Hail The Scott & Dean Show, A Speedy, Skilful Art Of Calm Before The Summer Storm Of Paris
The Duncan Scott and Tom Dean show is a privilege to watch and witness, the skills, the speed, the flow, the fight and the 200m medley tickets to the Paris Olympics all thrilling, of course, but as much as that at trials in London tonight was the masterclass of energy management and the art of calm before the summer storm.
It’s a time of launch-pad testing ahead of the moment the world tunes in and the work of years shakes hands with the power of now.
Scott on 1:55.91, Dean on 1:56.44 and Max Litchfield, the man who took down Scott’s 400IM national record for his own Paris pass yesterday, third in 1:58.11. You know it when the tension tingles in you, let alone them: terrifically entertaining.
But try as the chap with the microphone might, the hype of far too many superlatives this week just wouldn’t wash with Scott and Dean.
They’re the real deal, no hype needed. The very meaning of excellence in sport, them and those who work with and support them. Scott didn’t blink at the umpteenth “brilliant” and when the race he “dominated from the get go” was “yours, and you just knew … you were out and battling right to the very end…” he raised an eyebrow and said calmly: „Well, maybe from your perspective, yeah, but, you know, its a real competitive field…” At which point he looked to his right where Tom Dean was standing rubbing his chin and locked in whatever lessons race through his mind at the moment a test is just done. A glimpse of that power of now…
“… there were some fast pbs [personal bests] in there. I knew it was going to be pretty tough. That’s the thing with IM, so many people swim it in different ways, different strengths; I think that’s what makes it so exciting, but also why I love it is there are so many areas to improve on. Look, a 1:55 this time of the year, pretty happy with that.”
Duncan Scott – image: his fastest ‘fly split in a 200IM in the bag – image courtesy of Aquatics GB
He got to about the ‘time of year’ before h, too, was gone, momentarily staring ahead, perhaps in the same kind of place and space Dean was in while awaiting his turn to say a few words: perspective, reflective, focussed on those “so many areas to improve on”. A glimpse of that power of now… “areas to improve on”…
Let’s take a look at what we can see in what is there to be seen. 24.92 on ‘fly. It’s Scott’s first sub-25 in any of his 1:56-and-better battles (probably in all his battles but I haven’t looked that deep yet). Backstroke: 29.77, slower than his best efforts in the past five years. Breaststroke: 33.34 – snap, to the 0.0+ zone. Freestyle: 27.88, mid-gap between his 27.4 and 28.1 spread.
Listen carefully enough and you could hear the symphony in the strain and lean into learning of it all. Scott, with his third best career effort, was faster today than his Fukuoka 2023 Worlds silver behind France’s Leon Marchand‘s catch-me-if-you-can 1:54.82 European record.
Dean’s rehearsal was almost a match of his World’s bronze in that same battle last year, on 1:56.07, 0.12 adrift Scott, whose best of 1:55.28 breathes down the necks of Marchand and the closest man to him among those still in the hunt, Wang Shun, Olympic champion a touch ahead of the British record holder on 1:55.00. Some of those “many areas to improve on”, for all concerned:
London, April 5, 2024
24.92 – 54.69 (29.77) 1:28.03 (33.34) 1:55.91 (27.88) Scott
25.46 – 55.73 (30.27) 1:29.04 (33.31) 1:56.44 (27.40) Dean
2023
24.94; 53.60 (28.66) 1:26.54 (32.94) 1:54.82 (28.28) ER Marchand
25.19; 54.50 (29.31) 1:27.83 (33.33) 1:55.95 (28.12) Scott
25.42; 55.62 (30.20) 1:28.95 (33.33) 1:56.07 (27.12) Dean
Tokyo 2020ne
24.78; 53.78 (29.00) 1:27.63 (33.85) 1:55.00 (27.37) Wang Gold
25.06; 54.52 (29.46) 1:27.82 (33.30) 1:55.28 (27.46) Scott Silver
Looking back to just beyond that last Olympic showdown, here’s a big part of the game explained in the words of Scott and his coach at the University of Stirling Steve Tigg:
And this lot since:
Duncan Scott Savours Unique Medley Mission At Solo Freestyle-Free Fukuoka Worlds
Marchand Sings Les Bleus – A Song Of Providence For Paris After Third Gold In 1:54.82 200 Medley ER
Back to the banter on deck. Marchand, the great French hope for Paris who took down Michael Phelps’ 400IM world record last year, and the Brits … how are “we” looking to move that on come Paris? “You know you didn’t mention the quickest in the world last year, you know, the defending Olympic champion [Wang set an Asian record of 1:54.62 at the Asian Games in September], so, it’s a stacked event,” says Scott.
