Scottish athletics have named twenty four local athletes they will support next year as they prepare for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi.

Eight new faces appear on the list for 2009 backed and funded through sports Scotland. Though four of these are from the UKA World Class Plan they remain contenders for top eight or medal finishes in 2010, including the sprint hurdle duo of Allan Scott and Melbourne Games silver medallist Chris Baillie, along with Scottish javelin record holder James Campbell. 

Four of these athletes are exciting new top eight prospects for 2010 including the rapidly improving sprint hurdler Gemma Werrett who is ranked second on the Scottish All-Time list for the 100m hurdles; hammer thrower Mark Dry who has improved his best by over 8m in the past year under the tutelage of Chris Black, and Scottish under-20 pole vault record holder Scott Huggins.

A total of seven athletes exited the programme in 2008.

The athletes offered places on the 2009 programme (subject to acceptance) are as follows:

Chris Baillie (110mH)  James Campbell (Javelin)  Mark Dry (Hammer)  Carey Easton (400m)  Nicola Gauld (1500m)  Claire Gibson (800m)  Hayley Haining (Marathon)  Scott Huggins (Pole Vault)  Gillian Kerr (Triple Jump)  Kirsty Law (Discus)  Andrew Lemoncello (3000m SC)  Susan McKelvie (Hammer)

Angus McInroy (Discus)  Nony Mordi (Triple Jump)  Jayne Nisbet (High Jump / Triple Jump)  Graham Oudney (800m)  Susan Partridge (Marathon)  Alison Rodger (Shot Putt)  Joanna Ross (800m)  Allan Scott (110mH)  Susan Scott (1500m)  Roger Skedd (Decathlon)  Ross Toole (1500m)  Gemma Werrett (100mH)

Looking at the proposed ‘A' selection target for 2010 a total of nine athletes achieved this in 2008 with a further fourteen within two per cent.
"We are targeting a team of thirty athletes for New Delhi and it is obvious from this data that there is still a great deal of work to be done to achieve this goal. While there is a reasonably healthy crop of athletes close to the mark that's not enough to get them selected. These athletes and coaches need to continue to work with us to identify what it is that will move them ‘past the post' in coming months. Of those already at the selection standard they now need to push on with the view of ‘how good they can be'. There is a chance that as many as eight athletes from the Melbourne 2006 team could qualify for the 2010 Games whose experience would serve to strengthen our medal contention potential.

"One thing is for sure, with the true ‘globalisation' of athletics - more nations, more modern methods, more quality - it will be very tough to gain a top eight place in any athletics event in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and winning a medal will take something very special."

Scott Huggins, Great Britain and Northern Ireland representative at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships in Poland and a newcomer to the Programme for 2009 said: 

"I am very proud to have gained selection on to the programme, and hope to continue my progress and 2008 form on to success at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, and beyond towards Glasgow 2014."