White Paper’s Olympic team plan a ‘shambles’ Pinsent

Olympic legend Sir Matthew Pinsent has rubbished claims in the White Paper that Scotland could compete at the Rio Games in 2016.

He has described the SNP plans for sport as “half-baked” and “a shambles” and warned that the uncertainty could impact on Team GB’s medal hopes in 2016.

The White Paper states: “The Government does not envisage any significant barriers to Scotland achieving Olympic and Paralympic accreditation and being able to participate at Rio 2016.”

It also says a working group concluded that getting International Olympic Committee recognition would be “straightforward”.

However, Sir Matthew, a four-time gold medal winning rower and former IOC member, said: “It’s nave to expect it to be straightforward.

“Some parts of the sport section in the White Paper are entirely logical that Scotland has a proud sporting history, that Scotland competes successfully. But the time scales involved are ridiculous.”

If, as the SNP Government would wish, Scotland becomes independent on March 24, 2016, that would leave just five months to win Olympic recognition.

Pinsent added: “The timescale is too short. The reality is that it’s more complicated than saying ‘we will be independent and we want to be in Rio’.”

There would also be problems with qualification. In Sir Matthew’s own sport of rowing, teams qualify for the Olympics according to their performance at the world championships in 2015 when Scotland will still be part of the UK whatever the result of the referendum.

Sir Matthew pointed to other complications, such as funding. He added: “What if you are an athlete supported by UK Sport at what point is your funding cut?

“You can’t have people funded to compete for Team GB on the world stage and then competing against them a few months later.”

And he’s drawn attention to cross-border teams such as Scot Kath Grainger and English partner Anna Watkins, who won rowing gold in London.

He added: “We can argue over the detail of the economy and immigration later but sportspeople need to know what their future is.

“This process is affecting people now. It’s a mess.”

The IOC refuses to comment on hypothetical situations but confirmed only independent countries can apply for membership.