Major recognition for Duncan Scott at Aquatics GB Awards

The University of Stirling’s Duncan Scott has been announced as joint winner of Aquatics GB’s Swimming Athlete of the Year title.

Scott – who won a gold and a silver medal at this summer’s Olympics in Paris – scooped the top award alongside his relay partner Matt Richards.

In further success for the University, Steve Tigg – whose expert tutelage led to eight Stirling swimmers being selected for Paris – was crowned Swimming Coach of the Year.

Congratulations

David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “A huge congratulations to Duncan and Steve on this fantastic recognition from Aquatics GB.

“Duncan once again put in phenomenal performances on the international stage to bring home two medals from Paris, while Steve’s leadership of our high-performance programme led to a record number of University of Stirling swimmers being selected for the Games, with two of those athletes medalling.

“We are all incredibly proud of the continued achievements of the athletes, coaches and support staff on our high-performance swim programme.”

Gold and silver for Scott

Scott and Richards combined with Stirling’s Jack McMillan and fellow Aquatics GB team members Tom Dean, James Guy, and Kieran Bird to win the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay. The triumph marked the first time a British relay team had defended an Olympic final.

Scott also added a 200m Individual Medley silver – his eighth Olympic medal of his career – which saw him cement his place as Scotland’s most decorated Olympian and third in the all-time Team GB list, behind cyclists Jason Kenny CBE and Bradley Wiggins.

Earlier this month, in recognition of the Olympic success, Tigg and fellow University of Stirling coach Brad Hay shared the High-Performance Coach of the Year award at the sportscotland Coaching, Officiating & Volunteering Awards in Glasgow.

Having spent a decade coaching at the University, during which time Stirling athletes have delivered 11 Olympic and 27 Commonwealth Games medals, Tigg was recently appointed to the top role of Head Coach at Aquatics GB. He will be replaced by renowned international swim coach Ben Higson.

The University of Stirling offers a world-leading high-performance swim programme, which provides athletes with a bespoke package of world-class coaching, access to state-of-the-art facilities, performance mentoring and access to the latest innovations in sports research. Those on scholarships can also benefit from academic flexibility to support their education alongside their sporting ambitions. Hay, Josh Williamson and Charlie Boldison coach on the programme and current athletes include Scott, McMillan, Kathleen Dawson and Katie Shanahan.