General

The Future is Bright and the Future is Tartan
Date: 10/22/2012 10:40 AM
Published by : Manuel Røsler

Before the start of this season the name of Kirsty Gilmour was not exactly a name that rolled off the tongue in term of top class international badminton stars. Two months into the new season and the young Scott has quickly established herself as one of the rising stars in European Badminton.

A prolific winning streak of three International wins in four outings has singled out Gilmour as not only one to watch for the future but one that has settled immediately into the ranks of senior badminton. Our European reporter Mark Phelan recently caught up with Gilmour in a gap in her whistle stop European tournament schedule and put 20 questions to the Scot.

Name: Kirsty Gilmour
Date of Birth: 21/09/93
Hometown: Bothwell, Lanarkshire
Current Equipment Sponsor: Yonex
Current Club: Chambly, France
Badminton Achievements to date:  Polish Open Singles Winner 2012, Czech International Singles Winner 2012 / Czech Doubles Runner Up 2012, Swiss Open Winner 2012, Youth Commonwealth Games Singles Bronze Medal, Scottish Senior Nationals Singles Winner 2012

Q1: When did you first discover your love for badminton?
A1 Kirsty: Being dragged around every badminton hall in Scotland whilst my dad coached Junior national squads. I usually had a football with me but I started joining in when I was about 5 and loved it.

Q2: Who have been the people who have influenced you most in your career to date and who are your badminton heroes?
A2 Kirsty: My dad was a huge influence in getting me started. After that my uncle David started coaching me. In terms of sheer hard work and focus, he's one of my idols.

Q3: What is a typical day for you on and off the court?
A3 Kirsty: A typical day would be 8.15 – 11 on court in the morning then 2-4 in the afternoon half physical, half skills. If I have University I try to do almost the same training but with a 3 hour lecture in there too.

Q4: How do you mix University with your badminton career?
A4 Kirsty: It's hard. I'm having to change to part time because I can't do one of my core modules. So my course will take a little longer but I don't have to be constantly playing catch up. My University  is an hours drive away from my home so the travelling takes up a large part of my day.

Q5: What are you goals and objectives in badminton this year and for five years time?
A5 Kirsty: This year and maybe a couple more after that are all about experience. I just want to perform well against some good players and hopefully do enough to win a few titles along the way. In five years I hope to be higher ranked in the world and Europe and really challenging for GP and Gold Grand Prix titles. Then maybe Super Series after that.

Q6: Your ‘jump smash’ is a key and potent part of your game. Is this something that you feel gives you a big advantage over other girls and tell us what weights you lifting to get that power in those legs?
A6 Kirsty: I think of it more of a quirk in my game rather than a key component. It definitely helps in certain situations but I guess I could get away with a regular smash too. It difficult maintaining my weights programme during the tournament season as I usually leave on Thursdays so I can only fit in one weights session on a Monday and circuit on a Wednesday. But my weights consists of full body exercises like split jerk as well as specific ones like chin ups.

Q7: Outside of badminton what are your favourite things to do?
A7 Kirsty: Spending time with friends, watching films and TV programmes and generally sitting still.

Q8: It has been a bumper month for you winner both in Poland  and in Czech International and just this weekend pat the Swiss International but what do you attribute this success to?
A8 Kirsty: The start of the season is usually a good period for me after a full summer of training. I'm hoping to keep my results consistent throught the season.

Q9: Do you have any superstitions or routines you always follow when you go to play a match or a tournament?
A9 Kirsty: I have little routines I go through in my warm up that are more like habits. Other than that I'm not very superstitious. I leave that to Jillie (Cooper).

Q10: This summer was all about the London Olympics and you had a small part to play in the celebrations. Can you explain your experience and what it meant to you?
A10 Kirsty: I was on the Olympic Ambition Programme along with Alex Langley and Marcus Ellis (Chris, Imo and Gabby were on it 4 years ago). We had two days of seminars in Loughborough covering all aspect of the Games; the venues, the village, looking forward to Rio and Sochi (Winter Olympics), the kitting out process where we got a few items ourselves.

Then we attended the games for 3 days getting to see badminton and diving. We also got to go more behind the scenes of the Games into the village where we had dinner in the main dining hall with some of team GB. Jess Ennis, Mo Farrah and Louis Smith were all at the next table, it was pretty cool. We got to go to Team GB House where we saw Bradley Wiggins win his medal and we met, David Walliams, Mark Foster and a few other folk. The whole experience was amazing! It's given me a real sense of where I want to be in 4 years+ time.

Q11: The 2014 Commonwealth Games are coming to Scotland. What are your goals for the tournament and what will the games mean to you as Scot?
A11 Kirsty: After the Olympics, everyone is desperate for some more World Class sport and the Commonwealth Games will definitely deliver. All the venues look amazing and everyone seems genuinely excited. Personally, the home crowd will make a difference and I'm aiming to medal but that will require me beating some top players.

Q12: What music do you like to listen to and right now what are the most played songs on your IPod?
A12 Kirsty: I've gone a bit 90's recently and gone back to listening to Alanis Morrisette mixed in with some of my dads 70's Hall and Oats and Steely Dan. Newer music I listen to tends to be things like The XX, The Maccabee and Of Monsters and Men.

Q13: What is your favourite food?
A13 Kirsty: Free food. No... I have a sweet tooth so probably desserts. And I feel awful if I go a day without a cup of tea.

Q14: If you were given the choice to choose any music concert to go to for free what would it be and in what city?
A14 Kirsty: Probably seeing someone like Alanis Morrisette or bringing back Fleetwood Mac in a tiny venue in New York somewhere seems insanely cool.

Q15: The European Juniors in Finland in 2011 appeared to be a watershed for you. You achieved a fourth round there falling at the hands of Voytesekh of Ukraine. Many expected you to go further. Was this as it seemed a wake up call for you?
A15: Kirsty: Not necessarily a wake up  call but I had played well in the team event I was so disappointed to lose in that round. But Voytesekh is a good player, I never underestimated her, I just didn't play well enough.

Q16: What has been the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
A16 Kirsty: Probably, 'come out of a session better than you went in'.

Q17: If you had 1 million Euro what would you buy?
A17 Kirsty: A nice car, the most extensive DVD collection in the world and a ticket to travel the world.

Q18: What has been the scariest thing you have ever done?
A18 Kirsty: Maybe when I was in a car crash a couple of years ago. It was snowing and we were on a country road at midnight. We spun 180 degrees and slid down a ditch. A little bit of whiplash but no one was hurt.. and no, I wasn't the one driving.

Q19: Do you use social media such as Twitter and Facebook? If so what is your Twitter name? (lets get people following you on twitter and FB if you do!)
A19 Kirsty: A few more followers would be nice! Just Kirsty Gilmour on facebook but I tend not to accept people I dont really know.. but on twitter I'm @kirstygilmourr (with 2 R's)

Q20: Finally do you have a favourite joke that you like to tell and if so what is it?
A20 Kirsty: I'm awful at punchline jokes! But ehhhm... what do you call an Italian with a fake foot? Roberto (Rubberto)  See.. that's so bad!

See the previous issue of "20 questions to... Delphine Lansac" by clicking here.

Article and photo by Mark Phelan.

©badmintoneurope.com. All rights reserved.

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