With the Paris Olympic and Paralympic games on the horizon, 2024 was set out to be a big year in the pool – and it did not disappoint. This year saw huge wins for swimming across Scotland – and not just on the world stage. From boosting lesson accessibility and getting more adults in the pool for the first time, to developing the next generation of leaders, 2024 will certainly be a year to remember.
Let’s take a look back…
More swimmers
Ensuring more people have the opportunity to learn to swim and develop their skills and passion remained a key priority for Scottish Swimming heading into 2024.
In April, the #NeverTooLate campaign was launched with the aim of breaking down the stigma around learning to swim as an adult and encouraging adults to learn to swim, take up regular swimming or get involved in aquatics sport.
It was the year for boosting accessibility and safety in the water with the National Primary School Swimming Framework launched 2 months later in June and just recently, the SwimPix visual learning tool being introduced in Scotland.
Developed in partnership with sportscotland and supported by Scottish Water, the new National Primary School Swimming Framework aims to transform water safety in schools with primary school children, helping them feel safer and more confident in, on and around the water.
Children whose first language is not English or who have learning difficulties or hearing impairments will now also be supported by SwimPix. The collection of waterproof visual instruction cards feature multiple display options, including sequence boards and lesson planners and cover lessons through pictures, making swimming lessons more accessible for all children.
Euan Lowe, Chief Executive of Scottish Swimming, said:
“Scottish Swimming’s vision is ‘everyone can swim’ and learning to swim is an activity for all regardless of your age. We are determined to make learning to swim accessible to everyone in Scotland, no matter their age or ability.”
Stronger Clubs
Clubs are the foundation upon which aquatics sport is developed across Scotland.
This year, Regional Swimming Development Managers continued their support for clubs, rolling out governance workshops and establishing a volunteer strategy to help recruit and retain volunteers.
As part of Scottish Swimming’s Young Volunteer Programme (YVP) in 2024, 92 young people from 36 clubs participated in Young Leader and Young Ambassador weekends. The YVP is a national strategy designed to engage and develop young members between the ages of 13-25 through five programmes, which target particular areas of work and provides young volunteers with the skills and knowledge required to develop their clubs.
Sophie McCall, Director of Aquatics Development, said,
“Clubs are at the heart of all of our aquatic sports, and it's been fantastic to see our network continue to build safe and fun places for everyone to thrive and enjoy all that aquatics has to offer. It has been especially great to see the young people across our community be involved in our ambassador and leader programmes and help shape the future of our sport.”
Supporting Athletes
Aside from a busy programme of local and national championships, Paris 2024 was the focus for Scotland’s elite swimmers. Back in April, the new look AquaticsGB Swimming Championships in London provided the first taste of the Olympic year, incorporating a trials event for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as selections for European Championships.
Five Scottish swimmers (Kathleen Dawson, Lucy Hope, Keanna MacInnes, Duncan Scott, Katie Shanahan) plus two additional athletes from the University of Stirling (Angharad Evans, Jack McMillan), and diver Grace Reid were selected to TeamGB and four to ParalympicsGB (Stephen Clegg, Louis Lawlor, Faye Rogers, Toni Shaw).A gold medal as part of the historic 4x200m Freestyle Relay, as well as individual silver in the 200m Individual Medley, meant that Duncan Scott became the most decorated Scottish athlete on Team GB in Olympic history.
Other highlights included Katie Shanahan being the only British female swimmer to make 2 individual finals in her debut Games and Keanna MacInnes setting a new Scottish record in the heats of the 100m Butterfly (57.90).
As well as competing in her third consecutive Olympic Games Grace Reid became the first ever British woman to win an individual world medal this year, with silver in the Women's 1m Springboard in Doha back in February.
A successful Paralympic Games for ParalympicsGB saw two Scottish athletes crowned Paralympic Champions. Stephen Clegg won two gold medals in the S12 Classification, 100m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly with his backstroke heat setting a new World Record in his classification. Faye Rogers won gold in the S10 100m Butterfly in her first ever games making it three golds for Scotland – the first Scottish gold medals in the pool since Athens 2004.
National Coach Ian Wright, said:
“Paris 2024 made it a milestone year for swimming, para-swimming and diving as our top performers focused on what was arguably, the biggest test of their lives to date. It was a great achievement to get so many Scots on to Team GB.
“My congratulations go out to all the athletes involved but extend to all the coaches that the athletes have had in their career journeys so far, and all of the support teams around them from expert practitioners to family members.”
Active Communities
And of course, all of the above is not possible without the common bond that is water. Swimming pools are essential and extend beyond competitions, as they foster friendships, support volunteerism and contribute to community wellbeing.
This year Scottish Swimming have championed facilities, bringing out a new strategy to map out the infrastructure needs of aquatic sport in Scotland. The #SaveOurPools campaign has engaged members, partners, media and the wider political spectrum, showcasing the importance of pools and the need for long-term, sustained investment to ensure that aquatic sports continue to thrive for generations to come.
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New schools framework launched to transform water safety
