Duncan could set a new high water mark for Scottish swimming
WAVEHEART Dan Wallace retired from swimming yesterday an Olympic, World and five-time Commonwealth medallist.
Now he believes relay mate Duncan Scott can take the sport in Scotland to a level he never could.
The 24-year-old added two bronzes at Gold Coast to the gold and two silvers he took four years ago in Glasgow.
And he reckons that’s the perfect note to sign off on.
Edinburgh ace Wallace said: “Duncan is an immensely talented guy. I was almost in a similar situation four years ago but he’s one step ahead of where I was.
“What he’s done here broadens the variety of things he can do.
“Four years ago I thought I could win three medals. He’s got that little BY GORDON WADDELL in Oz bit extra where he’s thinking, ‘I can win six-plus medals’, which is just a whole other ball game.
“People need to believe they can do that as well. I never had anyone in my team who I thought could achieve a thing like that. For him to be able to do it shows that other athletes, other swimmers, can go beyond the norm.
“There are people in other teams who are doing what he’s doing but for him to do it for Team Scotland is just great because it gives people hope. Also the fact he’s not had to leave Scotland. Scottish Swimming are loving that! Wallace set the Tollcross pool ablaze four years ago with his Irn-Bru socks and “Freedom” cry as he swam to gold. As a 20-year-old he never set out to be a role model but as he’s grown up he’s realised the power of sport in the right hands. He said: “I’m sure we’ve got a hundred Duncan Scotts kicking about. We just need to find them and we need them to believe in themselves.
“That’s what it’s all about. I put up an Instagram post about me retiring and got hundreds of messages from people I’ve never even spoken to, saying how I’ve inspired them or their kids.
“That was never a goal for me. I didn’t start the sport because I wanted to inspire people, I started it because I enjoyed it. But along the way you start to realise you’re playing a role.
“It’s amazing to have been able to do that and Duncan is doing a great job of it now.
“I really hope he could be up with the likes of Ryan Lochte because he’s such a talented guy. It would be great to show through hard work you can make a career.
“I’d love to see him do really well off the back of this, DAN WALLACE financially for later in life. I’ll be 25 this week and I’m retiring – so it would be amazing for Duncan to retire at 30 and have it all set after that
“If kids can see a 20-year-old making a living through sport it’s going to be more appealing.
“It will be hard for me to say goodbye. Last night’s 200 individual medley was a great experience to be in the mix in my last race.
“I thought, ‘You’ll never have 12,000 people shouting for you again’, so I was just taking it all in.
“Once the dust settles I really have to think where I want to take my next step.”
Scott leads a 10-strong Scots contingent in the GB squad of 43 announced last night for the Euro Championships in Glasgow in August.