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Duncan Scott Jumps to World #1, Misses British Record by .01 in 200 IM

2019 BRITISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Tuesday, April 16th – Sunday, April 21st
  • Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
  • Prelims at 10am local (5am Eastern)/Finals at 6:30pm local (1:30pm Eastern)
  • Live Results

Swimming on Saturday at the 2019 British Swimming Championships, 22-year old Duncan Scott, who has been breaking personal bests all meet long, put up the most eye-catching swim of his meet so far in the final of the 200 IM.

He swam a 1:56.65 in the open final, which missed the British Record of 1:56.64 set in 2017 by Max Litchfield by just .01 seconds. It also surpasses Shun Wang’s 1:56.66 from March as the world leader by the same margin.

Litchfield was just 5th in Saturday’s final in 1:59.73.

2018-2019 LCM MEN 200 IM

MitchellAUS
LARKIN
06/12
1.55.72
2Daiya
SETO
JPN1.56.1407/25
3Jeremy
DESPLANCHES
SUI1.56.5607/25
4Duncan
Scott
GBR1.56.6504/20
5Shun
WANG
CHN1.56.6603/28
View Top 26»

The swim cracked Dan Wallace‘s Scottish Record of 1:57.59 that was set in 2015 and is Scott’s 3rd Scottish Record of the meet (after the 100 free in 47.84 and the 100 fly in 52.25).

While Scott is best-known as a freestyler, his butterfly and IM races as of late have really developed into world-class specialties as well. Specifically this IM swim was over a second faster than his previous best of 1:57.86.

The notable development is in Scott’s breaststroke split. On Saturday, he split a 32.89 on that leg of his IM. In his previous best time, done at last year’s Commonwealth Games, that split was just 34.66, and only American Chase Kalisz, the defending World Champion, split faster in Budapest at Worlds in 2017 (32.63).

A big comparative splits table:

Fly Back Breast Free Total Time
Duncan Scott Old Personal Best 25.55 30.32 34.66 27.33 1:57.86
Duncan Scott New Scottish Record 24.95 30.61 32.85 28.24 1:56.65
Dan Wallace Old Scottish Record 25.32 30.4 33.21 28.66 1:57.59
Max Litchfield Current British Record 25.4 29.14 34.23 27.87 1:56.64
Chase Kalisz 2017 World Title 25.27 29.19 32.63 28.47 1:55.56

With arguably his best event, the 200 free, yet to come, Scott has built huge anticipation for Sunday’s swims. He’s the defending European Champion nin the event and has a lifetime best of 1:45.16 from 2017. James Guy (who will also be swimming that race) holds the British Record in 1:45.14. Only 11 swimmers have ever been under 1:45 in the race.

 

 

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Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

Who else has gone 47 100 free and 1:56 IM. I think Phelps and now Scott. Tremendous versatility.

Tim
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

I agree. Hard to think of many who can do that.

Samuel Huntington
Reply to  Tim
5 years ago

I can’t think of anyone else who is close. MA isn’t close in the free. Hagino, Seto, Kalisz, Wang don’t even swim 100s really. Maybe Larkin could drop a fast 100, since his 100 back is fast

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

Lochte was 47.74 with a flying start/1:54, so there’s that.

Samuel Huntington
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
5 years ago

True! But I definitely give the sprint free edge to Scott

sven
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

Agreed, that’s a rare combo. It’s about as weird to me as Michael Andrew being 21 low in his 50 free and 59 low in his 100 breast.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  sven
5 years ago

Jessica Hardy — elite 50 free (24.48) and 100 breast (1:04.45).

Swimmer
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
5 years ago

Hardy is an elite doper too

Love to Swim
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
5 years ago

Alice Mills. World Championship medalist in both 50 free and 200 IM.

Love to Swim
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

On the women’s side, Alice Mills. She medaled in both 50 free and 200 IM at World Championships.

That’s even more rare.

bear drinks beer
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

Coughlin on the women’s side is pretty good at these two events.

Luigi
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

I don’t think Phelps ever went 47 flat start, at least in textile.

Old Man Chalmers
Reply to  Luigi
5 years ago

Phelps broke the 100 free AR in the 2008 4×100 free in 47.51 on a flat start, but he also went 47.10 on a flying start in textile.

Luigi
Reply to  Old Man Chalmers
5 years ago

Exactly as I said then. Never went 47 flat start in textile.

