Scots 'punch above weight' in Paris, but might LA look different?

As nan honour of being nan Olympic Games' big metropolis was handed from Paris to Los Angeles during Sunday's bombastic closing ceremony, 2028 still felt a agelong measurement off.

The sheen of almost 3 weeks of title successful nan sweltering French superior is still glistening and galore of nan 34-strong Scottish contingent were successful municipality arsenic Snoop Dogg, Tom Cruise and nan remainder did their spot successful nan finale.

When they leave, 9 Scots will person medals successful their luggage. The wide tally of 13 is 1 awkward of nan grounds people group successful Toyko 3 years agone but still represents nan 2nd astir successful ever Games successful position of nan number won.

Granted, an individual golden is missing from that set, but cipher different than Chris Hoy aliases Andy Murray has claimed 1 of those successful nan past 24 years.

Outside that, location are important achievements to celebrate.

Swimmer Duncan Scott now has much Olympic medals than immoderate different Scot - surpassing Hoy - aft relay golden and individual metallic took his postulation to eight.

Cyclist Jack Carlin has stealthily climbed to 3rd successful that database aft repeating his Tokyo squad sprint metallic and individual sprint bronze successful nan velodrome.

Showjumper Scott Brash won his 2nd golden 12 years aft his first. And some Beth Potter and Nicole Yeargin will time off pinch bronze medals from 2 abstracted events.

"We've been punching supra our weight," Hoy told BBC Sport Scotland of a group that makes america much than 10% of Team GB. "There person been immoderate astonishing Scottish performances and we should beryllium proud of that.

"We've ever had nan talent. But it's erstwhile you springiness that talent nan resources, nan facilities, nan coaches, nan chance to show really bully they are, that you spot astonishing performances, for illustration nan ones we've had here.

"We've had immoderate unthinkable athletes down nan years successful different sports and, if we support investing successful sport, we'll support getting these results."

But could these past 4 Games - London, Rio, Tokyo and Paris - beryllium to beryllium nan precocious watermark for Scottish success?

The governmental desire to bargain glory by heavy backing elite athletics mightiness dwindle successful nan look of different pressures. And location are peculiar challenges among nan cohort of Scottish athletes, too.

Josh Kerr has already rolled retired his rhetoric astir winning golden successful Los Angeles. Potter is adamant she wants different ace astatine that too. And Yeargin said giddily astir competing successful nan state of her birth.

Those 3 Paris medallists would each fancy themselves to person ribbon astir their necks again successful 4 years time, but wanting thing and achieving it are very different things.

Take Katie Archibald. As precocious arsenic past month, nan cyclist was each group to effort to adhd to nan golden and 2 metallic she won successful Tokyo. Then she tripped complete a plot measurement and ruined not only her limb but her Olympic ambitions arsenic well.

She will beryllium 34 by nan clip LA comes around. Is that excessively aged successful nan frantic world of way cycling?

Maybe not, but nan ages of those who won medals this summertime is not overly encouraging for nan future.

Kerr is nan youngest astatine 26, truthful being successful bully capable style to complete his group of Olympic colours successful 4 years clip does not look outlandish.

Scott is only a twelvemonth older, but location are precious fewer 31-year-olds competing astatine nan apical of elite men's swimming. It's a young man's game.

Similarly, Potter will beryllium 36 by nan clip of LA. Can a triathlete support doing what they do to themselves for that long?

Neah Evans will beryllium 38. Fellow cyclist Jack Carlin 31. Rowers Sholto Carnegie and Rowan McKellar will beryllium 33 and 34 respectively. Yeargin will beryllium 30.

Scott Brash is simply a small different fixed nan different beingness demands of equestrian, but does he person nan desire to spell again astatine nan property of 42?

Those questions will beryllium answered complete nan adjacent 4 years. It mightiness not consciousness that acold distant correct now, but nan rhythm will statesman again almost immediately.