Nicola Sturgeon finally tweets her congratulations to Team GB

Nicola Sturgeon finally tweets her congratulations to Team GB (but fans point out she waited until Scotland’s Duncan Scott picked up a medal)

Nicola Sturgeon has congratulated Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott on his silver and gold medals after he became her country’s first medallist at Tokyo 2020.

Scott helped Britain to their third swimming gold at an Olympics for the first time in 113 years, one day after finishing runner-up to his best friend Tom Dean.

And the Glaswegian’s success prompted the First Minister to tweet about the games yesterday, as she retweeted a post about his silver medal by Scottish Swimming.

She said: ‘Massive congrats to Duncan Scott on his silver medal. And, of course, to Tom Dean on winning gold. Hopefully lots more @TeamGB medals yet to come.’

Today, following Scott’s victory alongside Dean, James Guy and Matthew Richards in the 4×200 metres freestyle relay final, Ms Sturgeon then posted a further tweet.

Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott’s success prompted the First Minister to tweet about the games yesterday, as she retweeted a post about his silver medal by Scottish Swimming

Today, following Scott's victory alongside Dean, James Guy and Matthew Richards in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay final, Ms Sturgeon then posted a further tweet

Today, following Scott’s victory alongside Dean, James Guy and Matthew Richards in the 4×200 metres freestyle relay final, Ms Sturgeon then posted a further tweet

Nicola Sturgeon visits the Connect Community Trusts Connie Centre in Glasgow today

Nicola Sturgeon visits the Connect Community Trusts Connie Centre in Glasgow today

Under another Scottish Swimming post with a picture of Scott and his teammates, she posted a gold medal and applause emoji, writing: ‘@TeamGB @Olympics.’ 

But social media users pointed out that Scottish National Party leader Ms Sturgeon saved her congratulations until a Scottish member of Team GB got a medal.

One said: ‘Out of curiosity… how many other congrats have you given @TeamGB? Or do you just give it to those teams that include a Scot? 

‘Just think about that for a second? Imagine English media and the PM (for example) only giving congrats to England. Just a thought.’

Another tweeted: ‘Are you actively supporting the UK now? If so, this must be the most dramatic change of heart in political history!’ 

And a third wrote: ‘I have a sneaky feeling there is an element of trolling going on here. Great post, @NicolaSturgeon.’

Scott, a three-time world champion in relay events, who won Commonwealth gold in the 100m freestyle three years ago, was Scotland’s first medallist of the Games.

Scott, who has dyslexia, was taught to swim by his father in a pool in Troon before attending Strathallan School on a sports scholarship.

Aged 16, he won eight golds at the Scottish Age Group Nationals while older sister Alex was once the women’s swimming captain at the University of Dundee.

The gold medal today caps off an impressive few months for Scott who graduated from the University of Stirling with a 2:1 in business and sport studies in June. 

He said today: ‘For myself and Jimmy (Guy) in particular, we’ve been on so many 4x2s together. We’ve been able to win worlds, Europeans, but this one’s always – in 2016 we finished second and that was a monster achievement at the time.

‘It’s really special with these boys. Matt in third was so composed and the boys up front executed their race plans really well. So close to a world record in the end – if anything I’m a bit gutted!’

Scott had a memorable row with gold medallist Sun Yang at the World Championships in South Korea in 2019, refusing to shake hands with the drug cheat.

‘If Sun can’t respect our sport, why should I respect him?’ Scott said later, after Sun – who served a ban in 2014 – was heard calling him a ‘loser’.

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