Published in the Scottish Mail On Sunday 23/06/13
By STEVEN DONN
FOR Ross Murdoch, it was almost over before it truly began — on more than one occasion. Given what he has gone on to achieve, and what he could be about to accomplish, that would have been a terrible waste of talent.
The 19-year-old will compete at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield this week as part of a strong Scottish contingent.
A place in Team GB for the World Championships in Barcelona at the end of next month is up for grabs and Murdoch will be in action in the first session of the trials on Wednesday.
Scotland is not short of world-class breaststrokers at the moment, with London 2012 silver medallist in the 200 metres Michael Jamieson and fellow Olympian Craig Benson competing alongside Murdoch this week.
However, it’s the young man from West Dunbartonshire who has started the season in style, enjoying triumphs over both his more lauded compatriots in early-season competition.
Murdoch’s 27.98 seconds for the 50m is a British season’s best — and only 0.16 outside the qualifying standard for Barcelona.
Bath University swimmer Jamieson will compete over 100m and 200m, Murdoch 50m and 100m, while Benson bravely takes on all three distances in Sheffield.
With only two places available for each event, qualifying will be no mean feat. However, there is no room for negativity from Murdoch (right).
‘It would be silly for me to say I couldn’t make the team,’ he insisted. ‘I’ve been swimming well this season, so I’m just going to go in there, give it everything and see how I go.
‘Seeing Craig and Michael at the Olympics — pushing themselves as much as they could to achieve their own dreams — really does inspire you. ‘It pushed me on to think I could stand on the podium at an Olympic Games.
‘However, I know I’m challenged by world-class athletes in every event. It’s a really tough sport swimming, especially breaststroke in Scotland right now.’
At the recent East District Grand Prix at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh, that point was illustrated to all in attendance.
Having finished behind Jamieson in the 200m in a personal best of 2min 13.60sec, Murdoch pipped both the Glaswegian and Warrender star Benson in the 100m. He then took his third medal of the meet in the 50m, losing out to Stirling team-mate, Englishman Dan Sliwinski.
‘It does boost my confidence that I can go in there and challenge for a place in Barcelona,’ said Murdoch, with the Scots trio sitting in the top three of the British rankings for the 100m.
‘I’m not swimming the 200m in Sheffield. The goal is to make the world championships team — and the time, around 2:08, I’d have to go to make the 200m could medal in Barcelona. I don’t think that is a realistic goal at the moment, but I could challenge in 100m.
‘So, rather than waste energy, I’m focusing on that.’ Energy seems to be something Murdoch has had in abundance since an early age. With his dad, Graham, a former rower and now swimming development officer, it was always likely he would at least dip his toe in the water.
However, Murdoch probably enjoyed his first encounter with the pool a little too much.
‘I started swimming when I was four years old at the Vale of Leven pool in Alexandria on the Learn to Swim scheme,’ he recalled. ‘I was actually told to leave because I was too hyperactive.
‘I used to jump under the water, blow bubbles and tell stories to the other kids. So I came back when I was six or seven and it progressed quickly from there.’ By the time he turned eight, he was competing in galas but, as the years progressed, Murdoch was to be last man standing as the swimmers in his age group left the sport one by one.
It was soon to be decision time for him, as well. And his family and coach were to play a crucial role in where his future lay. ‘I talked it over with my mum (Maureen) and dad — and my old coach Jimmy Orr,’ said Murdoch.
‘They said I should really get on and train properly. My parents said they would do everything for me and make it easy for me.
‘I still can’t drive, so my mum would get up with me at half four in the morning and take me down to the pool before starting work herself at half seven as a nursery nurse.
‘It must have been really hard for both my parents but if I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.’ And so it was in June 2011 that Murdoch fully committed himself to the sport — with a move to Stirling University then providing him with the opportunity to progress, while studying Sports and Exercise Science.
‘It was around two years ago that I made the Scottish Senior Gold team, which got me a lot of benefits,’ continued Murdoch.
‘My coach, Jimmy Orr, said that I should be taking the sport a lot more seriously than I had been doing.
‘He said I had a chance of making the Commonwealth Games in 2014. So I came back from my break in August and upped my training sessions from three or four to eight.
‘My goal for that season was the 2012 European Junior Championships and I made that. I swam in the Olympic trials, as well, and that was a great experience but it wasn’t really my target for the season.
‘I swam all three distances in the Juniors and I got two silvers in the 50m and the 200m. I came sixth in the 100m but that season wasn’t good for that distance.
‘However, I talked it over with my new coach when I moved to Stirling University, Rob Greenwood, and he thinks I’m a 100m specialist.’ And so it is that he now finds himself in world-class company, with an opportunity to lay down a marker for the years ahead. It’s a challenge Murdoch is relishing.
‘This season has been amazing,’ he admitted. ‘I came from a relatively small programme and I didn’t expect to respond as well as I have. I’m so lucky to be in the place I am.
‘I came to Stirling and said I’m going to do everything better than I’d done last year and I think it’s really paid off. Now there’s just one more goal to be met.’
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