Gold in the 200m Freestyle for Duncan Scott on the final evening of action rounded out a hugely successful British Swimming Championships for Scottish swimmers after six days of intense competition for titles and major championship places at Glasgow’s Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

Scott made it five medals, and a hat-trick of titles, having taken gold in British record time in the 100m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley gold in a new Scottish record, just 0.01 away from the British record, earlier in the week.

His two silver medals came in the 100m and 200m Butterfly, both behind 2015 World Champion James Guy, setting a new Scottish record in the 100m event.

Finishing second behind Scott in the 100m Freestyle was rising star Scott McLay, five-time Commonwealth Youth Games medallist in 2017. It marked a significant step into the senior ranks for the 19 year old University of Stirling athlete and he was followed closely home by fellow Scots Jack Thorpe in 4th and Craig McLean in 5th. McLay also put in a stellar performance in the 50m Butterfly to finish 4th and break Todd Cooper’s Scottish record, set at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Ross Murdoch was also on form, winning two silver and one bronze in the Breaststroke events. A tremendous race with James Wilby in the 200m Breaststroke saw the Englishman just touch home ahead but Murdoch joined him in dipping below 2mins 8 seconds, the first time two British swimmers have ever achieved this landmark in the same championship. Murdoch’s time of 2.07.96 was also a World Championships qualifying standard.

Craig Benson was also right to the fore in that 200m Breaststroke, sitting in second ahead of Murdoch for much of the race. Murdoch’s strength told over the final stages as Benson took his second bronze medal of the championships, having finished in the podium in the 50m Breaststroke earlier in the week. With a qualifying time for the World University Games in the bag, Benson will be looking for a spot on the plane to Italy later this summer.

There were silver medals for Mark Szaranek in the 400m Individual Medley and Craig McNally in the 200m Backstroke. Returning from knee surgery, Kathleen Dawson took 100m Backstroke bronze on the second day of the championships, just ahead of fellow Scot Cassie Wild in 4th. The positions were reversed in the 50m event, with Wild taking bronze. There were encouraging signs too for Hannah Miley, as bronze in the 400m Individual Medley marked her return to this level following ankle surgery.

Competing alongside the senior swimmers, Scotland’s next generation were also making waves. Fourteen year old Katie Shanahan was the youngest swimmer to qualify for the Open 400m Individual Medley final, and she looked right at home, finishing 5th and breaking Hannah Miley’s Scottish Junior record in the process. Another outstanding performance in the 200m event saw her break the British Age 14 record as she won gold in the Transition final.

Also in record-breaking form was Warrender’s Katie Goodburn, setting new Scottish Junior record figures in the 50m Breaststroke while Archie Goodburn and Charlie Hutchison both set multiple qualifying marks for the World and European Junior Championships.

With the championships doubling as a selection event for the World Championships in South Korea, as well as the World University Games, World Junior Championships, European Youth Olympics and European Junior Championships, swimmers will now await team announcements in the coming days.