By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – SINGAPORE
- Thursday, October 31st – Saturday, November 2nd
- OCBC Aquatic Centre, Singapore
- Prelims at 9:30am local (9:30pm ET previous night)/Finals at 6:30pm local (6:30am ET)
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- Competition Schedule
- Entries Book
- Live Results
- Day 1 Finals Recap
Duncan Scott took the bull by horns and attacked the final of the men’s 400 freestyle from the jump at the final stop of the 2024 World Cup series in Singapore, and it paid off.
After winning the 400 free at the opening leg of the series in Shanghai, Scott was edged out by China’s Pan Zhanle last week in Incheon after Pan produced a blistering final 50 to get his hand on the wall first.
In Singapore, Scott didn’t leave it down to a last 50 sprint. He took the lead by the 75-meter mark, and turned in 1:45.32 at the 200, putting him more than one second clear of the next-best swimmer, American Kieran Smith, while also putting him more than two seconds faster than his pace in Incheon.
Scott would only extend his lead the rest of the way, finishing in a time of 3:34.46 to not only take more than two seconds off his previous best time of 3:36.98, set in Shanghai, but break a 22-year-old Commonwealth Record.
Scott’s time lowered Australian Grant Hackett‘s longstanding Commonwealth Record of 3:34.58, set back in July 2002. It also took down James Guy‘s British Record of 3:36.35, set at the 2014 SC World Championships, which Scott had come within striking distance of in Shanghai.
Split Comparison
| Hackett, 2002 | Guy, 2014 | Scott, Shanghai | Scott, Singapore |
| 51.35 | 52.24 | 52.37 | 51.72 |
| 1:45.40 (54.05) | 1:47.65 (55.41) | 1:47.93 (55.56) | 1:45.32 (53.60) |
| 2:40.25 (54.85) | 2:42.33 (54.68) | 2:43.19 (55.26) | 2:39.73 (54.41) |
| 3:34.58 (54.33) | 3:36.35 (54.02) | 3:36.98 (53.79) | 3:34.46 (54.73) |
Scott, who is the 11th swimmer in history to break the 3:35 barrier, moves into #6 all-time.
All-Time Performers, Men’s 400 Freestyle (SCM)
- Yannick Agnel (FRA), 3:32.25 – 2012
- Paul Biedermann (GER), 3:32.77 – 2009
- Danas Rapsys (LTU), 3:33.20 – 2019
- Peter Bernek (HUN), 3:34.32 – 2014
- Kieran Smith (USA), 3:34.38 – 2022
- Duncan Scott (GBR), 3:34.46 – 2024
- Grant Hackett (AUS), 3:34.58 – 2002
- Park Tae Hwan (KOR), 3:34.59 – 2016
- Ian Thorpe (AUS), 3:34.63 – 2003
- Zhang Lin (CHN), 3:34.66 – 2009
Smith would finish as the runner-up in the race in 3:36.97, while Pan placed third in 3:38.79.
In Incheon, Pan won in a time of 3:36.43, with Scott placing second in 3:37.04.
Despite missing it in the 400 free, Scott will be aiming to earn the Triple Crown bonus on Saturday in the men’s 200 free, having won the event in both Shanghai and Incheon.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Duncan Scott Lowers Grant Hackett’s 22-Year-Old Commonwealth Record In 400 Free