Duncan Scott: Rio is in the past, says double Olympic medallist

Duncan Scott (2nd from left) was part of the Great Britain team, along with James Guy, Dan Wallace and Stephen Milne, that claimed the silver medal in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay in Rio

Nineteen-year-old Olympian Duncan Scott prefers to focus on April's British Championships than dwell on his achievements in the pool in Rio.

The University of Stirling swimmer earned two silver medals in the relays in an impressive Olympic debut.

He told BBC Scotland: "British Swimming talk about it (the Olympics) being in the past and that's right.

"What's behind us is behind us. I need to set out and try and prove myself again for the next four-year cycle."

The British Championships in Sheffield act as qualifiers for the World Championships in Budapest in July, but should Scott make the British team he insists he does not feel under any pressure to follow up on his Rio accomplishments.

"Obviously it would be great to carry on that success but nothing is easy in sport," he said.

"If people want to try and put pressure on me, they can. I'm not really too bothered. Myself and my coach have got a game plan of what we want to do and what we want to achieve."

That plan starts in Sheffield from 18-23 April, an event which also serves as the trials for next year's Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast.

"At the British Champs I've got quite a challenging programme," said Scott.

"I'm going to be swimming five individual events (100m and 200m butterfly, 100m and 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley).

"But it will then hopefully prepare me for the likes of mixed relays, on top of semi-finals, etc, later in my career, so it'll be challenging but I'm looking forward to it.

"It's really hard to qualify for the British team. They're one of the best teams in the world at swimming, but the idea is to hopefully make it to the Worlds in the 100m and 200m freestyle and I might then have other events too."

Ross Murdoch says his desire for success in the pool is undiminished

Scott's Stirling University team-mate Ross Murdoch is also gearing up for the British trials and will go to Sheffield in confident mood, given his recent form.

"I'm feeling good. I was pretty happy with my races at the weekend at the Edinburgh International competition," said the 23-year-old.

"It was a lifetime best for me in-season in the 200m breaststroke, so I'm really excited to get going."

Murdoch insists he has "definitely recovered" from his Rio disappointment, where he failed to qualify for the final of the 100m breaststroke.

"It's one of those things, you wake up every morning and you've got to realise how much you want it, to truly want it," he says of his desire for success.

"It's enough to say it, but actually wanting it? I can safely say that I wake up every morning wanting it these days."

Like Scott, Murdoch acknowledges the importance of next month's Sheffield event.

"It secures you two years' worth of teams to be on, so it's very important, as a British athlete in terms of making the World Championships, but also as a Scottish athlete making these Commonwealth Games.

"I definitely want to see myself making the Gold Coast as well as Budapest."