Nicola Sturgeon has sent a good luck message to Scots competing at the Rio Paralympics, describing their dedication to sport as “truly inspiring”.
There are 33 athletes from Scotland in the ParalympicsGB team, taking part in 12 sports including swimming and cycling.
It is the biggest team from north of the border in 20 years.
Sportscotland, the national agency for sport, has predicted Scottish athletes can surpass their best performance this century, winning the most medals across the highest number of sports.
The First Minister said: “Para-sport is growing in strength in Scotland and I’m delighted to see that Scots are so well represented in ParalympicsGB.
“I wish Scotland’s Paralympians, and all of ParalympicsGB, the very best of luck over the next two weeks.
“The dedication of these men and women is truly inspiring and I hope it will motivate others to take up sport and enjoy all the benefits it can bring.”
Mike Whittingham, performance director at sportscotland, said: “It is especially encouraging to see that a significant number of the para-athletes will be competing in their first Paralympics and there are Scots selected in 12 sports, as this demonstrates the strength in depth of the para-sport system that now exists across Scotland.
“Within the Scots on ParalymicsGB are some serious medal contenders, including boccia world champion Stephen McGuire and major Games veterans Neil Fachie and Libby Clegg, and it’s always exciting to see which new athletes will step up and make their mark on the world stage.
“We already have the most Scots across the highest number of sports this century in ParalympicsGB and we believe that we can achieve the highest number of Scottish medallists across the highest number of sports this century as well.”
