SWAAA 90th Anniversary

That the Parliament acknowledges that the Scottish Women’s Amateur Athletic Association (SWAAA) had its inaugural meeting 90 years ago on 25 September 1930 when it adopted a constitution and elected office-bearers; notes that the SWAAA promoted its first event, an eight-mile cross-country relay at Bothwell Castle and held its first track and field championships the following summer on 16 June 1931 at Ibrox Park in Glasgow; recognises the achievement of the 1934 bronze medal winning SWAAA team, which first took part in the Commonwealth Games, and the Kelso-born discus thrower, Rosemary Payne, who won the SWAAA’s first Commonwealth gold medal in 1970; recognises the success of Elspeth Hay as the first European gold medallist in the winning 4x100m relay team at the 1950 European Athletics Championships, Linsey Macdonald as Scotland’s first female Olympic medallist, winning bronze in the 4x400m relay in 1980, and Yvonne Murray who won gold over 3000m in the 1990 European Championships in Split as well as winning one of Scotland’s first women’s individual Olympic medals, a bronze in the 3000m in the 1988 Seoul Olympics; recognises the considerable success and achievements of Liz McColgan who won her Olympic silver medal over 10,000 metres in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and became Scotland’s first women’s world champion, winning gold over 10,000 metres at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo; agrees that the Scottish Women’s Amateur Athletic Association, which merged with the men’s association in 1992 to form what is now scottishathletics, provided opportunities for many girls and women to train and compete and that those involved in coaching, officiating and competing laid strong foundations for scottishathletics' current success, encouraging the growing number of participants in this Olympic sport, and congratulates all involved from grassroots to elite level, benefiting as they do from mental and physical good health.