Duncan Scott Holds Off Dean For Third Win: Dawson Gets Backstroke Hat-Trick In Manchester

Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis/ISL

Duncan Scott finished the British Swimming Invitation Meet with three titles as he touched out Tom Dean in the 200 freestyle by 0.05secs at the Manchester Aquatic Centre.

His Stirling team-mate Kathleen Dawson wrapped up the backstroke hat-trick with her third Scottish record of the meet, this time in the 200m as she led home a Stirling one-two with Cassie Wild from lane one.

Link to results

Scott won the 200IM and 100 free on Saturday, winning the latter by 0.02 from Dean.

James Guy led after the first 50 – the depth of the field illustrated by the 2015 world champion having to take his place in lane one – ahead of Dean and Scott.

Guy remained ahead at the halfway point although Dean and Scott had swapped positions with the latter then taking the lead by the final turn.

Dean though moved up right alongside him in the final 20m but it was Scott who touched first on 1:46.70 with the Bath National Centre swimmer second in 1:46.75 and Guy third in 1:47.77.

Only Katsuhiro Matsumoto – who won silver ahead of Scott’s bronze at the 2019 worlds in Gwangju – has gone quicker than Scott and Dean, with a time of 1:45.13 at the Kosuke Kitajima Cup in January.

It concluded Scott’s first long-course competition for a year and he said:

“The 200 free in Britain is always good fun. I’ve been doing some racing at home but to come here and race some other guys has been really good and to finish with that was really fun and just so tight.

“And I think that’s what’s so good about it and it’s really exciting for trials and the 4×2 as well.

“I was just giving an honest effort like I did this morning. I was all in (this morning) and then I was just able to go a little bit quicker because it’s the afternoon and a bit of caffeine and stuff.

“Head to head racing gets a little bit more out of you as well so I’ll get some good learning from that.”

Of his meet, the double Olympic relay silver medallist said:

“I think there’s still plenty to do and plenty to learn.

“I came here and some of the times were good but the execution of different skills and things that I can work on – there is room to improve.

“I am quite happy with where I am at the minute – I’ve got a final phase and then into taper so quite excited for the next block.”

Dean said:

“I was very happy with it. To finish off with that was good.

“GB 200 free men is always a stacked event and it’s always going to be an exciting race whenever those eight guys go head to head.

“So I was really excited and I think everyone could tell that it was going to be an exciting race which bodes well for the trials in a month’s time. That’s going to be even better.

“Going head to head with Duncan is always exciting: you know he is always going to put up a good race. He’s a great athlete and great racer and to be close to him on the 100 and 200 was really exciting and just shows the calibre of athlete GB has got on the 200 free at the moment.”

Dawson Completes Backstroke Treble

Dawson set a Scottish record of 27.63 in the 50 back before becoming only the second British woman to go inside 59 seconds in the 100 on Saturday when she scorched to 58.65.

Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

That was the fastest time in history by a British woman in textile and catapulted her top of the world rankings.

On Sunday, she led from start to finish, splitting 30.32/1:02.65/1:35.37/2:09.44 for another PB – her third of the meet.

Wild, her team-mate at the University of Stirling, was second in a PB of 2:10.93 with Honey Osrin third in 2:13.25.

Hopkin Holds Off Anderson; Greenbank Wraps Up Backstroke Double

Anna Hopkin won the 100 free despite the attentions of a fast-finishing Freya Anderson.

Hopkin went out like a rocket in 26.20 and came home in 28.24 to touch in 54.44 with her British team-mate Anderson 0.07 adrift in 54.51.

Luke Greenbank, who set a British record of 1:55.34 in the 200 back, won the 100 in 54.56 ahead of Joe Litchfield (54.88).

James Wilby, who was second behind Adam Peaty in the 50 and 100br, led from the front to win the 200br in 2:11.24 ahead of Ross Murdoch (2:12.88).

Max Litchfield – Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr

Max Litchfield led for all but 50m to win the 400IM in a solid 4:16.74, more than four seconds ahead of second-placed Brodie Williams who touched in 4:21.52.

Candice Hall won the women’s 200IM in 2:15.12 while Harriet Jones added the 100 fly to the 50 she won on Saturday as she led home a top three who were all under 60 seconds.

Jones clocked 59.03 with Keanna MacInnes (59.33) and Emily Large (59.65) the next two home.

Aimee Willmott won the 800 free in the opening event of the final programme, touching in 8:42.88 to add to the 400IM she claimed on Saturday.

Sarah Vasey won the 50br in a speedy 30.66 while Jacob Peters was the only man to dip inside 24 seconds in the 50 fly, touching in 23.90.

In the para-swimming multi-classification races, Louis Lawlor set a British S14 100 back record of 1:01.61 and Scott Quin sped to the 200br in 2:27.83, also a national SB 14 record.

Ellie Challis set an S3 national mark of 1:54.29 in the 100 free heats which she lowered in the final to 1:53.01.

Zara Mullooly won that race in 1:01.41, Toni Shaw won the 100 fly in 1:10.20 and Maisie Summers-Newton touched first in the 200IM in 3:00.09.

Stephen Clegg won the 50 fly in 26.11 and Reece Dunn took the 200 free in 1:59.56.

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