A Scots Olympian who has just become the most decorated athlete for Team GB at a single Games learned to swim in Ayrshire.
Duncan Scott has been hailed as one of the country’s greatest athletes after outstanding performances in the pool at the Tokyo Olympics — where he has scooped four medals.
The swimmer bagged silver in the 4x100 metres medley relay on a Super Sunday, adding to his tally of two silver and one gold.
It caps off some journey for the athlete who aged just 24 now has five Olympic medals and a Commonwealth Games medal picked up in 2014.
But that journey to the world's biggest arena started off in Troon, where an eight-year-old Duncan made a splash as part of South Ayrshire Swimming Team.
From Troon to Tokyo, proud coach Mike Boles has told how he first laid eyes on the eager swimmer 16 years ago where he helped lay foundations for success.
For years the swim-coach has been reminding aspiring swimmers of Duncan’s story.
Now he believes even more Ayrshire kids will become inspired to take to the pool.
Mike told Ayrshire Live: “I am really proud of him and his achievements.
“I’ve only played a small part of what he has gone on to do - we helped lay the foundations.
“When he first joined us in 2005 he was only 8, he joined with his sister.
“But I’ve been using his name for years now.
“It is incredible for the profile of the sport in Ayrshire, to be able to tell kids ‘do you know Duncan Scott?’ well he started in the very same pool you are in.”
Mike was contacted by Duncan’s sister Alex (also a competitive swimmer) when Duncan first achieved silver as part of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Mike added: “It was really lovely, she said ‘I wonder if you remember me and my brother Duncan. We'd just like to say thank you — for the training you gave us in Troon. That was really nice.
“He returned in 2018 to speak to some of the kids and raise the profile of the game. He’s always stayed humble.
Mike can remember noticing the potential from an early age with young Duncan 3 or 4 seconds ahead of everyone else.
He added: “His name is everywhere now, they are talking about him as being up there with the likes of Sir Chris Hoy, but he doesn’t see it that way, he’s such a nice man but he deserves all the praise he is getting.”
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