Duncan Scott helps Brits clinch gold medal at world championships

GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 28: Duncan Scott celebrates winning the gold medal in the Men's 4x100m Medley Relay (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

The Grangemouth-trained swimmer had time to make up after the Americans and Russians had seized the lead after the first three legs.

However, the former Falkirk Integrated Regional Swim Team member produced blistering pace in the final lap with a time of 46.14 seconds – the fastest since American Jason Lezak’s 46.06 at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 – to catch US swimmer Nathan Adrian and give Britain victory and a first win over the US in the event. Russia came third.

He told reporters: “I can’t say I thought I had that split in me. I’m just sort of speechless I’ve been able to put that race together.”

The result came just five days after swimmer Sun Yang shouted ‘loser’ in Scott’s face after the 22-year-old from Alloa had refused to stand next to Chinese Yang on the podium.

Yang had served a drugs ban in 2014.