Let's face it: it's not the pace of Milak, Phelps et all but a thunderous personal best of 1:54.89 for the British 200m butterfly title sort of confirms it: there is no 200m event in which Duncan Scott falls shy of "world-class" excellence.

Just shy of the British record of 1:54.58 that has stood to Michael Rock since the last season of shiny suits at the Rome 2009 circus, Scott's time is just inside the 1:54.91 best of James Guy, for GB all-time No2 and No1 in textile.

Th clock also confirmed that Britain's top all-rounder had raced inside the consideration cut (1:54.97) for Singapore World Championships in July - but asked about that on poolside, Scott beamed, cast his eye over the venue and said:

"There's no chance I'm doing that. I don't know where my coach is but her better not be thinking I'm doing that. No chance!"

In fact, it was all about the 200m medley, he'd told me before a battle close to the last turn before Scott the Scot reacquainted us all with the grit, hunger and ability to grind that we've seen before and is part of the man's growing legend, and, one day when, his legacy. This day, it meant a thud of a victory over Ed Mildred and James Guy.

Here's how it went:

25.48; 53.94; 1:23.97; 1:54.89 Scott - University of Stirling - coach Ben Higson
24.96; 53.86; 1:23.98; 1:56.21 - Mildred - Manchester PC - coach Ryan Livingstone - career high after a 1:567.02 in heats
25.53; 55.11; 1:26.02; 1:59.44 - Guy - Manchester PC - coach Ryan Livingstone

Asked if he expected to go as fast as he did, Scott smiled as he said without hesitation: "Yeah!" He always "backed my ability". He'd been training hard and had a mission, so, the speed was no surprise.

The Olympic 4x200m free champion (2020ne and 2024) and silver medallist in the 200m medley (2020ne and 2024) and 200m freestyle (2020ne) took the longest break of his career after the Paris Games and World Cup season last year. More on what he did in those three months and what It felt like to get stuck back in, among other stuff, in the coming days.

But here's what he told me about the 200m butterfly on the eve of the Aquatics GB Championships in London. The context: I'd mentioned, in a season when 50m dashers have just landed six new Olympic events to target, the many events in which he does and could excel at, so what would be the versatile Scott's focus in this fourth Olympic cycle as a podium placing senior international for Scotland and Britain - and his first season since his youth without Steve Tigg - now GB head coach - as his daily mentor, Ben Higson, via Ireland and Ausralia, now back on deck and in charge at his swim alma mater:

"It's Tricky, isn't it? I mean, yeah, it would be nice to do the four 50s [cue laughter] but, you know, I've not been graced with with the Benjamin-Proud sort of speed, unfortunately. Yeah, there's several ways ... [silent 'I could go'] and I think what was really exciting, when I first sat down with Ben was the number of ideas that he had on what we need to try to get better on. For example, in the 200IM, a lot of the guys that I race go 50-point in the 100 'fly. They're fast 'fly swimmers. So it means that they can go out fast and attack the race, and it's not that challenging, not that fatiguing for them. That's one thing I need to try and get better at, which is why I'm doing the 200 'fly [in London].

"It's not because I want to compete in the 200 'fly, or anything like that. It's just to understand and get a little bit better know how on 'how do I race 'fly and what are my stroke mechanics like put under a little bit of pressure and kind of see what our learnings are from that."

In London today, he added this: ""I wouldn't say I really enjoy swimming the 200m Butterfly, I would question if Kristof Milák even enjoys it! But I enjoy the competitive aspect, it’s an absolute honour racing Jimmy and respect for what he’s done, I just love racing him. I’ve got the utmost respect to be racing these two guys. Ed has gone a number of years without a PB, and this morning laying down something really good and to back it up with another PB tonight."

So, 1:54.89, and executed in the way he did to deliver a ton of valuable know-how into the vessel bound for Los Angeles 2028, assuming the games go ahead (and yes, we should take that thought seriously, as should the IOC, the need for a Plan B holding hands with the hope it won't be needed).

On his long-term targets in general, Scott tells me: "I would say, it's probably very much about what are my best medal chances and then what I'll hunt for." More on that in the coming days.

In other action on Day 2 of 6...

The selection policy

Singapore Cuts For Wood, Colbert & Litchfield in the 400m Medleys...