SCOTLAND’S wheelchair tennis star Gordon Reid will have at least one lion rampant in his corner when he competes at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Out to make it a golden double following Andy Murray’s success earlier this month, Reid now has the “roar” distinction of having a lion cub named after him. The reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion who hails from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire met his namesake lion cub on a visit to Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling.
The cub is one of four bred by a lioness at the park last month and named after Reid following the results of a public poll.
The world No3 also dropped off some tennis balls for the other Gordon Reid to play with.
The visit to meet “his” lion came before Reid flies out to Brazil later today to compete in the wheelchair tennis in the Paralympics which begin on September 9 at the Olympic Tennis Centre where Andy Murray won his second Olympic gold medal.
Reid said: “Obviously it’s not something that happens every day getting a little lion cub named after you so it was cool to go in and meet them and have a little cuddle and then have a little play with them as well. I’m still alive so that’s the main thing.
“There was one moment where I was trying to get my head down close to it and it took a bit of a jump at me but it was more cute and cuddly than the mum, that’s for sure.”
Looking ahead to the tournament in Rio, he added: “I’m excited and looking forward to getting started.
“I don’t start until September 9 so I’ve got quite a while to get over there, acclimatise and carry out the final preparations out in Brazil.
“I’m feeling good, I feel ready and just kind of raring to go.”
The other three lion cubs were given the names Murray, Thistle and Isla and all are said to be doing well.
The four are still subject to routine health checks, but will start to venture out from about eight weeks of age.
No British competitor has won the main wheelchair tennis gold since the sport was introduced to the Paralympics in 1992, though Peter Norfolk won gold in 2004 and 2008 in the singles for people with quadriplegia. Reid is reckoned to have an outstanding chance of winning gold, though he faces stiff competition from the likes of Japan’s Shingo Kunieda who is going for a hat-trick of golds and also world No1 Stephane Houdet of France.
Scotland’s best hope of a medal is David Weir who won a total of six gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games, and who has won the London Marathon on six occasions
As he prepared for his races over distances from 800m to the full marathon distance of 26 miles and 385 yards.
Weir has been angered by the budget cuts inflicted on the Rio marathon, though a £60 million bailout has since been promised by organisers after complaints about teams being unable to compete.
Weir, 37, said: “The Rio government didn’t have a lot of respect for the Paralympics.
“That’s not very good for the spirit of the sport – it doesn’t look good.
“It’s not the message they should be sending.”
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