THE realisation of a decade-long dream edges ever closer for Duncan Scott. The 18 year-old swimmer from the University of Stirling may not have punched his ticket to the Olympics just yet but a surprise victory in the 100m freestyle at Tollcross last night shows he is not too far away. Two further events later in the week – the 200m individual medley on Saturday and the 200m freestyle the following night – gives him further opportunities to make the plane for Rio. On this evidence, he will have a more than decent chance of doing so.
READ MORE: Studies put to one side as Olympics take priority for Duncan Scott
Scott, second at the turn, powered through the final 50 metres to beat pre-race favourite Ben Proud to the wall, in the process smashing the Scottish record he had set only that morning in the heats. His time - 48:66 - was outside the target for automatic Olympic consideration but the title of British champion was considerable consolation for the bashful Scott who still believes he has a long way to go. Like all aspiring swimmers, making the Olympics has been a dream since he was a young boy in armbands and now it seems he is not too far away, despite his modest protestations.
“The first Olympics I saw was 2008,” he recalled. “That seems like yesterday. Michael Phelps won eight golds and it was amazing. Steve Tigg has been coaching me since I was eight or nine when I told him I wanted to go to the Olympics. Then it was a little thing but that’s the dream.
“But I’m not on the team yet. Ben’s been amazing this year so if they choose to take him that’s a great decision. Nothing’s written down on paper unless you have the qualifying time which I don’t. In Australia I would have come about eighth or ninth at their trials so Britain still has a way to go in the 100 freestyle. I’d like to move up that kind of level.”
The prospect of an all-Stirling duel in the pool had been dashed when Scott’s team-mate and close friend Robbie Renwick – third fastest qualifier in the heats – was scratched from the event to give him more time to prepare for the 200m. “You should watch out for him in that,” said Scott. “He’s going to be dangerous”.
There were two other Scots in the final, Kieran McGuckin finishing seventh with a time of 49:90 a place ahead of Edinburgh team-mate Richard Schafers who clocked 50:13.
In contrast to Scott, it would prove another disappointing night for Dan Wallace, he of the famous “For Freedom!” yelp in the same pool two years after he had won Commonwealth gold. After failing to make the 400m freestyle final earlier in the week, he had to settle for third place here in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:18:11 behind winner Max Litchfield who became the first swimmer since opening night to book a place in Rio.
Wallace, the university of Florida student, will go again later in the week in the 200m freestyle and 200m IM and did not seem unduly perturbed at how things had gone so far.
READ MORE: Studies put to one side as Olympics take priority for Duncan Scott
“I would have liked a better result as I came here to post a fast enough time to go to Rio and I didn’t do that,” he said. “But I’ve still got a couple of days racing. I’m a finals guy. I always show up at night. I won last year and third isn’t a bad result. It’s just not good enough. But over the last few years I’ve shown I can make finals at big meets so hopefully I can keep on improving and prove I can get to Rio.”
He was followed to the wall by Stirling racer Lewis Smith who was fourth with a time of 4:18:57, while fellow Scot Callum Lawrie – who turns 18 today – was seventh.
There was better news from a Scottish perspective in the women’s 800m freestyle where Camilla Hattersley bettered her bronze medal in last year’s British Championships by finishing second behind winner Jazz Carlin. The City of Glasgow swimmer, an aeronautical engineering student at Glasgow University, swam nine seconds faster than she had in the heats and declared herself happy with her night’s work.
“I’m really happy as that’s a three-second PB [personal best],” she said. “I can’t ask for any more than that. In the past year I’ve really come on a lot and this competition is the chance for me to show that. I’ve got the 400m free to come on Saturday and I’m really looking forward to that. My shorter distances have really come on a lot so I’m hoping I can do a big PB in that as well.”
In the last race of the night, the women’s 50m freestyle, Aberdeen’s Rachel-Louise Masson finished third in her first ever British senior final with a time of 25:58.
READ MORE: Studies put to one side as Olympics take priority for Duncan Scott
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