THERE will be a strong Borders contingent in this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Peebles show jumper Scott Brash, who won gold at London 2012, will be hoping to replicate that success – riding Hello Jefferson.
Show jumping starts on Monday, August 2 culminating with the medal ceremony on Saturday, August 7.
Elsewhere, Sarah Robertson, who was brought up in Selkirk, is the sole Scot in Team GB’s Olympic hockey squad.
The 27-year-old has already racked up 104 caps for Scotland and is now based in London.
The team’s first game will be against Germany at 9.30am on Sunday, July 25.
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They will then face South Africa, India, the Netherlands and Ireland. The final takes place on August 6.
Robertson’s former Selkirk High School classmate Maddie Arlett has been selected as reserve rower with the lightweight women’s double sculls.
Artlett took up rowing at Edinburgh University and has won several honours including bronze in the lightweight single scull at the World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria.
She will be joined in the 45-person rowing squad by Harry Leask who grew up on Brothershiels Farm in Heriot. He is in the men’s quad (M4x) line-up.
Leask won a bronze medal at the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and has also chalked-up wins at Henley Royal Regatta in the Prince of Wales and Queen Mother challenge cups.
The rowing takes place between July 23 and 30 at the Sea Forest Waterway (Central Breakwater) in Tokyo Bay.
Jedburgh swimmer Lucy Hope received a late call-up to the GB squad.
It will be her first Olympic Games.
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Former Hawick High School pupil Lisa Thomson, who started her rugby career with Jed Minis and subsequently captained the Scotland international team, has been selected as the women’s reserve in the 7s.
And Edinburgh born Ross McCann, who helped Melrose to a domestic double in 2018, has been selected for the Men’s 7s.
The men’s competition will play across July 25-27; with the finals set for Wednesday, July 28.
The women’s games will take place from July 29-30,
The final will be held on Saturday, July 31.
Time slots for all competitive days of the rugby 7s are 9am-noon GMT and all games will take place at the 50,000 capacity Ajinomoto Stadium (Tokyo Stadium).
Japan’s Olympics minister Tamayo Marukawa announced last week that the games will be held without spectators due to an increase in COVID numbers.
Tokyo will be in a state of emergency throughout the tournament, which begins on July 23.
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