Tokyo Olympics: Swimmers continue to make a splash in the medals

Duncan Scott claimed his third Olympic medal of Tokyo 2020 by taking silver in the men’s 200 metres individual medley while Luke Greenbank won bronze in the men’s 200m backstroke.
Silver star: Duncan Scott on the podium for the men's 200m individual medley.Silver star: Duncan Scott on the podium for the men's 200m individual medley.
Silver star: Duncan Scott on the podium for the men's 200m individual medley.

Scott, who had already won gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and silver in the individual discipline this week, was fifth heading into the final 50m but he upped the ante to surge up the leaderboard.

However, despite clocking a personal best time of one minute and 55.28 seconds, the Scot finished an agonising 0.28secs off top spot as he was denied his first individual Olympic gold by China’s Wang Shun, with Jeremy Desplanches collecting bronze.

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Scott’s third podium place took Great Britain to six swimming medals for these Games - moving them just one behind their all-time record at London 1908 - after Greenbank had earlier added to the tally.

Bronze: Luke Greenbank with his 200m backstroke medal.Bronze: Luke Greenbank with his 200m backstroke medal.
Bronze: Luke Greenbank with his 200m backstroke medal.

Greenbank qualified second fastest to reach the final on Friday morning and started well at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, sitting behind only Evgeny Rylov of the Russian Olympic Committee after the first length.

He was overtaken by Ryan Murphy of the United States by halfway but comfortably held on to to finish third in a time of one minute and 54.72 seconds.

Rylov set an Olympic record time of 1min 53.27 secs to claim his second gold of these Games, having already bagged top spot on the podium in the men’s 100m breaststroke, while Murphy finished in 1:54.15 to scoop silver.

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Greenbank told the BBC: “It’s amazing. A dream come true. I’m so happy and over the moon.

“My first memory of swimming is watching the Beijing Olympics. It’s always been a life ambition of mine so to come away with a medal, an individual medal as well, is absolutely amazing.”

Molly Renshaw finished sixth and Abbie Wood seventh in the women’s 200m breaststroke, where South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker set a world record of time 2:18.95 to claim gold.

United States pair Lilly King and Annie Lazor won silver and bronze respectively.

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Emma McKeon clocked an Olympic record time of 51.96 to win the women’s 100m freestyle, while the Australian’s compatriot Cate Campbell took bronze, with Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey claiming silver. Britain’s Anna Hopkin finished seventh.

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