Scotland Looking Forward To Stellar Sporting Year

2012 got off to a flying start last weekend (January 7) as Edinburgh welcomed the BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross Country to Holyrood Park. 2800 people took part in the Great Winter Run, while the elite races were contested by a host of Olympic and Commonwealth stars. Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop, the 2008 Beijing 1500m champion took the top prize in the International 3k race, with Team GB runner Jonny Hay coming in second.

The action will whet the appetite of Scots who, following a busy 2011, are gearing up for another packed year of sport. The World Junior Curling Championships, GE Strathclyde Park Triathlon, Mountain Bike World Cup and RICOH Women’s British Open were just a handful of the events that took place in the year that also saw the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the 2015 World Orienteering Championships being secured for Scotland.

The IRB Sevens moves to Glasgow’s Scotstoun stadium in 2012, ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and fans will also flock to the Melrose Sevens in May, where the fast-paced rugby format was first created. Set against Scotland’s picturesque landscapes, there are a number of elite and mass participation cycling events taking place in 2012, including the high-octane UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

Scotland is the Home of Golf and in 2012 the Senior Open will be played at Turnberry, featuring some true legends of the game. The Scottish Open and the Ladies Scottish Open continue to be key events on the European golfing calendar, while the 2012 Curtis Cup will be contested at Nairn Golf Club. In August the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles will on the newly updated PGA Centenary Course, which will host the Ryder Cup in 2014.

2012 is of course an Olympic Year, and Scotland will be fully behind the athletes who make it onto Team GB. Events like the 470 Laser Radial Sailing Championships and the AVIVA International Match will give spectators the chance to see the world’s top athletes compete in Scotland before the Games begin. The Cultural Olympiad will also be embraced in Scotland through the Year of Creative Scotland, while towns and villages across the country will welcome the Olympic Torch Relay.

Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland said: "2011 was a fantastic year for events in Scotland, and it is incredibly exciting to look through the sporting calendar for the next 12 months. We will welcome the international community to a number of world and national championships, and we will encourage the people of Scotland to get involved in a mass participation events. Scotland has consistently shown that it is the perfect stage for events, and 2012 will be no exception."

For more information, visit www.eventscotland.org.

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