Duncan Scott takes freestyle gold as Adam Peaty looks to add to medal haul

Duncan Scott claimed revenge on Tom Dean by beating him to victory in the men’s 200 metres freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games, as Adam Peaty kept on course for a third consecutive gold in the 100m breaststroke.

Scott, swimming for Scotland at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, had missed out to Dean in the Olympic final in Tokyo last year but triumphed on Saturday night in a time of one minute 45.02 seconds, with Dean taking silver for England in 1:45.41.

Dean led at halfway but Alloa swimmer Scott, who won four medals in total in Japan last summer, came roaring back to secure victory.

Scott also claimed a bronze in the 400m individual medley.

Three-time Olympic champion Peaty, 27, later booked his place in Sunday night’s 100m breaststroke final, winning his semi-final in a time of 59.02 seconds.

Peaty’s appearance in Birmingham marked his return to action after he missed last month’s World Championship with a fractured bone in his foot suffered in a freak training accident in May.

Peaty said: “The front end of the swim felt a bit more rusty than it normally would in a championship. It’s about giving the crowd a show, and I couldn’t give a s*** what time I go.

“When you take the swimming away, you start to think ‘oh, am I still going to be the best?’. Being the best swimmer in the world isn’t just something that is given, and now I’m just fighting my way back.

“If that takes another year, another two…you know Paris is always the goal and that is the pinnacle of the sport.”

England’s James Wilby won the first semi in a time of 59.85secs.

England’s Ben Proud took the first home nation gold medal of the night as he broke his own Games record for the men’s 50m butterfly with a time of 22.81 seconds. His previous best Games