.

“Scots have now won the most medals at an ‘away Games’ ever and with Andy Murray’s gold medal match in the tennis singles still to come, we are guaranteed at least 10 medals.

“It has been a tremendous performance so far by the Scots at the Olympics and there are still plenty of medal opportunities to come.

“Scottish athletes have performed brilliantly well so far at Rio and it is great to see them succeeding on the biggest stage of all.”

Murray has been making history since he burst on to the scene as a fresh-faced teenager, and was last night hoping for more of the same in Rio. He earlier saw off the challenge of fourth seed Kei Nishikori of Japan with a 6-1, 6-4 semi-final victory to advance to the showpiece.

Del Potro advanced after beating Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 in a classic, but 29-year-old Murray is arguably in the form of his life, having won his second Wimbledon title as well as reaching the finals of both the Australian and French opens.