Stirling University’s star Olympic swimmer Duncan Scott has his sights set on silverware in next summer’s Olympic games, despite this year’s delay due to COVID-19.
The Olympian who won the 2019/2020 Male Athlete of the Year title at the Scottish Student Sport Awards earlier this summer is keen to add to the two silver medals which he won at Rio 2016.
And whilst all competitors have had to adapt due to the postponement of the games, Scott has used the opportunity to push himself harder than ever.
He said: “It is really strange knowing now would be Games time, considering we’ve been inside for the past four months, it doesn’t feel that we’re into August.”
“Physically, I can’t see why it [the postponement] can’t be a positive at all. At 23, I’m still young, there’s no reason I can’t be better than I have been this year, even just through natural maturity.”
Mentally, it was a challenge to adapt to the delay of the Olympics, but the swimmer dove right in at the deep end of preparation.
Scott said: “Mentally it was tough to begin with, it was quite different and challenging to have this competition in mind that we’ve been working to for three or four years suddenly be taken away from you.”
“After a couple of weeks, I got over that and it was about looking at the positives, you can always be in a better physical shape and that’s what we’ve got to make sure we’re doing. There’s no reason why I can’t be better next year, so it’s turned into a nice positive for me.”
And now with strong performances under his belt such as the 2019 World Aquatic Championships, alongside an extra year of training, Scott seems hopeful heading to Tokyo next summer.
“I’m just going to go into Tokyo, should I qualify, with the same attitude I had for Rio. Tokyo may be the pinnacle but if it isn’t, then Paris 2024 might be. 2028 might be.”
“The wonderful thing with sport is that you never know when you’re going to hit your peak, it’s just about trying to manipulate when you think you’re going to be at your best that year. For me, my career is about longevity and continuing to make all the improvements.”
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Featured Image: The Scottish Sun
4th Year Journalism Studies and Politics Student at Stirling University. Sports Editor. Bylines in Brig Newspaper and The Oban Times
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