Scotland well represented in the GB teams this summer

Published: May 21, 2024

A large number of Scottish (and Scotland-based) athletes have been selected for various international competitions this summer, and with the World Championships team yet to be selected, there are likely to be more. This is a testament to the excellent orienteering and coaching available to athletes in Scotland.

The World University Orienteering Championships will take place in Bulgaria in August, with a team heavily dominated by Edinburgh University athletes – Rachel Brown EUOC, Fiona Bunn EUOC, Eilidh Campbell EUOC, Isobel Howard EUOC, Niamh Hunter EUOC, Jim Bailey EUOC, David Bunn EUOC, Euan Tryner EUOC – and also several other alumni and native Scots – Peter Molloy FVO, Freddie Carcas INT, and Eddie Narbett INT.

**L to R Isobel Howard, Euan Tryner, Rachel Brown, David Bunn, Fiona Bunn, Jim Bailey and Eilidh Campbell** Photo Credit: University of Edinburgh

**L to R Peter Molloy, Freddie Carcas and Eddie Narbett** Photo Credit: Robert Lines

The first World Cups of the year will take place in May/June in Italy and Switzerland. You can follow all the action live here. There are loads of Scots and Scotland-based athletes in this team too – Freddie Carcas INT, Peter Hodkinson INT, Peter Molloy FVO, Chris Smithard FVO, Rachel Brown EUOC, Fiona Bunn EUOC, Grace Molloy FVO, and Mairi Eades INT. These races will count heavily towards the selections for the World Championships in Edinburgh this summer.

**Top L clockwise: Peter Hodkinson, Chris Smithard, Mairi Eades and Grace Molloy** Photo Credit: Robert Lines

The European Championships sees the return of international racing to the forests, this time in Hungary in August. You can follow these races online here. The team includes Luke Fisher INT (making his GB debut after winning the JK). Peter Molloy FVO, Fiona Bunn EUOC, Grace Molloy FVO, and Jo Shepherd INVOC.

**Luke Fisher and Jo Shepherd** Photo Credit: Robert Lines

Looking to the juniors, Ruth Gooch MAROC, Isobel Howard EUOC, Daisy May McNamara EUOC, Euan Tryner EUOC, and James Hammond FVO are selected for the Junior World Championships taking place in Czechia in July, and James Hammond FVO, Ruth Gooch MAROC, Scarlett Kelly FVO, Finlay McLuckie MOR, and Finn Selmer Duguid TAY are selected for the European Youth Orienteering Championships in Poland in June.

This is what some of the athletes had to say:

James Hammond

“I’m really looking forward to racing on the world stage this summer. It’s very rewarding to gain more experience at international competition and hopefully turn that experience into some results!”

Grace Molloy

“I’m very excited about the international racing this summer. Starting with World Cup rounds in Switzerland and Italy, I hope to compete at the front end of the field and gain selection to the World Championships in Scotland. I’m also looking forward to getting back in the forest, after a sprint focused start of the summer, for the European Championships.”

Peter Molloy

“I’m delighted to have been selected for WUOC and EOC this summer. It is an exciting prospect to head to Bulgaria for WUOC, as this was the country in which I first raced for GB, back in 2018! The selection races in Hungary taught us that the terrain will present an interesting mix of beautiful forest and extremely steep slopes, which should make for a great week of racing.”

Isobel Howard

“The opportunity to compete internationally is incredible and I just hope that I can utilise my training and stay calm and collected, especially under the heat and pressure of competition. The experiences gained are invaluable and I hope to take these into senior-level competitions in years to come.”

Congratulations to all selected!