Proud and Scott celebrate silvers in Paris

[Article images courtesy of Team GB]

The evening started with three breathless back-to-back finals featuring Ben Proud (Men’s 50m Freestyle), Katie Shanahan and Honey Osrin (both Women’s 200m Backstroke), Duncan Scott and Tom Dean (both Men’s 200m Individual Medley) – while Abbie Wood closed the session sealing her progression beyond the Women’s 200m Individual Medley semi-finals.

With the atmosphere sparking around La Defense Arena, Ben Proud walked out calm and at ease for the Men’s 50m Freestyle to assume his place behind the blocks.

On the starters’ orders, Proud was away on the B of the bang as he executed one of his renowned world-class starts, and he quickly began to powerfully work his way down the length of the pool. At 25m it already looked like gold would go to one of the centre lanes - Proud flanked by the man who succeeded his world title in 2023, Cameron McEvoy (AUS) – and it came down to just 0.05 at the touch between the two.

A superb silver medal for Proud ends a run of heartbreak in Olympic finals, after a fourth place finish at Rio 2016 and a joint fifth at Tokyo 2020.

“Three year ago about this time I just burst into tears, I couldn’t take the fact that I’d kind of failed in my race back in Tokyo,” he said.

“That was probably the most fitting thing I went through because if I hadn’t gone through that I wouldn’t have of experienced these last three years which have been the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

“Back in 2022 hitting what I would say was my rock bottom and it has led to me finding a very great balance with my swimming, my lifestyle with my coaches and I feel this time around I’ve definitely done what I wanted to do – the cherry on top is sharing that podium with bronze medallist Florent [Manaudou] as we share the same coach in James Gibson.”

On the pressure of expectation with a centre lane he added:

“It’s funny because I know me and Cam [McEvoy] tied last night but being put in lane four it does kind of make you feel like you’re protecting that, but I had to keep reminding myself you know what ‘I haven’t earnt anything yet, it’s going to be a great race’ and it was - that was probably the best swim I’ve done in a championship final.”

It wasn’t long before Duncan Scott delivered the second silver medal of the night for Team GB in the pool in a showpiece Men’s 200m Individual Medley final.

Scott was joined by Tom Dean in the line-up of eight men contesting to silence the Parisian crowd buoyed up to cheer on their home Games talisman, Leon Marchand (FRA), and attacking the opening stage of the race much more than the earlier rounds saw the University of Stirling swimmer push on towards the sharp end of the race and into second ahead of his closing freestyle pace.

Throwing on the burners took almost half a second out of Marchand in the final 50m but there wasn’t enough pool for Scott to close the gap as he took his second consecutive Olympic silver medal in this event.

“I need to watch it back but I probably made my coach a bit nervous at one point,” commented Scott with a wry smile,

“My target was to really push myself out there, I know that I’ve got a really strong freestyle and I know those guys are thinking about my freestyle when it’s coming down to the later stages of the race - so if I can get to a good position at 150m then why not.

“I was maybe stretched a bit too far and Leon [Marchand] showed his class, that’s very quick what he’s just done at the end of what’s been a pretty busy schedule for the guy, so that was pretty special being able to race him.

“I think that’s a great way to finish it off, or if I’m included in some relays then happy days as I’ll always stick my hand up for those - but targets coming in you know with everything I was doing I knew I had a chance of a medal for sure.”

Tom Dean meanwhile produced a solidly even paced race and brought it home strongly down the final length for fifth overall on the world stage.

Enjoying the occasion, Dean added:

“I knew being my last race here and with Leon [Marchand] being in it the atmosphere would be electric, so it was super exciting and great to see Duncan take another medal for Team GB.

“We sat in the call room and watched Benny P get the job done, and there’s no one more deserving of getting on the podium after the years he’s been at the top so it’s a really exciting evening for Team GB in the pool and I’m really happy to be part of it.

“I gave it my all, I was hurting on that back end and I knew that’d be the way but to walk away from this Olympics as defending Olympic champion [in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle] it’s an honour and I just wanted to take it all in tonight.”

The Women’s 200m Backstroke provided a strong showing from British duo, Katie Shanahan and Honey Osrin in a fast-paced final.

A surging final last 50m brought Shanahan up to fifth, and within a tenth of her lifetime best over the distance to round out her debut Olympic experience.

“I’m absolutely over the moon with this week, I couldn’t have asked for much more,” she said.

“Two months ago I was debating whether I was even going to be able to get here, and I think if you told me then I’d of made two Olympic finals and come fifth in one of them I probably wouldn’t believe it so I’m just so happy.

“There’s definitely more to come from me in the future – hopefully this is the first of many Olympics for me and over the next few years I’ll try move it on so by LA hopefully I can be competing for the medals.”

Placing seventh overall, Honey Osrin was unable to move on her time from a stunning semi-final swim, but reflected on how the past week has exceeded her expectation and delivered positive learnings for the future.

“It’s a learning experience. It’s my first senior international meet let alone an Olympic final,” said Honey,

“I’m happy to have come away from this Games with a PB and I just didn’t race it the best that I should have tonight. I know there is a better time in there, but I’ve had so much fun and I’m just so happy to have progressed through to a final.”

Closing the session Abbie Wood went in semi-final two of the Women’s 200m Individual Medley with some of the ‘big hitters’ as she later described it.

Tracking the leading three all the way, Wood was well placed throughout all four strokes and touched in fourth – and with the pace supreme to the first semi-final it see’s the Tokyo finalist through as the fourth fastest seed into tomorrow’s medal contest.

Earlier in the day Kathleen Dawson, James Wilby, Joe Litchfield and Anna Hopkin confirmed Team GB’s lane for Saturday’s Mixed 4 x 100m Medley final, while Freya Colbert just missed out on progression in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley heats placing 18th and James Guy ranked 23rd in the Men’s 100m Butterfly.

British interest the final pool swimming heats session on Saturday morning involves Anna Hopkin (Women’s 50m Freestyle) and Daniel Jervis (Men’s 1500m Freestyle), in addition to the Men’s and Women’s 4 x 100m Medley relays. You can find details of all the upcoming aquatics disciplines schedules from Paris 2024 through our What’s On? Page.

Where can I watch?

The BBC will be covering the majority of the Games across BBC One and Two, the BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer. You can find their coverage schedule by clicking here.

Discovery+/Eurosport will also be broadcasting every minute of the Olympic Games but these channels require a subscription fee.