Ross Murdoch wins 100m Breaststroke bronze to add to gold for Scotland

• Murdoch takes bronze in Men's 100m Breaststroke Final
• Michael Jamieson bowed out in the Semi-finals on Friday night
• Murdoch had beaten Jamieson to gold in 200m on Thursday
  

By Steven Donn

Published: 19:52 EST, 26 July 2014 | Updated: 19:52 EST, 26 July 2014

The Scots had come and gone in the pool on Saturday night without truly igniting the Tollcross crowd. That was about to change.

With swimming gold having been won on each of the first two days, there was a sense of expectation as the men walked out for the final of the 100 metres breaststroke.

This time, they would have to settle for less.

This time, Ross Murdoch would have to settle for bronze. In truth, after turning in fifth position, Murdoch did well to make up the ground on Englishman Adam Peaty and Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh from South Africa.

In the end, despite the deafening roars, it was just not to be Peaty set a Commonwealth Games
record in finishing in 58.94 for gold, with van der Burgh taking silver in a time of 59.28. Murdoch touched the wall in 59.47, with team-mate Craig Benson fourth in 1:00.44.

While Murdoch’s bronze couldn’t quite replicate the gold from opening night, it was still a
remarkable effort.

Yet, while some might have been stunned by the boy from Balfron’s emergence at these Games, it was no surprise that he was involved at the business end of the 100m.

In the 200m final on Thursday, Murdoch’s performance against fellow Scot Michael Jamieson, the
favourite, was dominant.

He has been producing such efforts in the shorter distance over the last 12 months. That he went faster than his illustrious team-mate has ever gone in 200m was almost lost in the aftermath, as the Olympic silver medallist’s performance was put under the microscope.

Jamieson bowed out of the 100m at the semi-final stage on Friday night, bringing an end to his Games. To his credit, he maintained that he would remain a ‘cheerleader’ for the rest of the squad.

Last night, however, it was all about the lad who learned to swim in the unassuming environment of the
Vale of Leven pool in Alexandria.

His swimming career had been almost over before it began, with Murdoch making for a rather over-excitable child and thought unsuited to the discipline demanded by the sport.

Standing before the blocks, as he waited for the race to begin last night, it wasn’t difficult to imagine him as a hyperactive four-year-old. He was buzzing.

Murdoch had qualified second fastest in qualifying, England’s Peaty looking dangerous with a
leading time of 59.16.

Van der Burgh, the world record holder, was always likely to contend, with the South African alongside
Peaty in lane three.

Murdoch’s Scottish team-mate Benson — an Olympic semi-finalist in this event two years ago — was also determined to make an impression, having failed to qualify in either the 50m or 200m.

It was a world-class field — and it would require an inspired performance to emerge victorious
from it. Peaty did just that.

For Murdoch, he still has the 50m breaststroke to come, as well as an appearance in the 4x100m medley relay.

You wouldn’t discount him adding to his tally. He was magnanimous afterwards, paying tribute to the Englishman for being the first Briton to break the 59-second barrier in the event.

‘That was an outstanding swim from Adam,’ admitted Murdoch. ‘I’m delighted for him.’

Elsewhere, there was to be home disappointment in the men’s 50m backstroke semi-finals, as all three Scots fell short — with Jack Ness (10th), Andrew McGovern (11th) and Rory Lamont (13th).