Duncan Scott wins silver in 200m IM behind world-class Leon Marchand

By Charlie Bennett at La Defense Arena

Sometimes a silver medal can feel like gold, and Duncan Scott revelled in being best-of-the-rest in the latest edition of the Leon Marchand show in Paris.

Scott had the best seat in the house as the French superstar once again brought the house down with a majestic performance in the men’s 200m individual medley final, where he raced home to his fourth gold of these Games and set a new Olympic record.

He was, once again, in a league of his own and left the others scrapping for silver and bronze.

Scott showed plenty of guts to beat his conqueror from Tokyo, Wang Shun of China, to the second spot on the podium and, afterwards, could only laugh.

Though this was his sixth Olympic silver medal, he said he could do no more, which was shown by his finishing time the second fastest he has ever gone and close to the personal best he set in the last Olympic final in Tokyo three years ago.

The result means this is his eighth Olympic medal overall, with two relay golds, including one on Tuesday, to go alongside those six silvers.

It moves him past Sir Chris Hoy as the most by a Scottish athlete at an Olympics – but Scott was quick to dismiss any comparison between the two.

“I don’t think I am in a different bracket to these guys,” he said.

“Sir Jason Kenny, Sir Chris Hoy, these other legends who have loads of Team GB medals. Please don’t put me in a comparison to these guys.

“These guys inspired me as a young kid, they inspired my journey.

“For example, Andy Murray retiring here. I am 27 and at my third Games but he was the one I would look up to when he was doing it against the best in the world.

“I don’t want to be put against these athletes because they have won gold after gold after gold, and I am scraping silvers and jumping on the backs of others in relays.”

That is perhaps too modest but against Marchand, he was outclassed.

An individual medley is a lopsided event with different athletes favouring different strokes. Marchand, however, is pretty much excellent at them all.

Scott was last after the first butterfly leg but climbed to fourth during backstroke, and then second during breaststroke.

With freestyle his speciality, he was never going to be caught from there and he touched the wall in 1:55.31, his second fastest time.

"Leon Marchand showed his class there, that is very quick,” he said of the Frenchman’s 1:54.06, which lowered Michael Phelps’ record from 2008.

“What he just did after what has been a busy schedule for the guy - it was special to race him, especially here and in this atmosphere.

“I tried to commit a little bit to the breaststroke but you can see he is world-class at that, his turn is phenomenal and it is an honour to race him in this environment. The atmosphere is nuts.

“That is more relief, it re-affirms I am that good. You can do a one-off swim and not be sure how you have done it. I was doing so many good aspects of that swim, like last year I was great to 150m and then really struggled in the freestyle.

“Then I was putting together other elements between Tokyo and now, so to put it together again is really nice. I am just happy to be down there and if I am behind him, it is one person that can beat me.”

Elsewhere, Ben Proud won an Olympic medal at his third Games with silver in the 50m freestyle final.

The 2022 world champion led for much of the race but was pipped to the line by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy in the final five metres.

"In lane four it looks like you are protecting that gold,” he said.

"It was a great race and to be second behind Cam who has come out on full form this year. He has done phenomenal things and he has changed the way I do some training.

"The 50m is not aggressive and it is not about who is better. It's about doing your best, we share the same coach and that goes a long way!"

Meanwhile, Glasgow’s Katie Shanahan is already plotting her path to the next Olympics in LA after finishing fifth in the women’s 200m backstroke final.

The 20-year-old never looked like contending for a medal, as Kaylee McKeown set a new Olympic record of 2:03.73.

Shanahan won European silver in this event two years ago and this Games was always a marker for the next in Los Angeles.

“I am happy with how I did against that field, not too far off my personal best and good split times,” she said.

“I knew coming in here that those two girls would be at the top, so I thought I could potentially get in amongst it for third.

“Hopefully, with some more work, in the next four years, I will be closer to the medals.

“The next cycle is going to be very long but I already can’t wait to get back in the pool for the next World Championship, the next European Championships and then through to LA.

“My mum was here, my mum’s friend and then my brother flew out to watch, which is really nice. I have had lots of nice messages, there are lots of watch parties and the support has been great.”

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