Scott's Flying Start Just Part Of The Medley Art He's Honing
More Paris tickets to the Europeans were punched in London today: Duncan Scott and Evan Jones (200IM); Oliver Morgan and Jack Skerry (50 back) Eva Okaro (50 'fly); Ed Mildred & Jacob Peters (100 'fly); and Freya Colbert (400 free)
Duncan Scott produced the big swim on day four at British Championships in London this evening, his 1:56.08 victory in the 200m medley a show that preceded much being made of a flying start when it was the speed and balance of his flight throughout that drew the eye.
Scott did not lead at the first turn, Manchester PC's Evan Jones the only man inside 25sec on his way to silver by the close of business. The gap at the 'fly to back turn was too narrow for a bullet to get through: a Bond-ian 0.07 (see result in full below).
It then took a flip and a drive off the wall to put the University of Stirling-PC ace where you'd expect to see him in domestic waters: ahead.
Scott, of course, is a twice Olympic silver medallist in the 200IM: Tokyo behind Wang Shun, a man who tested positive for banned substances three times and was let off on all three occasions, grounds of 'probable' contamination cited; and Paris, behind the star of his home Games, Léon Marchand.
Up front throughout the national-title race this evening, Scott converted a body length lead going into the last turn into a last-length stretch of clear blue water between the end of his wash and the fingertips of toil for the minor spoil among those chasing.
And then the talk turned to the speed of the first length, which was nto as speedy as Scott as ever gone but his last major long-course championship final, at Singapore 2025 Worlds, provides a useful benchmark that highlights why he's "played around" with 'fly of late in training.
Scott, coached by Ben Higson since his old mentor Steve Tigg was elevated to head coach in the wake of Paris 2024, was asked about getting out in 25 flat on ‘fly. Here's what he replied:
“The ‘fly [working on getting out faster] is something pretty new. We’ve played around with it in training, I think it really helps my freestyle, and then, getting out quicker because at world level now, they're sending that out pretty quick."
Aren't they just: 24.11, 24.16, 24.21. Those are the respective 'fly splits of Marchand (FRA) - the day after a thundering world record in his semi - and his Texas teammates Shaine Casas (USA) and Hubert Kos (HUN) as they sped to a podium sweep in the 200IM at Singapore 2025 ahead of Scott, who reached the first turn on 24.76, the podium already haven taken shape.
Craig Lord
The chat about 'fly flowed from the rush of the moment as Evans made it a race in a small window of opportunity, but like all things medley, the importance of speed on one stroke can't be viewed in isolation.
The parts, the sum, the balance of it all are all equally decisive - and what appeared to go unnoticed in the race today, among all commentators, was the fact that Scott's 'fly opener was, if anything, the weakest in comparisons with his splits at Singapore 2025:
- 24.76; 29.32 - (54.08) - 34.16; 28.08 - 1:56.32 Singapore 2025 Semi
- 24.68; 28.92 - (53.60) - 33.64; 28.27 - 1:55.51 Singapore final
- 25.04; 29.03 - (54.07) - 34.16; 27.85 - 1:56.08 London 2026
It's April, and at 1:56.08, Scott had swum faster than all his six fastest swims of 2025 barring his 1:55.51 semi in Singapore. Here's how Scott himself summed up his race:
“It was pretty good, I think. In terms of my technique, my strokes and transitions between them felt pretty good, and I’m happy – that’s a good place for me to be at this time of the season.”
Just so.
All images and thumbnails here and below, courtesy of Aquatics GB stills
There are two years to go to LA2028:
Craig Lord
Meanwhile, on the home Games in Glasgow and the rest of the summer ahead, Scott said:
“Second one (Glasgow 2014), pretty split with that. It's always a fun time having a Commonwealth Games. It means people are aspiring to make teams that in some summers they don't have the opportunity. I get to train with people for whom the Commonwealth Games is there Everest and that’s pretty exciting and pretty cool to be a part of. I think Glasgow will put on a good show and… a week later will race at Europeans so, a quick turnaround.”
