Renwick pushed as Duncan Scott strikes gold in Baku

Robbie Renwick, the two-time Olympian, was under pressure to perform in the 100m freestyle at last night’s Scottish National Open Championships at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow.
Robbie Renwick. Picture: Lisa FergusonRobbie Renwick. Picture: Lisa Ferguson
Robbie Renwick. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Renwick went into the final in Glasgow just a couple of hours after his University of Stirling team-mate, Duncan Scott, had won a superb gold medal in the 100m freestyle at the European Games in Baku.

Renwick, the veteran of the two at 27, achieved his goal of winning in Glasgow, but his time of 49.81secs was marginally slower than teenager Scott.

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The 18-year-old won in 49.43secs and then added to his medal haul with a silver medal for Team GB in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay – the same event in which he helped Scotland win silver at last year’s Commonwealth Games at Tollcross.

Earlier in the week, the rising talent had collected his first gold medal in Azerbaijan in the 4 x 100m freestyle relays and a silver in the 4 x 100m mixed race.

Renwick and Scott are training partners, but also freestyle rivals and they will both be competing for Team GB at the World Championships starting in Kazan in Russia at the end of next month.

The older man is proud of Scott’s achievements. “Duncan is flying at the moment,” said Renwick, the 2010 Commonwealth Games 200m freestyle champion. “He is going to be such an integral member of the freestyle relay teams at the World Championships.

“I have had a heavy period of training and also been on GB camps in the north of Spain training and there is another three weeks before I start to taper for Kazan.“

In the final at Tollcross, Renwick was pushed all the way by Stephen Milne. The Perth 21-year-old clocked 50.71 secs with another of the University of Stirling stable, Jordan Hughes, in third place in 50.94secs.

Scotland’s Commonwealth Games champion, Hannah Miley, and England’s Adam Peaty, the world record-holder, had entered the opening day’s 400m individual medley and 50m breaststroke respectively, but they withdrew before the heats.

However, they will be in action today with Peaty up against Scots Ross Murdoch and Michael Jamieson in the 200m breaststroke, a much anticipated re-run of last year’s Commonwealth Games.

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Murdoch memorably came out on top on that occasion but, with Olympian Andrew Willis also in the mix, it promises to be one of the highlights of the evening.

Miley is also expected to make an appearance in today’s 200m medley. The reason for yesterday’s withdrawal was British Swimming’s edict that swimmers heading for Kazan need only compete in two of the four days of competition at Tollcross.