Can you believe it's nearly four years since Glasgow 2014?
The 2018 Commonwealth Games open on 4 April on Australia's Gold Coast and the 11 days of competition are sure to create a story of skill and glory, tension and drama for the 224 athletes who make up Team Scotland. Thankfully, they are in good hands.
Never has such a large 'team behind the team' been assembled by the sportscotland institute of sport for a single sports event. In total, 34 full-time and contracted institute staff are in Australia providing support to the Scots across 18 sports and you can see them all in our #TeamBehindTheTeam2018 graphic.
Mike Whittingham, sportscotland director of high performance, said: "Project Gold Coast and Mission 2018 have been a major priority for the institute and our high-performance team for the past four years.
"Our expert team out in the Gold Coast are a visual, demonstrable example of the extent of our work and how our expertise, coupled with our experience, can help all our Scottish athletes and teams taking part in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
"We add value in this situation in the following ways:
- The small margins can make the difference to everyone’s final preparations
- Our team is able to oversee and assist in the acclimatisation, recovery and wellbeing of all athletes and staff
- We are also able to continue to support our performance leaders, managers and coaches, as the pressure builds in their final preparations for the Games
- Familiarity and continuity is hugely important as both experienced and inexperienced athletes seek reassurance, guidance and confidence as they aspire to perform on the world stage with distinction
"Athletes win medals but systems help win them consistently – here’s to breaking a new horizon with a best-ever away Games."
Find out more
Learn more about the sportscotland institute of sport.
Keep an eye on sportscotland and Team Scotland social media channels throughout the Games and check out our #AskAnAthlete film series to find out more about Scotland's latest generation of athletes competing on the world stage.