The swim placed coach Ben Higson in line for the day 4 the BSCA Coach of the Day honour at nationals. Coaches are all too often left off the profile sheets that ago to media, press releases, the official reports of meets from federations and so own. Good to see the BSCA recognising its own with a peer vote each day at nationals. The honours on the first three days:
And confirmation of the vote for Higson:
The Session In Full:
Men's 50m backstroke - Morgan at the Double
Oliver Morgan became the fastest British backstroke dasher in textile a year ago at nationals with a 24.43. This evening, coached Gary Humpage's charge at the University of Birmingham retained the title in a lifetime best of 24.36, inching ever closer to the fastest Brit time ever, the 24.04 then World-record set by Liam Tancock in a shiny suit for the Rome 2009 World title before the non-textile suits that put the clock on an artificial fast-forward were banned from January 1, 2010.
Tancock's best in texture was a 24.50 from 2011, before he set the World record for the first one at Olympic trials in 2008 on 24.47, a little over a year before that other-worldly 24.04.
On his way to the 50-100 double, Morgan, still had company as the battle broke into the red breakers, decision in reach. Jack Skerry and Bath PC teammate Cameron Brooker joined the champion under the 25-sec mark and on the podium, Sherry's lifetime best of 24.66 giving him and Britain a second berth in the 50 back at the European Championships in Paris this summer.
Morgan's take on the race:
"Another PB. I was a little bit disappointed after yesterday. It's nice to come in today, PB and put my head in a good place. [Process] was to try and use things warming up o spice it up a little bit; like this morning I didn’t even duo a full warm-up, so just trying to play around with new things.
On the approach to the British record, he added:
“It would be pretty nice … looking up to Liam when I was a kid, so to get anywhere near that time, well, it used to be a world record, would be pretty special if I can get down to that."
Women's 50m butterfly - Okaro Flies To 2nd Title
Eva Okaro added a second title to her campaign notes after victory in the 100m free, a 25.95 best more impressive than the sprinter is impressed with the idea that she may one day add 'fly to her repertoire come the bigger events.
After winning and being asked if she would take up 'fly as a target event, Okaro, racing for Repton, where Jaimie Main is the coach, but now based at the University of Texas in coach Carol Capitani's squad, noted: "I don't know how to race the 50 'fly but I'd always fun racing these girls... I don't like training on fly long-course, so no, I don't see it being [a target]."
Men's 100m butterfly - Ticket For Mildred & Peters
Ed Mildred finished a slither behind Duncan Scott in the 200 'fly for his first ticket to Paris on Day 1 in London. He made it at least three tickets this evening, his career-high 51.02 victory in the 100 'fly unlocking the doors to possible swims in the 4x100m medley and (the 4x100 mixed medley come European champs in Paris in August.
Closest to him was Jacob Peters, who's had a few tough seasons since the promise of the 2018-2022 run that saw him join Britain and England teammates onto international relay podiums and has cuts for big teams. Now, he's back, a 51.35 marking his return to the Britain team.
A close shave with his ambition of dipping below 51-sec in the tank, Mildred, coached by Ryan Livingstone at the Manchester PC, was asked about chasing the British record of four-time sub-51 man James Guy, his high a 50.67 from 2017.
"I''m definitely going to hunt Jimmy's record down. I train weigh him every day, so I think he knows that."
Women's 400m free - Colbert Does The 200-400 Double
Freya Colbert rocketed to No10 all-time in the 200m freestyle yesterday and mentioned the work she's been doing on the 400m. She was the winner in the longer race this evening but her own verdict, namely "I think I'm capable of a lot more" summed up where she is in terms of becoming a competitive eight-length swimmer in international waters.
Her winning time, 4:06.91 was 0.75sec slower than her personal best and shy of the 4:06.23 target for Paris. If the swim looked smooth, Colbert seemed to have also take it in her stride, with no sign of stress at the end of play. No others got inside 4:10 14 years after Becky Adlington, a 4:02 swimmer in textile in the year she claimed bronze at a home Olympics at London 2012 four years after Beijing 2008 gold, with Jo Jackson taking bronze, and a decade after Jaz Carlin took silver in 4:01 at Rio 2o16.
Colbert emerged from the London Olympic pool the evening to say:
"I was hoping for a bit quicker. It';s not an event I've swum a lot ... I'm still trying to figure out how to pace it."
Women's 200m back - Shanahan Shrugs Off Illness & Injury
Katie Shanahan felt lucky just to be at the championships after a season of illness and injury that set her preparation back. There were no qualifiers for the Paris Europeans but Shanahan topped the final in a battle with Olympic teammate Honey Osrin that ended 2:09.89 to 2:10.12.