Dee
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
5 years ago

Rikako Ikee similar on the womens side? She went 52 & 2.09 didnt she?

hambone
5 years ago

Let’s clean up that breaststroke a little bit.

Swammer
5 years ago

Defending world champ in the 200 free?

Jeff
5 years ago

Wonder if he’ll swim in both the 200 im and 100 free as they’re on the same days. Hope he does as there’s a chance he could get 6 or 7 medals if he adds the 100 fly as well.

Swimdude
Reply to  Jeff
5 years ago

Honestly possible with the way Peaty is going to carry the medley relays

Jeff
Reply to  Swimdude
5 years ago

If Greenbank goes a low 53, Peaty a 56, Guy a low 50 and Scott a mid 46 (which I think they are all capable of doing) the world record could go down

Swimdude
Reply to  Jeff
5 years ago

I still might have to go with the US right now, having Murphy and Dressel both being right on World Record times as they have been in the past in their 100s should be able to keep them in it even with Peaty doing his thing, and then it could end up just coming down to the freestyle. Should be a fun race

Jeff
Reply to  Swimdude
5 years ago

I think it Will still be a great race and very close even if the US win.

AnEn12
Reply to  Jeff
5 years ago

1) Greenbank went 53.9 this week after years of (barely) no progress, which was already a clear PB, why exactly would anyone think that he can go 53 low?
2) Guy just went 51 high, why exactly would anyone think that he can go 50 low (this year)?
3) Agree about Peaty
4) 46 mid seems like a stretch for Scott, would say 47 low or maybe 46 high is more realistic.
5) USA gains easily 1,5 seconds over GB thanks to Murphy + easily another second thanks to Dressel. Worst case scenario is that the US loses 0,5 seconds on the free leg and 1,5 seconds on the breast leg. Maybe GB breaks the world… Read more »

sven
Reply to  Jeff
5 years ago

Fastest split ever is 46.60 from Adrian so a mid-46 for Duncan Scott would be among the fastest in history (or even THE fastest). What is his fastest relay split so far? Greenbank going 53-low is also fairly optimistic, too IMO.

Their medley will be good, and the US will have to do some work to contain Peaty, but if it depends on their backstroker dropping almost a second and their freestyler putting down the fastest textile split in history, I’m gonna go with the Americans.

swimswim
Reply to  sven
5 years ago

fastest split ever is still lezak

sven
Reply to  swimswim
5 years ago

Fair enough. I addressed it properly in the second bit, though. Fastest textile split.

AnEn12
Reply to  Jeff
5 years ago

But how … ?
Best possible case: Medals in 100 free, 200 free, 4×200 free, medley relay and 200 IM -> 5 medals
Realist case: Medals in 200 free, 4×200 free, medley relay -> 3 medals
In the 100 free Chalmers, Grinev, Dressel and Chierighini are all favored over him
In the 200 IM Kalisz + Seto are in my opinion favored over him + Shun and Heintz have been clearly faster than him + Larkin, Andrew, Desplanches and a couple of others are about on the same level.
In my opinion 4 medals would be insane for him.

AnEn12
Reply to  AnEn12
5 years ago

1) How many times was Dressel faster than 47.87 and how many times did Guy go 50 low … ?
2) Even if we don’t consider Dressel in the 100 free there are still 3 guys who have been (considerably) faster than Scott this year.
Winning 2 individual medals would be absolutely the best case for Scott, please quote me on that if it turns out to be false. Even if we say that he wins 3 individual medals, where do the other 3 or 4 medals come from? He is decent in the 100 fly but lightyears away from being a medal contender.

Emanuele
Reply to  Jeff
5 years ago

After this performance imho he has more chance to medal (in WC or OG) in the 200im than 100 free.
With a 32.85 split in the breast he wuold be competitive even in the 200 breast, needs to work on backstroke and he wuold be a threat to kalisz.
Btw scott is becoming one of the most complete swimmer in history.

Mr Piano
5 years ago

1:56 is so fast, we’ve really taken it for granted since Phelps and Lochte have been going that since 2003.

The Ready Room
Reply to  Mr Piano
5 years ago

I always try to remember the WR was 1:58 before Phelps. That puts it in serious perspective.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Mr Piano
5 years ago

And everyone (Larkin, Scott, others) are seeing it as a wide open event in the post-Phelps/prime Lochte era.

Swimmer
5 years ago

32.8 is a world class split

anonymoose
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

half a second slower would still be world class

Swimdude
5 years ago

Prediction time: MA and Scott both final in this event in Tokyo

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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