{"id":526703,"date":"2023-04-03T04:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T11:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=526703"},"modified":"2023-04-03T04:02:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-03T11:02:00","slug":"duncan-scott-set-for-british-championships-a-year-after-being-hailed-as-skinnier-version-of-michael-phelps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/duncan-scott-set-for-british-championships-a-year-after-being-hailed-as-skinnier-version-of-michael-phelps\/","title":{"rendered":"Duncan Scott Set For British Championships A Year After Being Hailed As “Skinnier Version Of Michael Phelps”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Duncan Scott Set For British Championships A Year After Being Hailed As “Skinnier Version Of Michael Phelps”<\/h4>\n

Such was Duncan Scott’s<\/strong> all-round excellence at last year’s British Championships that it led James Guy<\/strong> to describe him as “a skinnier version of Michael Phelps”<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The six-time Olympic medallist set a British 400IM record<\/a> of 4:09.18 as well as swimming a then world-leading time of 1:56.08 in the 200IM<\/a> before wrapping up the meet with victory in the 200 free in 1:45.54.<\/p>\n

Guy, himself a two-time Olympic and quadruple world champion, and Tom Dean<\/strong>, winner of the 200 free and 4×200 at Tokyo 2020, paid tribute to Scott.<\/p>\n

Guy told Swimming World:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what? Duncan is a class boy and I admire him a lot, I\u2019ve known him for a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really hard to see what he does in training and racing \u2013 he\u2019s like a Michael Phelps but a skinnier version.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dean added:<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he is so modest I don\u2019t think people quite realise how incredible an athlete he is and I think we are very fortunate to be not only racing at the same time but from the same country.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp there with your Phelps, your (Ryan) Lochtes and your (Kosuke) Haginos, I can\u2019t think of many with such diversity in the swimming world and at such a high level.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A fine 2022 in international waters beckoned for Scott.<\/p>\n

However, the University of Stirling<\/strong> swimmer announced at the start of June he had Covid-19 and a fortnight later withdrew from the World Championships<\/a> in Budapest to focus on his recovery.<\/p>\n

The “extraordinary” worlds were the first of three major meets in the international calendar – introduced when the Fukuoka edition was postponed to 2023 – to be followed by the Commonwealth Games<\/strong> and European Championships.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

David Popovici<\/strong> sent a shudder through the swimming world with his 100\/200 free double with Dean getting bronze in the latter while Leon Marchand<\/strong> won both IMs, the 400 in an eye-watering European record of 4:04.28.<\/p>\n

\"duncan-scott-\"

Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

Speaking ahead of the 2023 British Championships which double as world trials and run from Tuesday-Sunday at Ponds Forge, Scott told Swimming World:<\/p>\n

“Last year was a weird one so obviously (had) Covid just a couple of week prior to world champs which was a bit of a bummer.<\/p>\n

“It was strange \u2013 some sessions I didn\u2019t really want to watch and then others I wanted to watch.<\/p>\n

“For me it was a bit of a shame because I\u2019d have really loved to have been there with some of these young guys coming through \u2013 I\u2019d have loved to go head to head with them especially in some of the events.<\/p>\n

“Last year ( was) trying out the 4IM and I\u2019d have loved to have tried to go head to head and seen what I could have done.<\/p>\n

“It was a weird one but it\u2019s nothing I\u2019ve not been used to with bouts of illness throughout my career.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Scott returned to competition at the Commonwealth Games in July where he won 200 free and 2IM gold among six medals to bring his overall haul across three editions to 13.<\/p>\n

He didn’t compete at the European Championships, having opted to bypass the Rome meet.<\/p>\n

He said:<\/p>\n

“For me I would say it\u2019s more of a mindset thing, missing world champs and then I was lucky enough there was a Commonwealth Games not too long after that (meant) I was able to get my head around it and be like this is my opportunity, I\u2019ve just got one meet.<\/p>\n

“And in some way that was maybe a good thing, having just one competition last year.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s a mindset thing: if you\u2019re ill two weeks before or six weeks out or eight weeks out, more often than not, you’ll have done a good preparation and you\u2019ll have done enough work, it\u2019s what\u2019s happening upstairs that really matters.<\/p>\n

“At Commonwealth Games I thought I dealt with that really well.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In August he was diagnosed with an IgE deficiency which affects the immune system.<\/p>\n

He has been on antibiotics since November since when he hasn’t experienced any illness, the longest period of good health for years.<\/p>\n

British Championships<\/h4>\n

Scott will take on the 100 and 200 free and 200IM at the trials at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.<\/p>\n

He’ll meet Dean and Lewis Burras<\/strong> – who supplanted him as British record holder in Budapest with a time of 47.63 – in the 100 with the longer race full of quality including the Olympic champion, Guy and Matt Richards<\/strong>, the quartet who combined to win 4×2 gold in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Scott and Dean will reunite once more in the short medley while Guy will also take on the 100 fly.<\/p>\n

Ben Proud<\/strong> hasn’t been beaten in a long-course pool since Tokyo and will face Burras in the 50 free as well as tackling the 50 fly.<\/p>\n

Adam Peaty<\/strong> won’t be in Sheffield after withdrawing last week to focus on his mental health<\/a> with James Wilby<\/strong> – who won Commonwealth gold<\/a> with the Olympic champion in fourth following injury – and European bronze heading the field in all the breaststroke events.<\/p>\n

Katie Shanahan<\/strong> is one to watch in the women’s events, the seven-time European junior medallist having already tasted success in senior waters at the 2022 Commonwealths and Europeans.<\/p>\n

The Scot goes in the 200 and 400IM and 200 back.<\/p>\n

So too Freya Colbert<\/strong>, now at Loughborough but formerly Nova Centurion, where Becky Adlington<\/strong> thrived on her way to two Olympic titles among four medals.<\/p>\n

More symmetry with Adlington sees Colbert take on the 400 and 800 free and she’ll meet Shanahan in the long medley.<\/p>\n