ROSS MURDOCH, the Commonwealth Games gold-medal winner, has tipped rising star Duncan Scott to become “a force in world swimming”. Scott is one of the Sunday Herald’s Six to Follow as he tries to make the British team for next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The 18 year-old won a silver medal as part of Team Scotland’s x200m freestyle team at the Commonwealth Games and took a gold in the same event for the British team at this year’s world championships in Kazan. Murdoch expects big things from his fellow Stirling-based swimmer.

“Duncan is a fantastically talented athlete and he works his butt off every single day,” said Murdoch. “He’s a good friend of mine and he trains at the University of Stirling as well under Steven Tigg. He’s trained with Steve for a long time now from age-group swimming into the senior ranks. He was with us in Kazan and in the Commonwealth Games team last year as well.

“I really rate him and in the next few years – maybe even this year – he will be a force to be reckoned with in world swimming. I can see him making the team for Rio and I think he will be dangerous come the 2018 Commonwealth Games. By the 2020 Olympics he will be one of the main challengers I think.”