EUAN BURTON believes 2008 will be the year when he finally mints the gold he craves, and where better than at the Olympics in Beijing.
The 29-year-old judo player from Pencaitland is an outstanding medal hope in the 81kg division. And, if he realises his dream of winning Olympic gold, he will eclipse his one-time training partner, Graeme Randall, a former world champion.
Randal
l, despite his talent, failed to win an Olympic medal. But Burton is in the best form of his life and has the confidence of having two European bronze medals and a world championship bronze in Rio last year in his CV. It will be his first Olympics.
Burton took up the sport at the age of six, thanks to his grandparents. He used to travel to their house in Midlothian at the weekend and they took him to the local judo club where he prospered.
He won silver in the Scottish Championships at the age of nine and went one better the following year. And he progressed steadily to become British No.2 behind Randall.
Now, it's the pinnacle and Burton said: "I'm used to fighting the best guys in the world and I know who will be in the field. Nobody is going to fly in from Mars.
"My job is to try to treat the Olympics as just another tournament. Sure, it will be difficult, but I won't fly into Beijing until two days before the contest starts.
"There are so many imponderables about judo. You could be up against the guy you don't want to face in the first fight but that's the luck of the draw. I know I'm in good form. I know all the guys who will be there. I know that I have trained well."
He will continue fine-tuning and faces a hectic schedule until August which includes a three-week spell in Japan. "That's the best place for intensive judo," Burton added.
"My last fight will probably be in the German Open. After that, we'll go to the holding camp and fly into Beijing late.
"It's great that we have me, plus Michelle Rogers and Sarah Clark who are English but have lived in Edinburgh for a number of years, in the team for Beijing.
"That upholds a strong Scottish tradition in the sport. However, judo is not like running or rowing. It's not about times.
"A lot of things can happen and, just because you have a decent pedigree, that means nothing. It is what happens on the day."
However, Burton is not lacking confidence, and he admitted: "If I perform to the best of my ability then there is no reason why I can't win a medal."
