Duncan Scott On Rightful Rewards & Celebrating Swimming’s Finest On Eve Of British Trials
Duncan Scott has a treasure trove that includes two Olympic golds among eight medals and five world titles in a 10-strong haul.
With 10 titles among 24 medals across European Championships and Commonwealth Games and a further seven medals in the continental short-course pool, Scott sits just shy of 50 international honours.
He’s Scotland’s most decorated Olympian and Britain’s most decorated swimmer and he became the first British athlete to win four medals at a single Olympic Games with a gold and three silvers at Tokyo 2020.
Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
The 28-year-old is an ambassador for Scottish Swimming’s ‘Learn to Swim’ framework and he’s been a prominent voice calling for action to prevent the widespread closure of community swimming pools.
His contribution to swimming was recognised in 2022 when he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) before being appointed an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2025.
While further silverware is beckoning, Scott’s legacy has already been cemented in and out of the pool, from his achievements at the sporting pinnacle through to his impassioned support for the grassroots.
Despite all these accomplishments, the financial and commercial returns for the likes of Scott and others in the Olympic arena are dwarfed by the eye-watering sums on offer in major global sports.
Scott has often spoken about his devotion to swimming and he asserted once more that he doesn’t do it for the money.
But he cast his eye elsewhere, telling reporters: “In the NBA for a rotation player, who doesn’t see all the minutes in the game, you see the crazy five-year deals that are signed.
“Or footballers, on 300k a week, 400k a week, things like that. And some of the greats of our sport won’t get anywhere near that and that’s the reality of it. And it’s sometimes quite a tough pill to swallow.
“The IOC and World Aquatics, I’d like more athletes to maybe speak out about how can we improve this area in the sport? But it’s maybe going to be something that’s going to take longer than just a couple of athletes speaking out. It probably needs to be a change and evolution.”
Swimming peaks as a spectator sport every four years and Scott questioned how that spotlight and energy can be maintained throughout the Olympic cycle.
Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu/ISL
While recognising its unresolved financial issues, Scott pointed to the ISL (International Swimming League) that operated for three seasons between 2019 and 2021 as a format that energised the sport.
“I loved the ISL, and I thought was great for the sport,” he said. “And that’s the type of thing that I love – just racing day in and day out. Times get chucked out the window, and it’s just about going head-to-head with other great athletes. It took away the constant just nation against nation, and it switched it up.
“How often are you on a team with Brazilians, Australians, Americans and everything else? If you could create something like that, that would be awesome. But, I’ve checked my bank, I don’t quite have enough to set that up on my own.”
Cam McEvoy, Goosebumps & Celebrating Icons
When Cam McEvoy covered one length of the pool in 20.88secs at last month’s China Open to surpass Cesar Cielo’s supersuited 50 free world record, it was celebrated across the swimming world and beyond.
There was a wave of jubilation that the Olympic and world champion had bettered by 0.01 the time apparently recorded by Kristian Gkolomeev under the banner of the Enhanced Games in May 2025.
Cam McEvoy: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
World Aquatics’ post immediately after the WR garnered 101,000 likes on Instagram.
Even so, Scott feels the sport could do more to celebrate and promote itself citing the meeting of Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh in the 800 free at the Pro Swim Series Westmont in March.
Describing the Australian’s WR performance as “goosebumps stuff,” he added: “Cam McEvoy – his first career was great. And now you’re looking at when he becomes a 50 freestyler as well, it’s just unbelievable. And he’s not going to get anything (financial reward) for that – and that makes me remember something that frustrated me.
“I think it was only a few weeks before that Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky were racing, and no-one knew about it. Only a few people spoke about how they were going head-to-head.
“I checked World Aquatics Instagram, and they’ve got throwback pictures.
“And it’s like ‘come on. how are people meant to be following along?’ They’re going to retire as two of the greats. Katie, arguably the greatest in our sport, and Summer will finish as one of the best females to ever compete in our sport, I’d imagine. Why do we not know that they’re going head-to-head? I get it. That’s in season, but still, publicise it and shout about it and let people know.”
Looking To British Trials
Scott was speaking ahead of the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships which run at the Aquatics Centre in London from 14-19 April.
Tom Dean, Matt Richards, James Guy and Duncan Scott: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
He was preselected to Team Scotland for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July with the European Championships in Paris starting less than a fortnight later.
Scott will compete in the 200 free where he’ll lock horns with University of Stirling training partner and fellow Olympic and world 4×200 champion Jack McMillan although another of their training stable Tom Dean is out with a shoulder injury. Matt Richards and James Guy also compete over four lengths.
He will also take on the 200IM – in which he’s the two-time Olympic silver medallist – and the 200 fly where he’ll meet the likes of Ed Mildred.
Looking to the trials and a busy summer of racing, he said: “I love the constant pursuit of trying to get better. I love sitting down with my team and being like, ‘I want to be better than I’ve ever been’. There are certain areas in which I think I can do that.”
