Duncan Scott receives his inaugural National Lottery athlete of the year award from Rebecca Adlington. Picture: sportscotland/ National Lottery

THERE was another award for Duncan Scott’s groaning mantlepiece yesterday when the 21-year-old Scottish swimming sensation was presented with the inaugural athlete of the year prize at the National Lottery awards,

But this one seemed particularly appropriate considering he is still thanking his lucky stars that a freak fall off the pavement in Stirling didn’t result in the unluckiest of breaks and stop his dream year in its tracks.

Up in accident and emergency a couple of weeks back with a badly swollen ankle, Scott simply had his fingers crossed he hadn’t sustained any irreversible damage which might adversely affect his chances in next year’s world championships and the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.

While it was challenging enough that his specialist should inform him that he had ruptured two ligaments in the tumble, the good news was that no surgery was required, just a spell of rehab in a protective boot then some strengthening work.

All in all, considering one of his fellow nominees Katie Archibald tore a cruciate ligament and fractured an elbow in a motorbike crash some eight months out from the Rio Olympics and still came back with a gold medal, hopefully escaping with this prognosis is like winning the lottery.

“I was in Stirling walking back home, and I kind of fell off the pavement and rolled the outside of my ankle,” said Scott.

“I was thinking ‘I actually can’t walk here, oh my God’. But my