{"id":583124,"date":"2024-04-01T00:38:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T07:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=583124"},"modified":"2024-03-31T03:24:09","modified_gmt":"2024-03-31T10:24:09","slug":"duncan-scott-talks-the-highs-and-lows-of-olympic-year-on-the-eve-of-british-trials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/duncan-scott-talks-the-highs-and-lows-of-olympic-year-on-the-eve-of-british-trials\/","title":{"rendered":"Duncan Scott Talks The Highs And Lows Of Olympic Year On The Eve Of British Trials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Duncan Scott Talks The Highs And Lows Of Olympic Year On The Eve Of British Trials<\/h4>\n

Duncan Scott<\/strong> became Great Britain\u2019s most decorated Olympic medallist at a single Games when he won four medals in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Three years on, the Scot is looking to make his third Olympic team with the trials running from Tuesday 2 to Sunday 7 April at the Aquatics Centre in London.<\/p>\n

The six-day Aquatics GB Swimming Championships will feature an integrated Olympic and Paralympic programme<\/a> featuring the likes of Adam Peaty<\/strong>, Tom Dean<\/strong>, Maisie Summers-Newton<\/strong> and Alice Tai<\/strong> at the venue which hosted the pool competition at the 2012 Olympics.<\/p>\n

For Scott, Paris comes eight years after his Olympic debut at Rio 2016<\/strong> where he won two relay silvers with the men’s 4x200m free and 4x100m medley.<\/p>\n

\"Duncan

Tom Dean & Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming<\/p><\/div>\n

The 26-year-old, coached at the University of Stirling by Steve Tigg<\/strong>, followed that up five years later in Tokyo with gold in the 4×2 plus silvers in the 200 free \u2013 behind Dean who headed a British 1-2 \u2013 200IM and men\u2019s medley relay.<\/p>\n

Scott first reached the senior international podium back at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, since when he has also won armfuls of World and European medals.<\/p>\n

The most recent addition to his collection came at the 2024 World Championships<\/strong> in Doha where he won bronze with the mixed medley relay after swimming the fly leg in prelims.<\/p>\n

That accompanied his sixth-place finishes in the 200IM and 200 free plus fourth in the 4×200 and 4×100 free, where he anchored the quartet in 47.37, the second-fastest split in the field with only Pan Zhanle<\/strong> and his 46.80 WR on lead-off for winners China surpassing him.<\/p>\n

That earned the GB quartet an Olympic berth at the February meet bypassed by many who would be expected to be on the Paris podium – including the likes of Leon Marchand<\/strong> and David Popovici<\/strong> – with others including Scott unrested.<\/p>\n

With Doha navigated, eyes immediately turned to the trials and, should they be safely negotiated, on to Paris 2024.<\/p>\n

Come the Olympics and the intensity of the spotlight is unparalleled, exposing the highest of highs and lowest of lows and everything in between.<\/p>\n

Scott said:<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably the best thing about the Olympic year is that it\u2019s the pinnacle of our sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of my heroes and people that I\u2019ve looked up to from past Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, yeah, that\u2019s the best part.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming<\/p><\/div>\n

He added:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst part? Probably straight after the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because what everyone thinks is how jolly it is and how nice it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut how many people leave an Olympic Games succeeding?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, such a minute number.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many people get the Olympic blues which is a real thing and some people find that quite challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was 36 hours from when I touched the wall in Tokyo and to (get to) my own flat in Stirling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI turned on the cycling the next morning and I\u2019m like \u2018oh, was that competition yesterday?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s probably the worst part about the Olympics, just the complete cut-off straightaway which can be quite tough for a lot of athletes.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Racing Preview<\/h3>\n

Scott will compete in the 100 and 200 free and the 200IM, meeting Dean in all three events.<\/p>\n

The depth of the men\u2019s freestyle in Britain is among the strongest in the world with Scott and Dean to be joined in the 200 by Matt Richards<\/strong> \u2013 winner of the four-length title at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka ahead of Dean \u2013 James Guy<\/strong>, Jacob Whittle and Joe Litchfield.<\/p>\n

Richards will also go in the 50 free where he\u2019ll meet Ben Proud<\/strong> \u2013 the man with every title bar the Olympics \u2013 and Lewis Burras<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Adam_Peaty_Launch_BlackBG_0355_v1_RGB_150DPI\"

Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Aaron Okayama, Speedo<\/p><\/div>\n

Peaty is the fastest seed in the 100m breaststroke with his 58.60 from the Doha semis before he went on to take bronze in the final.<\/p>\n

Given the 2016 and 2021 Olympic champion arrived in Doha unrested and coming off a tough training block, this week will give a true indication as to where his form lies, less than four months before the start of the Games.<\/p>\n

Luke Greenbank<\/strong> and Oli Morgan<\/strong> meet in the 100 and 200 back, Max Litchfield<\/strong> returns to the national \u00a0championships in the 200 free and 200\/400IM and Guy and Jacob Peters<\/strong> will go head to head in the 100 fly.<\/p>\n

Freya Anderson<\/strong> will make a last-minute decision on her involvement with her focus on her recovery from glandular fever.<\/p>\n

Laura Stephens<\/strong> and Freya Colbert<\/strong> arrive at the Aquatics Centre as world champions having won the 200 fly and 400IM respectively in Doha.<\/p>\n

Stephens goes in the 100 and 200 fly as she seeks to make her second Olympic team after finishing 10th<\/sup> in the longer race in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Colbert is entered into the 100\/200 free and the two IMs and will be fastest into the 200 free should Anderson be absent.<\/p>\n

Abbie Wood<\/strong>, who won silver with Colbert in the 4×2 in Doha, goes in the 100\/200 free and 200IM in which she was fourth in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Katie Shanahan<\/strong> goes in the 200 back, in which she\u2019s the European silver medallist, as well as the 200\/400IM.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s 100 back promises to be a real tussle with Lauren Cox<\/strong> and Kathleen Dawson<\/strong> \u2013 fifth and sixth respectively in Doha \u2013 and Medi Harris<\/strong> the fastest three seeds.<\/p>\n

Hopkin leads the way in the 50 free entries although she is followed by two youngsters in Skye Carter<\/strong> and Eva Okaro<\/strong>, both of whom show great promise.<\/p>\n

\"Women

Skye Carter: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi\/LEN<\/p><\/div>\n

Carter won 50 free bronze among three medals at the 2023 European Juniors, teaming up with Okaro as the British 4×100 free quartet finished third.<\/p>\n

Okaro also claimed 50 free bronze at the 2021 edition, coming away with silver and bronze in relays.<\/p>\n

Amelie Blocksidge<\/strong> is another youngster hinting at a fine future, marking her 14th<\/sup> birthday<\/a> with the 1500 free title at last year\u2019s national championships in 16:19 before going on to win silver at the European juniors.<\/p>\n

Blocksidge, who turns 15 on 9 April, is entered into the 200\/400\/800\/1500 as well as the 400IM.<\/p>\n

Qualification Criteria<\/h3>\n

A maximum of 30 athletes will be nominated to Team GB for Paris.<\/p>\n

The winner of each race will be nominated for selection provided they record a time equal to or better than the standards in the table below.<\/p>\n

The second-place finisher will be considered subject to the overall team size and relay qualifiers.<\/p>\n

They must also record a time that equals or betters the nomination standard in the open final of that event.<\/p>\n

There’s also the possibility of discretionary picks made by national performance director Chris Spice<\/strong> and head coach Bill Furniss<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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