Dean edged out by Scott in ‘clash of the titans’
Double Olympic champion forced to settle for silver at British champs
A clash of the titans between Duncan Scott and Maidenhead's Tom Dean brought the curtain down on the 2022 British Swimming Championships in Sheffield on Sunday, with Scott taking the title by a whisker from Olympic champion Dean.
The highly anticipated men's 200m freestyle - the final swim of the meet brought together the Olympic gold and silver medallists from Tokyo, but on this occasion, it was Scott who edged out his great friend and rival to claim a measure of revenge for Dean's win at the Games.
James Guy, a member of the Olympicgold medal winning Men's 4x200m relay, which also featured Dean and Scott, claimed bronze in a thrilling race.
In winning the title by just 0.19 seconds Scott also clocked the fastest 200m freestyle time in the world this year, with Dean posting the second quickest time to take silver.
It had been billed as the race of the championships and it certainly didn't disappoint as the field stacked with Olympic champions vied for supremacy.
Guy, like Dean a member of the Bath National Swimming Centre, held a narrow lead at the 150m stage before Scott and Dean powered their way down the final 50m to overtake him.
With 25m to go it was still too close to call, but the University of Stirling student touched home first to claim gold.
Scott also set a new British record to win the men’s 400m individual medley (IM) and posted the quickest time in the world this year to win the 200m IM, a race that also saw Dean take silver in a new personal best.
In that race Scott led narrowly after 50m but burst clear of Dean and the second fastest qualifier, James McFadzen, during the backstroke and his lead was significant enough to hold off
Dean's last gasp attempt to claw him back in the freestyle leg.
Both finished comfortably inside the World Championships consideration time of 1.57.61.
Reflecting on a championship that brought him new personal bests and World Championship consideration times in both the 100m freestyle and the 200m IM, Dean said: “The 200m Free at the end of this week is always so special - we saw it at the last Trials, and we saw it here as well.
“It's like the blue riband event for British Swimming at the moment, it's so strong. We showed that with the 4x200m Free at the Games, we've got so much depth - and a one-two with Duncan, I don't think I'll ever get tired of doing that. There was no pressure on that race at all. I knew I’d booked my ticket and confirmed my place in the top two tonight, but there was no pressure. What I really wanted to do was get that 100m Free and my 200m IM sorted, I got PBs in both and qualification in both, which is brilliant. I haven't trained my 200m IM in three years, so to come and pop a 1:57.1, I wasn't expecting that at all.
“It's probably the best week I could've hoped for, I'm happy with how the team has done and how I'm back to my best, it's nice to be back in that position again.”