 Chris Hoy is defending his Commonwealth title |
Scotland will send a 166-strong team to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March. The squad contains 20 former Games medallists, including cyclist Chris Hoy and gymnast Steve Frew, who both struck gold at Manchester 2002.
Frew will be making his fifth Games appearance, while experienced shooter Ian Marsden goes one better.
Scotland won 30 medals in Manchester but 10 of those were in judo, which has been dropped from the Games' programme.
Paul Bush, the team's chef de mission, said: "Melbourne will be a huge challenge for the team, especially without our medal-winning judo squad.
"Looking at the strengths of the other teams, our team and the climate in Australia in March, 15 is the benchmark medal figure we'll be aiming at from day one.
"On our last visit Down Under in 1990 we won 22 medals and eight of them came in judo, so you can see where we have done our maths from. And I do think 15 medals is achievable.
"Yes, we are in the Australians' back yard and we face a real challenge, we know that."
Scottish swimming is in good shape, with Caitlin McClatchey (200m, 400m, 800m freestyle), Todd Cooper (50m, 100m, 200m butterfly) and Gregor Tait (100m, 200m backstroke) expected to do well.
Lee McConnell, silver-medallist at Manchester, is the most high-profile of the 19 athletes going and is listed to compete in the 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles.
Chris Baillie and Allan Scott both line up for the 110m hurdles, while Hayley Haining, Susan Partridge and Shona Crombie Hicks will run in the marathon.
Olympic and Commonwealth 1km time trial champion Hoy is joined by Olympic squad members Craig MacLean and Ross Edgar in the track sprint events.
Three-time World Indoor Singles champion Alex Marshall is included in a strong lawn bowling line-up, playing in the pairs with Paul Foster.
2005 British champion Darren Burnett is Scotland's representative in the singles.
World Indoor champion Margaret Letham also plays in the singles.
World number nine John White is the only Scot playing in the squash singles, with Yuan Wemyss and Susan Hughes selected for the badminton singles.
The 2006 team is 27 down on the squad for Manchester and Louise Martin, chairman of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, said: "Our selection process has been tough, but rigorous and robust throughout.
"We have selected the best team possible. We said that if you could clearly show you could meet the criteria, you would go regardless of overall numbers and cost. We have kept our word."
MMIX
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