In a big blow for Britain’s relay hopes, Olympic champion Scott has pulled out of the world swimming championships. The championships will begin on Saturday in Budapest and run until June 25. Without Scott, Team GB’s relay hopes will be in serious doubt. The former world champion was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year and has since undergone surgery.
The British swimming team has many aces in the freestyle. Adam Peaty, the defending world champion, was among the crowd’s cheering section 24 hours later. His presence at the Games is a sign of the depth of the freestyle team. The defending champion has already doubled their medal tally in one event. The foursome fancy themselves in the 4x200m final on Wednesday.
The British rowing team will also be without Tim Male, who has fractured his wrist bone in a training accident. He was the stroke in Britain’s lightweight double scull, which finished fourth in the World Cup in Lucerne last month. If Scott doesn’t make the worlds, his teammate Audley Harrison is likely to replace him.
The British team’s hopes are also in jeopardy, as Olympic champion Johnson-Thompson pulled out of the event with an injury. The British team’s other top performers suffered major setbacks this week. Olympic champion Simone Manuel and defending world champion Adam Gemili have both suffered calf injuries. Denise Lewis has said that competing on Thursday would have been hugely stressful for her.
The British swimming community has been in shock following the news of Dean’s withdrawal. Although the infection was not life-threatening, it was crippling. The 20-year-old had missed two months of training. With his 21st birthday just around the corner, he couldn’t afford to miss his training. He was also worried about missing out on the opportunity to compete in the Rio Olympics.
The British team’s other loss is the absence of Tessa Virtue and American Charlie White. Their team finished second at the Sochi Olympics, while Kaetlyn Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman were 13th and 17th respectively. The British team’s other medals are Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford in seventh place in the men’s doubles. The Americans’ squad also includes Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, who finished eighth and third in the men’s doubles.