Stirling swimmers win gold medals at World Aquatics Championships

University of Stirling swimmers Duncan Scott and Jack McMillan are part of the team that have won Great Britain’s first gold medal at this year’s World Aquatics Championship.

The duo - swimming for Team GB alongside Matthew Richards and James Guy - saw off the challenge of China to win gold in the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay in Singapore today.

Richards and Guy kicked off the race, with McMillan posting a time of 1:45.65 in the third leg, giving Scott the chance to secure glory with a strong final 200m.

The 28-year-old - Scotland's most decorated Olympic athlete - put in a storming 1:43.82 to secure gold, and continue GB’s dominance in the event, as they broke the seven minute barrier for the fourth time in the past five years.

Special moment

Cathy Gallagher, Executive Director of Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “Winning a gold medal at the World Championships is always a special moment, but for two Stirling swimmers to achieve it as teammates makes it extra special.

"The result for Duncan and Jack builds on their Olympic success last year and continues the dominance of this relay squad.

“It has been great to watch a record number of athletes from our programme testing themselves and excelling against the best in the world, whether as debutants or experienced participants.”

Duncan, Jack and their Team GB teammates celebrate the gold (Credit: Istvan Derencsenyi/World Aquatics)

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, 22-year-old Stirling athlete Angharad Evans battled hard to come fifth in the women’s 200m breaststroke final - in a race where third position was a dead heat.

In total 10 swimmers from the University of Stirling’s coveted high-performance programme are competing in Singapore.

The athletes – eight competing for Great Britain and one each for Zimbabwe and Malaysia – have been joined by University coaches Ben Higson and Brad Hay. It represents the largest number of Stirling swimmers to be selected for a World Championships – surpassing the eight who competed at Fukuoka 2023.

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Core sports include swimming, golf, tennis, triathlon, football and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.