“It’s going to be interesting come Paris, the exposure … over the past year, it’s been a pleasure to race Leon, Deano all the time, Max as well. I just enjoy racing at this type of level and hopefully I can produce something pretty good come the summer.”
Duncan Scott – image – Teammates with a lot to laugh about – l-r – Tom Dean, Duncan Scott and Max Litchfield
Dean was up next. His world-class swims… ‘talk us through the race … what was going through your mind’. He smiled and replied: “Yeah, you kind of have to put in world-class swims when you’re up against these guys because its’ so competitive … this is one of the quickest champs we’ve had for a long time, so you have to bring your A game.”
Olympic trials tend to be like that in places where the racers crave the fruits of the season. Dean did what he had to and then did what he must: “My goal’s always to chase him [Duncan] down that last length. We’ve had so many close races over the years; World champs, both on the podium last year, so I knew it was going to be a good race.”
It was “amazing” to watch, Dean hears in appreciation of “another amazing swim”. Amazing … but not quite in the way myriad other swims this week have been described with nauseating repetition as “amazing”, “brilliant”, “outstanding” and more of the same when good would have done. Paris will be amazing, I would imagine.
Last of the podium speakers, Max said what he had to say about his 200 and his obvious emphasis on 400 before delivering a lovely tribute to his brother Joe.
Later, when he spoke to the media and through Aquatics GB, Scott noted:
“In years gone past, the 200m IM, it’d be fair to say the depth sometimes hasn’t been there. But with that, Max right on form in the 400m IM, Deano medalling last year at Worlds, Mark (Szaranek) has medalled at a Commonwealth Games before and there are some young boys putting in some really good performances… I’m really happy with that time at this time of year as well.
“Last time in Olympic year, I was 1:55.9 here. I’m not saying that equals to what I’ll go this summer, but that’s a good indicator. It’s a really early trials, so I guess with that, laying down a solid 1:55 is quite nice. “
Duncan Scott – Image: walking out to race the 200IM at Tokyo2020ne – photo by Patrick B. Kraemer
Scott, Dean & Lichtfield Look To Sunday’s Showstopper
The Scott and Dean Show is not over, of course. They finished 0.04sec apart, Dean gold, silver for Scott in the Tokyo 2020ne 200m freestyle, the event that will bring the curtain down on the Championships Sunday night.
Litchfield will be there, too, as will Matt Richards, World champion in the 200m free last year, and James Guy, the other members of the Olympic and World-champion 4×100 quartet with Scott and Dean. The 200m on Sunday will mark the moment that at least two Olympic champions won’t make the solo cut.
Straighten after the medley final, the skidding sound of rapid parking cut through the noise.
Says Scott: “It’s nice having a day off now, but now that 200m IM is done, I’ll be happy for about a minute and then get myself into my 200m Freestyle head and get ready for those heats, because I’m sure they’ll be a dogfight.”
Such is life in the challenge to equilibrium on a sea of excellence and depth unparalleled in the history of British swimming’s sprint freestyle realm. The 4x100m has joined the list of Paris podium prospects and freestylers leap with joy at the prospect of riding the medley wave too these golden days. To be savoured.
Trials Information
- Results in full
- Link to entry list
- Selection policy
- Aquatics GB meet page
- Broadcast & streaming info
- The Vortex: Japanese Olympic trials
- The Cuts
