Team Scotland Lifetime Achievement Award

Katherine Grainger’s incredible career has been marked with a major award at an event in Edinburgh.

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Katherine Grainger was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards.

Katherine is Great Britain’s most successful female Olympian, with five medals in total and is the only female to have won medals at 5 consecutive Olympic Games. The 40-year-old secured silver in Rio in the double sculls to cap off a spectacular career.

Grainger finished her career with one gold and four silver medals, spanning a 16-year stretch. The Glasgow born rower, who retired after Rio, honed her skills for a time in the North-east of Scotland, as her family lived in Netherley.

Grainger’s place in the Team GB line-up for the Olympics was only confirmed six weeks before flying out. Her success in Brazil was all the more remarkable after she came back from a two-year break to complete her PhD.

Grainger also has eight World Championship medals, including six gold.

img_3720(L-R) Catriona Matthew (Scottish golfer) Craig Reedie (President of WADA/VC IOC), Katherine Grainger and Paul Bush (Director of Events for VisitScotland/Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland)

The event paid tribute to Scottish sport’s best after a remarkable year. More than 50 Scottish Olympians and Paralympians from the recent Games in Rio attended the star-studded celebration. The awards, hosted at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, attracted more than 600 people.

Andy Murray was named Scottish Sportsperson of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year after winning his second Wimbledon and Olympic titles.

The Female Athlete of the Year prize went to Lossiemouth’s Heather Stanning after her gold medal-winning performance in the women’s coxless pairs.