Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott from Stirlingshire has made history by becoming Scotland’s most decorated Olympian, surpassing Sir Chris Hoy. At the recent Paris 2024 games, the 27-year-old athlete won his eighth Olympic medal, a silver in the 200m individual medley. After the sports event concluded, Duncan shared a heartwarming moment with his grandad, who proudly held his gold medal in a sweet picture captioned “Special moment, Granpa with the Gold.”
Scott now boasts a total of eight Olympic medals, including the gold he earned in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay alongside his teammates Tom Dean, James Guy, and Matthew Richards. This quartet made history by successfully defending their 4x200m title in Paris, becoming Team GB’s first-ever quartet to achieve this feat. In an interview with Sky Sports, Duncan expressed his gratitude to his teammates and reflected on the incredible week they had at the Olympics.
Surpassing Sir Chris Hoy in the number of Olympic medals was a surreal moment for Duncan, who admired both Hoy and Andy Murray as inspirations while growing up. He acknowledged the legendary status of these athletes and felt honored to be mentioned alongside them. Duncan’s journey to becoming Scotland’s most decorated Olympian was highlighted by his previous silver medals in the 2016 Rio Olympics and his outstanding performance at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In Tokyo, Scott clinched gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and set a new European record in the process. He also secured silver medals in the individual 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley, setting a new British Record in the latter event. His remarkable achievements at the Tokyo Olympics made him Great Britain’s most decorated Olympic swimmer ever and the country’s most decorated athlete in any sport at a single Olympic Games.
Duncan Scott’s dedication, hard work, and exceptional talent have solidified his place in Olympic history, inspiring future generations of swimmers and athletes. As he continues to excel in his career, his legacy as Scotland’s most decorated Olympian will be remembered for years to come.