Team GB swimmer Duncan Scott discusses the 2024 Paris Olympics and looks ahead to the 2028 event in LA during an Access to Pools for All event at the Peak Leisure Centre, Stirling.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Well, I think obviously we've got added interest in diving as being a part of Aquatics GB.
00:06I really enjoy watching athletics, which obviously didn't start until maybe the three days left
00:12of the swimming, or four days left of the swimming.
00:16I think they just put on a real show there, so many tight races, things like that, and
00:21being able to watch quite a few Team GB hopefuls in that as well was pretty cool.
00:26You mentioned Liam Marshall in there, what was it like coming up against him, and is
00:30he the best you've come up against, would you say, in your time?
00:38It's difficult, obviously I go into every race believing I've got an opportunity to
00:43win, no matter who I'm against, I think that's the beauty of sport, is anything can happen.
00:50As much as that, I've got to respect and put my hands up and be like, he was 0.06 off the
00:56world record in the 200 IM, at the end of what's been an unbelievable week of swimming
01:02for him.
01:03He's definitely up there for one of the best athletes that I've competed against, but at
01:07the same time, I'm going to have to compete against him for a wee while longer, so I need
01:12to go back to the drawing board about where does he take the most away from me, at what
01:16point is he a lot better than me, and I need to go back and work on that, and see how much
01:22I can close the gap, and if I can close it a little bit, then I guess you never know.
01:29The way you're speaking, it sounds like you've got no retirement plans, and you're all
01:36concentrating on LA, and four years time, is that very much part of the plan?
01:39Yeah, I mean I've swam almost better than I've ever swam, and I live in races across
01:47eight days, well I swam for eight of the nine days, and I think the quality that I showed
01:54throughout it was one of the best, and the emotional, physical fatigue of an Olympic
01:59Games, you go in with those questions, am I still at that level, can I still compete
02:03at that level and maintain it, and I finish the week and I'm like, yeah look, that's a
02:08great week of swimming for me, being able to anchor some great relays, individually
02:13swim pretty well as well, so I'm really happy with the way it's gone, but as you say, I
02:19finish it being like, oh right, there's still plenty more in this sport that I want to try
02:23and achieve.
02:24Yeah, technically obviously the same bracket, I know it makes you slightly uncomfortable,
02:27but the same bracket as Chris Hoy now, has he been in touch at all since you tied it
02:32up?
02:33What is it, number of medals, automatically got each other's number, he sent me a lovely
02:40message, he sent me a lovely message, and I got back to him, and he's always really supportive
02:47of whatever I'm doing, and as I've said many times before, he's someone that inspired me
02:54a lot when I was growing up, and watching him compete at the highest stage, and I guess
02:58dominate as well on the world stage, and at Olympic Games, and always showing up when
03:03it matters, so yeah, what a real honour to be putting, as you say, the same sentences
03:09as him.
03:11You're a very modest guy, but you're up there now with these people, you're level with
03:17Bradley Wiggins in terms of medals, potentially in the next Olympics, you could go clear as
03:22the most medals by any British Olympian, is that in your thoughts, or are your goals different
03:28to that?
03:31Well I think I've got to probably look at what's going to get me there rather than the
03:35outcome, I think when you start focusing on the outcome, I think that's really when
03:40mentally it can be quite difficult to how you're going to get there, outcome focused
03:46things are obviously quite short term goals, so there's plenty more in the sport that I
03:50want to try and achieve with that, so if I can just keep working on how I'm going to
03:54get better, if I can keep continually improving, that'll put me in the best place possible
04:00come LA, and I think that's probably the important position for me to be in.
04:04Yeah.
04:06So you were visiting your grandad the other day with your gold stunkin' towel, what kind
04:09of special moment was that for you?
04:11I really didn't expect that to go as much as, my gran the other day said it was in the
04:16paper or something, but yeah, well so basically the wedding was pretty far north, on my way
04:23down, seeing them, and look it's just anyone that's been a part of my journey and helped
04:28me out in whatever way possible, whether it's sitting at the edge of a poolside waiting
04:36for me to compete, or taking me between different training sessions when I was younger, or whatever
04:41it might be, I've been so fortunate that so many people have helped me, and they're part
04:46of what is a massive pie, and I'm so grateful for what they've done, and many others as
04:53well, it would take me forever to go around and thank them all, but I think it's a really
04:57special moment for them to be able to be worth an Olympic gold medal, and kind of
05:02cherish that as well, so that was really special.