Duncan Scott has been named male athlete of the year in the Scottish Student Sports Awards 2020 after a memorable year in and out of the pool.
The 23-year-old is based at the University of Stirling, a little over 25 miles north-east of Glasgow, where he is coached by Steven Tigg.
The 2019/20 season has been a memorable one for Scott.
At the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, in July last year, Scott swam the second-fastest split in history as he anchored the Great Britain 4x100m medley relay to victory as he overhauled Nathan Adrian in the final metres.
His time of 46.14 is the swiftest ever unaided by a suit, the only faster clocking that of Jason Lezak, at 46.06 during the men’s 4×100 free at Beijing 2008 at a time of shiny suits.
Stand-off: Britain’s Duncan Scott, right, refuses to pose with Sun Yang, flanked by Katsuhiro Matsumoto, left, and Martin Malyutin, after the 200m free medals ceremony – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer
Scott’s relay blast delivered gold for Britain and followed his bronze medal in the 200 free when his refusal to share a podium with gold medallist Sun Yang so enraged the Chinese, now banned for eight years and his career all but over for tampering with an anti-doping sample bar the outcome of an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT).
Scott also lowered the British 200 free record in Gwangju to 1:44.91 when leading off the men’s 4×200 squad that came fifth after breaking the national 100 mark in April to 47.87.
There were also two silver medals at the European Short-Course Championships in Glasgow in December as well as a national record in the 200 free and two more marks at the International Swimming League (ISL) final in Las Vegas in the 200 and 400IM as part of the London Roar team that came second behind Energy Standard.
He reigned supreme in student waters too with 12 medals and five records at the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) long and short-course championships.
Scott had been on fine form earlier this year before the postponement of the Olympics and has been able to return to the water recently after having to look on at his team-mates in England and Wales who got back in to the pool some time earlier.
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Congratulations
Thank you for highlighting Duncan – he’s a great swimmer and no doubt there is more to come.