Duncan Scott set a new Games record to defend his 200m individual medley title, securing Scotland's first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 29-year-old swimmer admitted carrying the weight of expectation before his dominant performance in front of a home crowd at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Scott's time of 1:56.38 marked his 14th Commonwealth Games medal. "From the emotional standpoint and for the team, it was about trying to get the momentum going," Scott said. "There was a bit of a weight on my shoulders for that, so it was more relief than anything else."
The swimming events also saw Para world champion Faye Rogers win the 200m individual medley SM10 gold. Rogers, 23, finished more than two and a half seconds ahead of her closest competitor, Jasmine Greenwood of Australia. This victory followed a gold medal win for Rogers at the world para championships in Singapore last year.
Katie Shanahan added a silver medal in the 200m backstroke. The 22-year-old was close to claiming gold but was edged out by Australia's Jenna Forrester by just 0.37 seconds in a close finish.
Scott also participated in the 4x100m freestyle final, swimming the second leg for Scotland. However, the team finished fourth behind Australia, England, and South Africa. Chad le Clos of South Africa secured a bronze in this event, bringing his total Commonwealth Games medals to 19, the most for any male athlete in history.
Scott is scheduled to compete in the 200m butterfly and freestyle events. The Commonwealth Games, which Scotland agreed to host on short notice after Australia withdrew, are described by Scott as an incredible competition that Scotland deserves credit for organizing.