- Home hero sets new Games record to defend 200m individual medley title.
- Scott admits his overriding feeling was one of relief after carrying ‘a bit of weight’ on his shoulders going in to the event.
- Para world champion Rogers won 200m individual medley SM10 gold, while there was a silver for Katie Shanahan in the 200m backstroke.
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Duncan Scott admitted he felt the weight of a nation on his shoulders before winning Scotland’s first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last night.
In front of a fervent home crowd, Scott successfully defended his 200m individual medley title ahead of New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt and Tom Dean of England.
It was a remarkable 14th Commonwealth Games medal for the 29-year-old who has been one of the poster boys of the event.
Scott recorded a new Games record time of 1:56.38 and looked visibly moved when he received his medal and savoured a stirring rendition of Flower of Scotland with a jubilant home crowd at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
‘From the emotional standpoint and for the team, it was about trying to get the momentum going,’ said Scott.
‘There was a bit of a weight on my shoulders for that, so it was more relief than anything else. Hopefully there are plenty more medals to come for the Scottish team.’
Duncan Scott was imperious in the pool as he claimed his 14th Commonwealth Games medal
On a night which also saw Para world champion Faye Rogers win 200m individual medley SM10 gold and Katie Shanahan win an impressive silver medal in the 200m backstroke, Scott was thrilled to see his home city rise to the occasion as the Games, rescued by Glasgow after Australia pulled out of hosting them, got off to a vibrant start.
‘There have been lots of question marks about the Commonwealth Games and Scotland has done a magnificent thing to put their hand up and take it on at such short notice.’ he added.
‘It’s a shorter format but India have already taken on the next one and will size it back up again. So hopefully it’s the continuation of what is an incredible competition. Scotland deserves a lot of credit for that.’
In the final event of the night, Scott swam the second leg of the 4 x 100m freestyle final for Scotland but he and team-mates Evan Jones, Matthew Ward and Dean Fearn finished fourth as Australia won gold in a new games record ahead of England and South Africa.
The bronze won by South Africa saw Chad le Clos move to 19 Commonwealth medals, the most of any male athlete in history.
Scott will be bidding for two more individual golds himself when he goes in the 200m butterfly and freestyle competitions.
Rogers, the 23-year-old University of Aberdeen athlete who also won gold at the world para championships in Singapore last year, maintained the feelgood factor at Tollcross when she won her final in emphatic style.
She was dominant throughout and finished more than two and a half seconds ahead of Jasmine Greenwood of Australia, with Mary Jibb of Canada taking bronze.
Faye Rogers won her final in emphatic style to secure Scotland’s second gold of the night
Shanahan, a two-time bronze medallist at the Birmingham 2022 Games, looked on course to claim a stunning gold in the 200m backstroke but the 22-year-old had to settle for silver in a dramatic finish which saw Australia’s Jenna Forrester edge her out by just 0.37 seconds.
In the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, Shanahan returned to the pool to swim a fine last leg for the Scottish team completed by Evie Davies, Emma Wood and Lucy Hope but it wasn’t quite enough to earn a medal.
The Scots finished fourth, just behind bronze medallists South Africa in a race comfortably won by Australia ahead of England.
Adam Ramsay-Peaty, perhaps the highest profile competitor at the games, won his 100m breaststroke semi-final ahead of emerging Jersey starlet Filip Nowacki. Three-time Olympic champion Ramsay-Peaty was the fastest qualifier for Saturday night’s final.
