Kathleen Dawson has had a year from hell but all the signs indicate the Olympic gold medallist is on her way back to her best.
The 25-year-old missed both the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games in the summer due to a back injury that had disrupted her 2021 season but went on to entirely derail her 2022.
Dawson has said that her back issue is incurable and so she was unsure if she would ever return to the level that saw her become a four-time European champion.
However, her performance on day two of the Scottish National Short-Course Championships in Edinburgh indicates that she is heading in the right direction as she attempts to return to world-class form.
The University of Stirling woman won gold in her signature event, the 100m backstroke, at the Royal Commonwealth Pool last night in 58.15 seconds and although it was a second-and-a-half slower than her own Scottish record, what was encouraging was that she beat Commonwealth Games finalist Lauren Cox of England to the wall by over a second.
The Kirkcaldy native admitted it was heartening just to be back in competitive action.
“It’s so good to be back in the water after the turbulent year-and-a- half that I’ve had, racing under the lights in front of a crowd again. I would have liked to have gone a little bit faster in the final, because I know it’s what I’m capable of, even when I’m just back in the water, so a bit bittersweet, but the overall emotion is happiness,” she said.
“For me it’s about building off the back of this year, and hopefully being back at full health at the end of this season. I’m putting no expectations on myself, no pressure on myself – I’m just enjoying being back in the pool.”
Another of Scotland’s Olympic champions, Duncan Scott, claimed yet another Scottish national title to add to his collection as he cruised to victory in the 100m individual medley, taking gold in 52.85 seconds, over a second clear of the field.
Kara Hanlon won her second national title of the meet by comfortably winning the 200m breaststroke in 2 minutes 24.49 seconds, almost three seconds ahead of her Edinburgh University team-mate, Anna Morgan.
Katie Shanahan, who has had a breakout year, won her first national title of the weekend in the 200m individual medley while Archie Goodburn continued his excellent form by winning his second national title, adding 100m breaststroke gold to the one he won in the 50m on day one.
The University of Stirling quartet of Scott, Dawson, Rory Dickson and Emma Russell were, unsurprisingly, too strong for the rest of the field, in the mixed 4x50m medley relay, winning in a Scottish record of 1 minute 42.85 seconds while Scottish record holder Scott Gibson became national 50m backstroke champion despite finishing in second behind Welshman, Zach Speakman.
Earlier, two Scottish para records were set with Louis Lawlor breaking the S14 200m freestyle mark in 1 minute 56.44 seconds, while in the same race, Ollie Carter broke the S10 200m freestyle record in 1 minute 58.91 seconds.
Today is the final day of the meet, with Dawson in action once again, this time in the 50m backstroke, while Hanlon is aiming to complete a clean sweep of breaststroke titles when she goes in the 100m breaststroke.
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