FLYING THE FLAG FOR SCOTLAND

How Mark Taylor and Kyle Fleming became the ONLY Scottish athletes in history to win Masters and Junior class at the NABBA Universe... and did it in the same year

TWO athletes were more than a little surprised to see the statistics from last month's Mr Universe when sent them from NABBA.

Already buzzing from their titles of Junior and Masters Over 45 Mr Universe, Mark Taylor, below, and Kyle Fleming, from Fife, were given another admirable accolade – they are the only Scotsmen in history to win these respective classes at the prestigious competition.

Speaking exclusively to frontdouble.com, Taylor said: "I got sent the list from NABBA archives and it was amazing to see I was only Scot in history to win the Master's Over 40/45 class.

"Young Kyle [below], who I prep and train with, was also the only junior in history to win that class. It is a great feeling and achievement. When you see the lists of all the winners of these two classes, it is awesome for Scotland."

Here are the list of winners from those two classes, going back to when they were introduced:

Junior bodybuilding:

• 1988 Ian Harrison (ENG)
• 1989 Michael Melksham (AUS)
• 2000 Stuart Core (ENG)
• 2001 David Dahan (FRA)
• 2002 Eduardo Correa (BRA)
• 2003 Denis Nikiforov (RUS)
• 2004 James Flex Lewis (WAL)
• 2005 Marvin Nagelbloem (HOL)
• 2006 Vitaly Gerasimov (RUS)
• 2007 Darren Borg (MAL)
• 2008 Jakub Subrt (CZE)
• 2009 Bongani Myaka (SA)
• 2010 Tomas Pero (CRO)
• 2011 Emmanuel Martyres (BRA)
• 2012 Rodrigo Bizerril (BRA)
• 2013 Kagan Orton (NZL)
• 2014 Maksim Buyankin (RUS)
• 2015 Kuba Cielen (ENG)
• 2016 Kobi Ifrach (ISR)
• 2017 Kobi Ifrach (ISR)
• 2018 Samuel Hewitt (GB)
• 2019 Dominik Kopecny (CZE)
• 2022 Sammy Zaouri (GB)
• 2023 Kyle Fleming (SCO)

Masters Over 45:

• 1991 Graeme Lancefield (AUS)
• 1992 Roy Duval (ENG)
• 1993 Bernard Bryan (ENG)
• 1994 John Citrone (ENG)
• 1995 John Citrone (ENG)
• 1996 Walter Engelskircher (GER)
• 1997 John Citrone (ENG)
• 1998 John Citrone (ENG)
• 1999 Peter Andreas (GER)
• 2000 Carl Rung (ENG)
• 2001 Terry Fisher (ENG)
• 2002 Rob Van Der Dussen (HOL)
• 2003 Joao Bispo De Andrade (BRA)
• 2004 Brian Peters (WAL)
• 2005 Joao Bispo De Andrade (BRA)
• 2006 Jan De Weerd (HOL)
• 2007 Nortom James Murayama (BRA)
• 2008 Nortom James Murayama (BRA)
• 2009 Nortom James Murayama (BRA)
• 2010 Jason Corrick (ENG)
• 2011 Nortom James Murayama (BRA)
• 2012 Gary Lister (ENG)
• 2013 Paul Sutton (ENG)
• 2014 Maurice Felstead (ENG)
• 2015 Andy James (ENG)
• 2016 Mark Anderson (NZL)
• 2017 Justin Wessels (AUS)
• 2018 Mark Anderson (NZL)
• 2019 Paulius Jasiukaitis (LTU)
• 2022 David Cutler (AUS)
• 2023 Mark Taylor (SCO)