BUDDING swimmers at Musselburgh Sports Centre are being given the chance to test their speed against a top Scottish champion.

Virtual swimming experience Challenge Duncan has arrived in East Lothian, allowing pool-goers to see how they compare to Duncan Scott’s record-breaking 100m freestyle time.

The simulator has arrived in Musselburgh Sports Centre following the buzz of enjoyleisure winning Learn to Swim Provider of the Year 2019.

Challenge Duncan senses and measures a player’s arms as they mimic the front-crawl motion out of the water and try to match the speed that propelled the 22-year-old to become the British record holder at 47.9 seconds for the 100m.

The interactive game was created to mark Scottish Water’s and Scottish Swimming’s partnership in the national Learn to Swim programme, which sees them work together with aquatic providers across Scotland to help 100,000 children become confident swimmers by 2020.

Learn to Swim ambassador Duncan is encouraging children in East Lothian to have a go and race him to see if they can match his time and get their names on the leaderboard.

He said: “It’s hard for people to really appreciate the speed of elite swimmers so Challenge Duncan is a great way to show how just fast you have to move to win a gold medal.

“Of course the game is played out of the water, but it can really help you channel the lane-focused mentality you need to win a race – it’s great.”

Duncan is a Scottish swim hero, winning multiple medals from Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

He won six medals at the Commonwealth Games last year – the most won ever by a Scottish athlete at a single Games – two silvers at his first Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 and is the National Lottery Athlete of the Year.

Brian Lironi, director of corporate affairs at Scottish Water, said: “Duncan is an inspirational role model and, as Learn to Swim ambassador, he’s helping children across Scotland learn that swimming is an important safety skill.

“Safety both in and around the water is a key reason we’re proud to be involved in this partnership with Scottish Swimming.”

Euan Lowe, CEO at Scottish Swimming, said: “With an estimated 40 per cent of children unable to swim by the time they leave primary school, it’s fantastic to see that enjoyleisure is committed to making sure that local kids get to learn this key life skill.

“Their enthusiasm in delivering the Learn to Swim Framework is proving to have a fantastic impact on children across the council area.”

Karen Ferguson at enjoyleisure added: “I’d encourage everyone to come in and try their luck at beating Duncan’s record and we might even find the next Duncan Scott right here in East Lothian.”

The Learn to Swim framework helps to create quality swimming environments for children, giving them opportunities to progress through the aquatic pathway and to swim for fun.

It is delivered in the following pools in East Lothian: Aubigny Sports Centre, Haddington; Dunbar Leisure Pool; Loch Centre, Tranent; Musselburgh Sports Centre; and North Berwick Sports Centre.

For more details, visit enjoyleisure.com