Podium protestor Duncan Scott backs Mail Sport’s campaign to win medal justice

Duncan Scott wants justice for all British swimmers who were robbed of medals by East German cheats at the 1980 Olympics.

The 26-year-old has his own history with dopers, having claimed a bronze behind China’s convicted drug cheat Sun Yang in the 200metres freestyle at the World Championships in 2019.

At that medal ceremony in South Korea, Scott famously refused to shake hands or pose for pictures with Sun, who had previously served a doping ban and has been suspended again since.

And Britain’s most decorated Olympic swimmer has now backed Mail Sport’s campaign for retrospective medals to be awarded to those who missed out in Moscow 43 years ago because of East Germany’s state-sponsored doping programme.

‘If they can get this across the line, that would be great and credit to them. I hope that they would then feel some sort of fulfilment,’ says Scott, who has six Olympic medals, including four from Tokyo 2020 — the most by any British athlete at a single Games.

Scott was widely praised for his stand and now he is backing a campaign by Mail Sport

In 1980, Sharron Davies was cheated out of gold by Petra Schneider in the 400m individual medley, while Ann Inge, who swam under her maiden name of Osgerby, should have been the 100m butterfly Olympic champion after finishing fourth behind three East Germans.

Inge, Helen Jameson, Maggie Kelly and June Croft were also beaten to gold by East Germany in the women’s 4x100m medley relay. In total, Britain should have at least eight swimming medals from those Moscow Games.

‘Because of particular issues, I’ve had to do a little bit of reading on past issues in the sport,’ Scott admits. 

‘I have a lot of sympathy for all the swimmers in 1980. You are working so hard up to this moment and then all of this comes out. It’s something I can’t really empathise with fully, but I can imagine it was brutal.

‘Credit to Sharron. She is a great voice on the issues around the Germans. She is a great personality and someone who has done wonders for swimming. She is doing phenomenal work in raising awareness on the trans debate in sport as well.’

GB’s most decorated Olympic swimmer wants to see athletes from 1980 Games rewarded

In an interview with Mail Sport last week, relay silver medallist Kelly revealed her admiration for the stance Scott took against Sun four years ago. ‘Good on him for doing that, it was amazing,’ she said. ‘I wish I’d have had the gumption to do something, but I didn’t because I was scared of my own shadow.’

Scott, though, thinks the British women should not be too hard on themselves for not speaking out at the time. ‘It’s a very different time now, maybe there is more transparency,’ he adds. ‘I can understand why they didn’t do it and it’s not something they should feel bad for not doing.

‘It’s a tougher thing to do than not do. I don’t know if I’d have done it if the Australian swimmer, Mack Horton, hadn’t done the same thing several days before.

‘I hope they’ve not held anything against themselves on that.’