Scotland's best: Our search for the country's greatest Olympian

WITH 26 days until the Beijing games, Martin Hannan hails our greatest Olympians. Who's your favourite?

Shirley Robertson OBE Born 1968

Sydney 2000 - Gold, Europe Class
Athens 2004 – Gold, Yngling Class

Born in Dundee, Robertson is the only Scotswoman to have won two Olympic gold medals and is the most successful woman sailor in Olympic history. She started sailing at the age of seven in a Mirror Miracle, a small kit dinghy-yacht built by her father. She competed in 1992 at Barcelona and in 1996 at Atlanta, where she finished fourth, before dominating the Europe class in 2000 at Sydney. She then switched to the Yngling class and won gold with crew members Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton. Now the mother of two-year old twins, Robertson lost out on selection for Beijing but will be there as a BBC commentator.

Stephanie Cook MBE Born 1972
Sydney 2000 – Gold, modern pentathlon

Irvine-born Cook took up modern pentathlons as well as the triathlon while studying medicine at Oxford University. Like her hero, Eric Liddell, she is s committed Christian who put aside her studies to concentrate on the multi-disciplinary event which features fencing, pistol shooting, swimming, showjumping and cross country running. After winning at Sydney and adding a world title, she retired aged just 29 to become a doctor.

Chris Hoy MBE Born 1976
Sydney 2000 – Silver, team sprint
Athens 2004 – Gold, 1km time trial

Starting on BMX bikes, Hoy's talent was obvious from a young age and was honed by the City of Edinburgh Racing Club in his home town. He made his name in sprint events before sweeping aside all before him in the time trial at Athens. That event has been scrapped in Beijing, so Hoy has transferred to the Keirin discipline for which he is now the reigning world champion. If the multiple world champion and double Commonwealth Games gold medallist can gain one more gold – he is favourite for the Keirin – and another medal of any colour in the sprint events, he will become Scotland's most successful Olympian.

David Wilkie MBE Born 1954
Munich 1972 - Silver, 200m breaststroke
Montreal 1976 – Gold, 100m breaststroke
Montreal 1976 – Silver, 200m breaststroke

Wilkie is Scotland's most successful Olympic swimmer. Born in Sri Lanka to Scottish parents, after moving to Edinburgh he joined the Warrender Club at the age of 11. Wilkie sprang to fame as a teenager by winning the bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke in his hometown Commonwealth Games in 1970. Having previously won the silver medal in the 200m breaststroke a the Munich Olympics, in 1976 he won gold in the 100m breaststroke, setting a world record in the process, and silver in the 200m. Wilkie later became a successful businessman, founding the Health Perceptions company.

Wyndham Halswelle 1882-1915
Athens 1906 – Silver, 400m, Bronze, 800m
London 1908 – Gold, 400m

Born in London to Scottish parents and commissioned into the Highland Light Infantry. Captain Halswelle was an outstanding runner at several distances, once setting Scottish records at 100, 220, 440 and 880 yards in a single afternoon. He won silver and bronze at the disputed 'interim' games in 1906 before setting a new Olympic record in his heat in the 800m in 1908. in the final of a four-man race which was then not run in lanes, the favourite Halswelle was deliberately blocked by an American runner and a re-run was ordered, this time in lanes. The three other finalists, all Americans, refused to take part and Halswelle became the only man to ever win gold by a walkover. He was killed in action during the First World War.

Eric Liddell 1902-45
Paris 1924 – Gold, 400m
Paris 1924 – Bronze, 200m

Eric Liddell was born in China into a Scottish missionary family and studied science at Edinburgh University with the intention of returning to China as a missionary teacher. A talented wing three-quarter, he played seven times for the Scottish national rugby team before committing himself to athletics. Liddell famously refused to compete on a Sunday and as a result gave up his place in the 100m in Paris. But he switched to the 400m and won gold in a world record time. He also won the bronze medal in the 200m. Liddell died as a missionary in China during the Second World War. He was just 43. His inspirational story featured in the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire.

Dick McTaggert MBE Born 1935
Melbourne 1956 – Gold, lightweight
Rome 1960 – Bronze, lightweight

Dundee-born McTaggert enjoyed a magnificent career in amateur boxing which reached its peak in Melbourne when he won the gold in the lightweight division by beating Harry Kurschat of West Germany. A classic boxing stylist, McTaggart was also given the Val Barker trophy as Best Boxer of the Tournament award. He later went on to win bronze in the same lightweight division in the 1960 Games in Rome. McTaggart became a much-respected coach and senior figure in Scottish amateur boxing and is still involved in the sport today.

Alan Wells MBE Born 1952
Moscow 1980 – Gold, 100m
Moscow 1980 – Silver, 200m

Edinburgh-born Wells was a late developer as he only came to sprinting after several years in triple and long jumping. He was able to translate his speed on the runway to blistering pace on the track and won two golds at the Commonwealth Games in 1978. At the Moscow Games he won the 100m and was beaten only narrowly in the 200m, setting new British records in both events. Claims that he only won because the Americans were missing due to the boycott were proved wide of the mark when he beat all the top sprinters the following season. A systems engineer by profession, he has coached several top sprinters.

Rodney Pattison MBE Born 1943
Mexico 1968 – Gold, Flying Dutchman class
Munich 1972 – Gold, Flying Dutchman class
Montreal 1976 - Silver, Flying Dutchman class

With two golds and a silver, Pattisson is the most successful Scottish Olympian. A native of Campbeltown, he joined the Royal Navy and teamed up with London solicitor Iain MacDonald-Smith to win gold at Acapulco, the sailing venue for the 1968 Games. Pattisson won his second Olympic gold in Munich in 1972 with a new crewman, Christopher Davis, and carried the British flag at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, where he added a silver medal competing with Julian Brooke Houghton. He later sailed multi-hull yachts and is a noted tutor.