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Kirsty Gilmour: Beware of the Scottish underdog going for gold
Date: 4/16/2021 11:57 AM
Published by : Sara Gonzalez Martinez (BEC)
Scotland’s number one faced a challenge when suffering a foot injury in December last year, but Gilmour has not let that stop her from preparing for the big event. 

The European Championships are Europe’s biggest badminton tournament and this years is even more memorable, as it will be one of the last most important events before the Olympics. So among all the excitement about the forthcoming Championships we ask Gilmour, how does she feel now that she’s just two weeks away from them?

-I don’t know how I feel about the Championships to be honest! Since my foot injury in December every day has been focused on the recovery and then trying to get into a pain-free place.

During the European 2021 European Mixed Team Championships Qualification, Gilmour had no choice but to withdraw and so Scotland was left without one of their biggest stars. After missing the Asian leg in January, Gilmour has concentrated all her efforts of the past months on recovery and tough preparation.

-I’ve been seeing some massive improvements in my training and feel like I’m in pretty good shape, Gilmour affirmed.

High spirits despite the obstacles
In spite of having missed some of the latest tournaments and losing to the German Yvonne Li at the YONEX All England Open 2021, Gilmour sits now at number five in the women’s singles European ranking. She is still a player to be feared and this might be the final push before the Olympics that could help her show fellow European players that she is still standing strong. The Scot understands well what her intentions are for the upcoming games.

-It’s tricky for me to say where my expectations lie. I think all I can aim for and set my sights on is good performances. If I do that on any day, I will have a chance at a medal, Gilmour stated.

Both in 2016 and 2017 Kirsty Gilmour made it to the women’s singles finals to fight for gold against Carolina Marín, and both times saw how the Spaniard became champion, and consequently earning two silver medals—an impressive feat nevertheless. She has shown time and time again that she is ready to compete for medals, and this year will not be any different. 

Ready for battle 
Even though Marín succeeded in getting her hands on the gold medal both times they faced off in the Championships’ finals, it is not just Gilmour’s thorough preparations and her hunger for gold that could help her in this campaign. The Scottish women’s singles player beat Marín in the 2020 SaarLorLux Open semifinals, making it the first time in six years that she defeated her close friend. This triumph demonstrates that this time, she could succeed in the quest for gold.

Her good track and experience will definitely help smooth the way, but the recent foot injury and the brilliant players in the women’s singles, including Europe’s number two Mia Blichfeldt, the strong contender Evgeniya Kosetskaya, the 22-year-old German Yvonne Li, and her historically hardest opponent in this Championships Carolina Marín, could be difficult obstacles to overcome. Still, looking back on past European Championships, she knows what to watch out for.

-From previous Championships I think I’ve learned that I rise to an occasion very well but also that crazy things can happen so to always keep my guard up. I’m excited for it though, that’s for sure.

Kirsty Gilmour is a name to follow in Kyiv. Within the women’s singles and with her story laid out above, she is certainly the textbook definition of an underdog for the gold, and she is proud of it. 

- We love to be underdogs. Scots are always the underdogs, but we are trying to change that. We are trying to be the top dogs. But we always go in with that fighting attitude that is so stereotypically Scottish.

The 2021 European Championships will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine from 27 April to 2 May. For more information about the 2021 European Championships, click here

All matches can be watched at www.badmintoneurope.tv.

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