Duncan Scott eyes Glasgow repeat and admits pool closures are 'difficult to watch'
Olympic hero would love crack at another home Games
Duncan Scott has come a long way since he won his first major championship medal as a 17-year-old at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but the Olympic hero would love another crack at a home games.
Scotland's largest city is expected to be announced as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games following the decision by Victoria to pull out. The Australian state says it can't afford to stage the multi-sport event and Glasgow has offered to step in with a “cost effective” proposal.
Scott was in the Scotland quartet which took silver in the 4×200 metres freestyle relay in the Tollcross pool in 2014, part of a record medal haul for the host nation during a never to be forgotten 12 days. The chance to do it all again is one Glasgow-born Scott would relish.
“How many people have swam in two home Commonwealth Games? That'd be pretty nuts,” he said.
“Glasgow are always great hosts no matter what sporting event it might be. The crowds always get right behind it, the fans always get right behind it. I've been there for a lot of other competitions in the past, lots of Scottish Swimming meets have been done there and they've done a great job so if they go on to host it that'd be a great thing but there's probably quite a few steps that need to be taken before that.”
Scott, 27, is already Scotland's most successful Commonwealth medallist in terms of total medals won, with three golds, two silvers and eight bronzes from his three Games appearances in 2014, 2018 and 2022. In Paris this summer he also became the leading Scots medallist in Olympic history. His relay gold in the 4x200m freestyle and individual silver in the 200m individual medley means he now has eight Olympic medals, equal with Bradley Wiggins and one behind Jason Kenny on the list of Britain’s most decorated Olympians.
Andy Murray and Chris Hoy have reached out to congratulate Scott but the swimmer shies away from comparisons with such Scottish sporting greats. But beneath his humility is a fierce competitor who relishes the biggest sporting stage of all.
“It’s an environment I love and an atmosphere that I really enjoy being a part of,” he said. “I love how much is on the line and that extra little thing of being in an Olympic final when you’re not going to get this opportunity again for four years - I really enjoy that.”
The 4x200m freestyle has proved a particularly fruitful event for Scott. In 2014 in Glasgow he was the junior member of a Scots quartet featuring Dan Wallace, Stephen Milne and Robbie Renwick which took Commonwealth silver. Two years later, at the Rio Olympics, all four were part of the British team that won silver behind the US in the same event. Scott, Wallace and Milne all swam in the final alongside James Guy, with Renwick having taken part in the heats.
Scott, Wallace, Milne were joined by Mark Szaranek at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and won 4x200m freestyle bronze for Scotland at Gold Coast. Three years later, at the Covid-delayed Olympics in Tokyo, Scott landed his first Olympic gold, anchoring a GB team which also included Thomas Dean, Guy and Matthew Richards. The quartet made history in Paris last month when they again won 4x200m gold. It was the first time that the same four members of a British relay team in either swimming or athletics had successfully defended their Olympic title. Oh, and in between there was another 4x200 Commonwealth bronze in Birmingham in 2022 alongside Milne, Szaranek and Evan Jones.
The records continue to tumble and we are running out of superlatives for Scott but the Alloa athlete also sees the bigger picture and is passionate about the importance of swimming being a skill all children should have the opportunity to learn. He has spoken out about pool closures as council cuts have hit hard in recent years and was in Stirling last week to help out at learn to swim classes and highlight the importance of community facilities for kids from all backgrounds as part of the ChangeMaker initiative.
“I found it a real privilege being the Learn To Swim brand ambassador for the Scottish Water-Scottish Swimming partnership and throughout the years that I've done that it's kind of, unintentionally, since Covid and other issues as well, had pool closures at the forefront of that role because that's directly correlated with less kids being able to have the access to learn how to swim,” said Scott.
“It's a sport that I have got a lot of passion for and I love the sport, I love competing at the highest level but then also I loved learning to swim.
“All the kids from the same area, different social aspects that you do throughout it, learning together, I guess failing together as well, it's a really powerful sport, starting to feel safe and confident in the water as well.
“But seeing those sorts of opportunities getting taken away for different kids is quite difficult to watch so I think for me it's more that I'm quite passionate about making sure kids have got that opportunity, firstly to have a life skill but also too it could be something they love, it could be what they're passionate about so just to give them that chance.”
- Duncan Scott is part of the athlete ChangeMaker initiative, a partnership between The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, Team GB, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport to support athletes who want to help social impact projects they are passionate about - whether it’s grassroots sport projects, sustainability, mental and physical wellbeing or LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
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