Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott has been named Athlete of the Year at the National Lottery Awards in London.
The 21-year-old, who became the most successful Scot at a single Commonwealth Games when he returned home from the Gold Coast with six medals to his name, won the public vote to be crowned as Britain’s Athlete of the Year.
The University of Stirling freestyle star won three gold medals and a silver at the Glasgow 2018 European Championships and has also picked up two World Championships medals over the past 12 months.
Scott defeated the Olympic champion, Kyle Chalmers of Australia, in Gold Coast and the world No.1, Danas Rapsys of Lithuania, at Glasgow 2018, proving that he has established himself as one of the world’s best swimmers.
The National Lottery Awards is an annual celebration of people and projects who do extraordinary things with National Lottery funding.
Achievements
The Athlete of the Year Award celebrates the remarkable achievements of the UK’s world class National Lottery-funded athletes, whilst demonstrating the impact National Lottery players have on elite sport.
Duncan saw off stiff competition to reach the public voting stage and then went up against seven fellow athletes from around the UK who were selected by the judging panel for their sporting achievements.
Duncan, who receives extensive support from the sportscotland institute of sport as part of his training regime in Stirling, said:
"It's been an incredible year and I couldn't have done it without the support of the National Lottery and sportscotland."
Mike Whittingham, sportscotland director of high performance, said: "It has been an incredible year for Duncan, who continues to produce excellent performances at the very highest level.
"Defeating the Olympic champion in Gold Coast and the world No.1 at Glasgow 2018 shows that he is rightly considered as one of the world’s best swimmers.
"Duncan’s success is testament to the huge amount of hard work and dedication he puts into his sport. It is also importance to recognise the contribution of the coaching team at the University of Stirling and the staff at the sportscotland institute of sport who have worked hard to help Duncan reach the top."
Duncan has chosen to donate his £5,000 cash prize to the Edinburgh Limb Loss Association (ELLA), a support group for lower-limb amputees who meet on a regular basis to discuss and share experiences. The group arranges social events, including swimming sessions.
Find out more
- Check out who else was recognised at the National Lottery Awards.
- Discover how to get involved in swimming at the Scottish Swimming website.
- Learn more about the sportscotland institute of sport.
