SCOTT WILL KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON AS NORMAL

ALL Duncan Scott can do, like the rest of us, is listen and wait. He might be five months out from taking his shot at joining the immortals at the Olympics in Tokyo. Or, thanks to the coronavirus, the swimming star could find his ambitions to join the freestyle greats placed on indefinite hold. Until a decision is taken, however, the 22-year-old has no option but to plough onwards — without holding back. ‘We’ve got a pre-trials camp in Tenerife coming up and no one is sure if that’s going ahead,’ said Scott. ‘It has to be business as normal and we get on with it.’ Which means testing himself ahead of next month’s British trials when he takes the plunge at the Edinburgh International meeting, which begins today. The event acts as on final tune-up for many, including fellow Olympic medal hopefuls Adam Peaty and Freya Anderson. Amid the uncertainty, there is still a thrill from a cycle nearing its end. Four years ago in Rio, Scott claimed two Olympic silvers from relays. But he is a European and Commonwealth champion now. Understandably, aspirations for solo success have leapt off the scale. ‘I’m trying to treat it the same,’ he admitted. ‘But it’s the Olympic Games. We’ve been waiting four years for this. Qualification is, first and foremost, the priority. I have to get that done. ‘I could walk away and just be part of a relay but that’s not what I want. ‘There’s individual targets now that I want to achieve. I’ve been to quite a few international meets now and done well. So it’s about carrying that on.’ Over three days in Edinburgh, he will swim the 100 and 200metres freestyle and the 200m individual medley, the trio of events he will target in Tokyo assuming the trials in London in five weeks’ time are navigated without a glitch. Like Peaty, he has huge expectations on his shoulders. A stature and a reputation within the sport. It guarantees nothing, Scott claims. Which is why his coaches at Stirling University have kept pushing for small significant gains. ‘It’s about continuous improvement,’ he said. ‘That’s the big thing at Stirling in our model. Not only does it help with longevity but also helps me get better. ‘So, if I can go to the trials and challenge my personal bests, I’ll be really happy. If I can move them on, I know I won’t be far away come the Olympics.’