The final Team Scotland aquatics squad for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, has been confirmed with four divers and two swimmers added to the group.
James Heatly, Gemma McArthur, Grace Reid and Lucas Thomson will make up the Diving troupe while swimmers Camilla Hattersley and Abbie Houston have been added to the swimming camp, taking the total number of aquatics athletes heading out to compete in Gold Coast to 29.
Reid is selected for her third Commonwealth Games at the age of just 21. The youngest athlete on Team Scotland in 2010, Grace stepped up at Glasgow 2014 to finish fifth in the 1m Springboard and since then she has made her Olympic debut, taken World silver and European gold in Mixed Synchro and become the first Scot since 1954 to take an individual medal at the European Championships. 20-year-old Heatly, who recorded two top ten finishes in Glasgow, has also been a recent visitor to the European Championships podium, taking bronze in the Men’s 3m Synchro in 2017.
Heatly, the grandson of legendary diver Sir Peter Heatly, is excited at the prospect of his second Games but remains focused on training and preparation. He said: "It's amazing. It's been a long time coming as we knew our scores a while ago but now it's official, and now I can look forward to my second Games.
"Now that I know I can get back into training and prepare, I just can't wait to get out there."
Reid and Heatly are joined by 19-year-old MacArthur and 16-year-old Thomson who have already found success in the 2018 Games Diving venue, teaming up to win Mixed Synchro gold at the Gold Coast Grand Prix in November. Thomson was also a 2018 British Championship gold medallist alongside Heatly in the Men’s 3m Synchro event.
McArthur will be competing at her first Games and hopes to put her hard work into practice. She said: "It really just feels amazing to have it confirmed and it'll be a fantastic experience out there.
"I'm just looking to dive to the best of my ability. It's been a tough year of training; I've been working hard and putting in a lot more hours to try and get everything I can out of my performances."
Thomson, who features in our Year of Young People campaign, has enjoyed a breakthrough year and is relishing the opportunity to compete against some of the world's best despite his tender years. He said: "I'm really excited and it will just be an incredible opportunity for me because I haven't been diving that long so it's all about experiencing the competition.
"It's a chance for me to get more experience diving outdoors, and it's a beautiful facility too.
"All my dives over the last year just started to come together and it gave me more confidence once I started to do international competitions.
"I've been to Australia once before obviously for the Grand Prix and that went well, I love the place it's just such a cool country."
The Swimming squad has been boosted by the addition of Rio 2016 Olympian Hattersley and 2016 European University Games gold medallist Houston. Hattersley, who competed at Glasgow 2014 and made the final of the 800m freestlye, said: "I'm so happy to be selected for my second Commonwealth Games and I'm really excited to head out next month.
"When I went to my first Commonwealth Games I was really nervous but as I've got more experienced I've realised that while it's still a big deal to go to these major events when it comes to your race it's still a normal race, you just can't let your nerves get the better of you."
Scottish Swimming Director of Performance, Ally Whike said: "All of our athletes have approached the challenges qualification admirably and this will hold them in good stead come competition time next month, so I'm really pleased."
The divers and swimmers were announced to Team Scotland alongside a number of athletes from other sports at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow. This included further 92 athletes across 10 sports, with the newly selected sportsmen and sportswomen boasting Olympic and World medallists, defending Commonwealth Games champions and it took the number of team members past the 200 mark.
The full Team Scotland aquatics squad is as follows:-
Swimming:
Craig Benson
Mark Campbell
Sean Campsie
Euan Inglis
Beth Johnston
Kieran McGuckin
Scott McLay
Craig McLean
Craig McNally
Stephen Milne
Ross Murdoch
Duncan Scott
Mark Szaranek
Calum Tait
Jack Thorpe
Dan Wallace
Kathleen Dawson
Lucy Hope
Keanna MacInnes
Hannah Miley
Corrie Scott
Toni Shaw
Cassie Wild
Diving:
James Heatly
Gemma McArthur
Grace Reid
Lucas Thomson