Aileen Neilson voted "Athletes' Athlete" by Scottish peers

[photo - Alastair Stephen Photography]

Team Scotland skip Aileen Neilson was awarded the coveted Gordon Brown Memorial Trophy at the Scottish Disability Sport's AGM on September 28th.  This honour is voted for by fellow athletes to the individual who has excelled at the highest level in their sport.

Aileen skipped her team to a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships in Prague, a return to the podium for the former wheelchair curling powerhouse after several years. You can read the RCCC report on the event HERE

Aileen Neilson skips her Breahead rink to season finale Tunnock Trophy win

The 3rd Annual Tunnock Trophy sponsored by cookie maker Tunnock's of Uddingston, was hosted by the South Lanarkshire WCC at the Lanarkshire Ice Rink in Hamilton last week. A full complement of twelve teams including one from England meant that applications were turned down from teams from Germany and Denmark. Aileen Neilson's Braehead rink, last month's Scottish Champions, took the Trophy with Jim Sellar's local rink finishing second.

You can read a report of the event HERE and watch video of the inaugural (2009) event HERE

Scot Aileen Neilson scoops two more awards

 Aileen Neilson and partner Michael McCreadie
on their way to winning their 2011 Scottish championship

photo - Bob Cowan

Scottish skip Aileen Neilson scooped up two more awards at the East Kilbride Sports Personality Awards ceremony last week. “This is a proud moment for me and my family and it was very special to have my partner Michael McCreadie, my mum Daisy and my sister Libby Marshall all there to see me collect the awards," she told the East Kilbride News.

Aileen won in the adult female category, then was declared overall winner.

You can read a full report HERE

Scottish team announced for 2011 Worlds in Prague

Michael McKenzie and Gregor Ewan

The team that will represent Scotland at the 2011 World Championships beginning February 21 in Prague sees two newcomers, Gregor Ewan and Michael McKenzie, join Aileen Neilson, Angie Malone and Tom Killin.

Gregor and Michael are from Moray in the north of Scotland, and played on the team that won last weekend's British Open Championship over Aileen Neilson's Braehead rink. Interesting that the announcement on the Royal Caledonian CC website (Britain's equivalent to the CCA) is titled 2010-11 Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association National Team selection.

Scotland sends its national team to the Worlds, but competes at the Paralympics as Great Britain. Qualification for the 2014 Sochi Paralympics depends on performance at the next three World Championships.

All the Scottish curling team coaches' contracts expire this month, and while it is thought that present wheelchair coach Tom Pendreigh is interested in a job, it may not be with the wheelchair team. For an insight into the politics surrounding Scottish curling's administration, see Bob Cowan's December editorial.

 Gregor Ewan and Aileen Neilson - rivals last week, teammates this.

Gregor Ewan beats Aileen Neilson for 2010 British Open title

2010 British Open Wheelchair Curling Champions
Jackie Cayton lead, Jim Gault 2nd, Mike McKenzie 3rd and Gregor Ewan skip
[photo courtesy Gregor Ewan via Bob Cowan's blog]

Ten teams competed last weekend for the 2010 British Open title. The three day event in Kilmarnock, Scotland, comprised two pools of five teams. Aillen Neilson skipped a Braehead team that was unbeaten in Pool A after a 10-3 win over second place Gregor Ewan's Moray rink with three wins. Angie Malone topped Pool B with Paul Webster 2nd. Tables after round robin play are HERE. Use links on left of page for line scores of all the matches.

Malone and Ewan won their semis and Team Ewan got off to a fast start in the final with single point steals in the first three ends. An accurate last stone draw pulled Aileen Neilson's team within one at the break, and a raised takeout for 2 by Neilson put the teams level after 6. Neilson stole a single in the 7th for her team's first lead.

In the final end Michael McCreadie, playing 2nd for Neilson, drew to just behind the tee line and a succession of short stones and guards allowed the stone to stay in place. However a last stone guard drew just a fraction too far and this gave a narrow window of opportunity to Gregor Ewan who executed a fantastic hit and stay for two and the title. [event report]

 2010 British Open runners-up

Ian Donaldson 3rd, Aileen Neilson skip, Michael McCreadie 2nd and Gerald Pocock lead

[photo - Lesley Brewin]

Aileen Neilson's Paralympic Diary

Photo - Bob Cowan

Team Great Britain's Aileen Neilson, who throws 4th stones for skip Michael McCreadie, will be writing a diary for the East Kilbride News.

"It was quite a surreal moment, but this was when I knew I had arrived at the Paralympic Games.

Picking up my accreditation card for the Games was an amazing feeling and when I saw my name on that card with the Paralympic emblem on it, I knew I was ready to enjoy and savour every moment of my time in Vancouver."

Read the rest of the first instalment HERE. Great Britain play Canada in the opening draw this Saturday (March 13) and I know I'll be looking for that entry.

Final international during Scottish Men's Championships

Michael McCreadie, Angie Malone, Tom Killin, Jim Sellar, Aileen Neilson,

coach Tom Pendreigh
[photo - Bob Cowan]

Bob Cowan reminds me that Great Britain will host the final international spiel before the Paralympics when they share the ice with the Scottish Men's Championships at the Dewar's Centre in Aberdeen.

Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway will compete in the seven team field that includes two teams from the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association's performance pool.

The wheelchair event begins January 29th and you can find the draw HERE.

GB 3rd Aileen Neilson is interviewed in the East Kilbride News HERE.

Team GB's Aileen Nielson talks about the team's progress

 Ailkeen Nielson - photo courtesy of Bob Cowan

Though Scottish wheelchair curlers have struggled in recent years, after a bronze at the 2007 World Championships failing to bring home major silverware from the past two World Championships, Aileen Nelson told Chris Cottrell:

"Sometimes the pressure of expectation really drives you on. I think that's the effect it's had on us and we've used it in our build up and preparation for the event.

"Wheelchair curling is still a relatively new sport and I think there's been major progressions from other countries as players have become more experienced over the last few years.

"But we've been quite busy travelling over the past few months, preparing for Vancouver and things have been going really well."

Read the whole interview HERE

Aileen Neilson honoured at South Lanarkshire Awards

photo courtesy Bob Cowan

Paul Thomson of the East Kilbride News reports: "It was a great night for Strathaven’s Aileen Neilson as she collected the prize for Adult Female Sports Personality of the Year. A South Lanarkshire Primary School teacher, she curls at the Lanarkshire club as well as in Braehead and was fully deserving of her accolade.

"During the last year she represented Scotland and Great Britain in numerous international tournaments in Europe, America and Canada. And it was in Canada where she competed at the highest wheelchair curling level, being selected to represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Vancouver where the team finished in fifth position.

"From world achievement to national success, Aileen was also in the rink which won the Scottish Championships in Aberdeen."