Rhona Howie has been left absolutely devastated by the theft of her Olympic curling gold medal from a museum in Dumfries.
Howie skipped Team GB to gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and coached Eve Muirhead's rink to bronze in Sochi earlier this year.
Her gold medal was among £34,000 of sports memorabilia stolen from the museum, including an Olympic curling gold won at the inaugural 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix by William Jackson.
"So many youngsters have got to touch and see the medal and this has inspired them to go on to take up curling or aspire to do well in sport or life in some way," said Howie.
"The medal is not only mine, it is all of Scotland's and was on display in the Dumfries museum so that everyone can share it.
"After such a fantastic year for the sport and with the Commonwealth Games rapidly approaching, this is an ice cold bitter blow for me, my country and the traditional 500 year old Scottish sport I have loved my whole life.
"What is even worse is the theft of the historic 1924 curling medal and other items also.
"I would directly appeal to those who have taken this to return it. It is very sentimental to me personally and I have had the pleasure of sharing the medal with so many Scottish and English people since I won it with the Stone of Destiny in Salt Lake City in 2002."
© Sportsbeat 2014