Scottish athletes could be without a team after referendum vote

Scotland will hold a referendum on Thursday to vote on if they would like to gain independence from the United Kingdom and, though recent polls suggests a ‘No’ vote is likely, the possibility of an independent Scotland is not out of the question at this point. Though there are larger issues of politics surrounding the vote, some Scottish athletes may be worried about where this leaves them in regards to competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Scotland has historically competed for Great Britain at the Olympics, but an independent Scotland would not compete under the Union Jack. Still, if a ‘Yes’ vote does prevail on Thursday, Scotland still would not gain independence from the United Kingdom until March of 2016, only a few months before the Olympic Games, leaving very little time for them to field a team.

“The recognition of a national Olympic committee will be granted to an independent nation recognized by the international community and the question is when that will happen? I think that will take time,” Sir Craig Reedie, vice president of the International Olympic Committee, told Sky News. Reedie is Scottish.

Athletes who have previously represented Great Britain at the Olympics will have the choice of which nation they would like to compete for come 2016, but Shona Robison, Scotland’s Secretary of Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners’ Rights and a member of Parliment, hopes that soon after the vote on Thursday, if Scotland votes to gain independence, work can be started on figuring out how to field a Scottish team.

At the 2012 London Olympics Scottish athletes won or helped in winning 13 medals for Great Britain, one of the most notable being Andy Murray’s gold medal in tennis.