The Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games get underway this weekend and Scottish cyclist Sean Flynn is a member of the 42-strong Team GB heading out to Argentina today.
The team consists of athletes aged between 14 and 18, with the Youth Olympic Games playing a crucial role in the development of young athletes from across the world.
The event provides crucial multi-sport experience for aspiring Olympians and Team GB’s class of 2018 will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Tom Daley, Jade Jones and Duncan Scott.
Buenos Aires 2018 is expected to welcome just under 4,000 of the world’s best young athletes from 206 nations for the third edition of the Games following Singapore 2010 and Nanjing 2014.
Mahdi Choudhury, Team GB’s Chef de Mission for Buenos Aires 2018, said: “Being picked for Team GB for a Youth Olympic Games is a fantastic achievement and our 42 young athletes should be hugely proud to be heading out to Argentina.
“Buenos Aires 2018 will offer a fantastic opportunity for our team to experience a multi-sport event for the first time and I’m sure it will act as a great springboard for their own senior Olympic dreams.
“These events have helped shape the careers of Team GB Olympic stars and we hope the same will be said for this group of young stars.”
Cyclist Sean from Edinburgh is one of five Scots due to be part of Team GB over the next few days.
The other four are Chris Grimley, Anna McGorum, Islay Watson and Calum Young.
Sean, 18 who just left Boroughmuir High School in the summer, said: “This will be totally different than any other event I have ever been to, I cannot wait.
“When I was younger I did lots of different sports and I just started cycling with mum and dad and I ended up getting involved in the local cycling club in Edinburgh as well as doing some mountain biking at Glentress.
“That was me hooked really and what is quite exciting is that the event in Argentina is a combined event involving road racing and mountain biking.
“It is over five days and that will be quite a test, but exciting.
“I have been cycling in races since I was about 10 or 11, but I have never really lost my love for it, I still get the same buzz now as I did then.
“As I moved into high school cycling started to take up most of my time and after school and at the weekends I was always on my bike and loving it.
“Over the years my parents have been so supportive and helped me get to places all throughout the UK and beyond to compete so when I heard that I had been selected for this team I was delighted to tell them and they were chuffed for me.
“Recently we went down south to collect all our Team GB kit and meet former Olympians and our team mates. It was an amazing day and rally made me realise just what a big deal this is going to be.
“I want to enjoy the whole experience, but I am also going there to compete and do the best that I can and I know that the competition from other nations will be tough, but that drives me on.
“I have been training hard over the recent moths all for this and although I am sure a few nerves will kick in during the coming days I just cannot wait to see where we will be competing and then go out there and give it everything I have.”
Windsurfer Islay, 17 and from Aviemore, added: “It’s going to be an amazing experience and will be totally different to anything else I’ve done and I’m really looking forward to it. This event only comes round once every four years so to get picked to go is a real honour.
“It’s been a pretty mad year for me, I’ve done so many events, but somehow everything has fallen into place, and the Youth Olympics is the icing on the cake. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to round off the year.
Badminton player Chris Grimley, 18 and from Glasgow, stated: “It’s every athlete’s dream to compete for Team GB at an Olympic event and I’m really proud that I’ll be able to do that in Argentina. I’m looking forward to competing, but also hoping to build my confidence to try and one day qualify for the senior Olympics.”
Team GB at Buenos Aires 2018: The Scots involved
Badminton
Chris Grimley, 18, from Glasgow
Cycling: Combined (Road and Mountain Bike)
Sean Flynn, 18, from Edinburgh
Anna McGorum, 17, from Peebles
Sailing: Windsurfing
Islay Watson, 17, from Aviemore
Triathlon
Calum Young, 17, from Glasgow
The Youth Olympic Games run from October 6-18 and will see Team GB compete in 17 of the 32 sports on the programme across 12 days of competition
Thanks to Team GB for the photo of Sean Flynn
Gilson Gray opened as the largest full service law firm in Scottish legal history, with a portfolio of talent poached from the leading firms in Scotland – opening simultaneously in Glasgow (160 West George Street) and Edinburgh (29 Rutland Square) with a radical client-focused strategy that offers a cost effective alternative to the top ten firms in the country.
The firm also recently landed six awards at the ACQ5 legal awards – the third year in a row that Gilson Gray has seen success – including Managing Partner of the Year award for the second time in three years as well as Insolvency Lawyer of the Year.