Davidson content with fifth after 'unreal' Scotland debut

If you're going to take part in your first ever competition in your home country, why not wait for it it be in a Commonwealth Games?

Finlay Davidson certainly revelled in an occasion which started with Outlander actor Sam Heughan DJ-ing and ended with the Inverkeithing lifter waving gleefully to his supporters, many of them bedecked in mullet wigs in tribute to him.

Ultimately he finished fifth - outperforming his ranking by two places - despite suffering an untimely strain to his trap while training last week.

"I would have liked to come out with a medal, but fifth was better than I thought because with the injury I knew I wasn't going to be 100," Davidson said.

The 21-year-old only transferred to Para-powerlifting in 2022, having first experienced it at the Dwarf Sports Association UK Games, and soon his ambitions in discus and shot put were eclipsed by a new passion.

Davidson's rapid rise ensured he came into this ranked seventh in the Commonwealth in the men's lightweight (under 72kg) category and made sure he would finish no lower than that in Glasgow by winning Group B.

After striding out and being strapped to the bench, the Fifer benchpressed 156kg, 161kg then 166kg for a points total of 141.4.

"It was unreal," said the Scot, who proudly posed on stage pre-event in his kilt having had to miss Thursday's Opening Ceremony.