AFTER four days of chlorine-splashed success, Scotland's swimmers finally endured their first drought of these Commonwealth Games.
It was always going to be a difficult task to add to the nine medals won already at the Tollcross Swimming Centre and, on the penultimate night in the pool, none of the eight Scots competing in finals could find a place on the podium. They will have one last bash today to take their tally into double figures.
Following Libby Clegg's gold medal at Hampden in the T11/12 100m, a solitary medal would have taken Team Scotland to their pre-Games target of 34, one more than they collared in Edinburgh in 1986. Closest on the night was Ross Tully who finished fourth in the showpiece event - the men's 50m breaststroke -by a mere 1/100th of a second behind bronze medallist Christian Sprenger in a time of 27:47. Such are the fine margins in elite sport, especially in the event known as the "splash and dash" won by Cameron van der Burgh ahead of Adam Peaty. Ross Murdoch finished in sixth, while Joe Welstead was a place further back.
Tully only took up competitive swimming five years ago, his aim not so long ago just to make the Scotland team. Having reached the final and then come so close to securing a medal, however, the agony at falling short was etched all over his face.
"I'm absolutely gutted to have come fourth, I'd rather have come last," was the 21 year-old's reaction as the realisation at what had just happened gradually sunk in.
"[On Sunday] night I was pretty pleased with my performance and I was pretty confident I could get on that podium. Seeing all those Scots swim so well I just wanted to do my part and I tried my best.
"The lights come on at the end of the blocks if you've come first, second or third and that's the first thing I looked for. When I saw no lights I just thought, 'oh s**t'. I had to take three looks at the scoreboard to see how close I was - that just made it worse."
Success on the night came in the form of a Scottish record and two new personal bests for Hannah Miley, and a place in tonight's 50m backstroke for Kathleen Dawson. Miley, with a gold and a bronze already safely secured, lopped five seconds off her best time in the 800m freestyle final to finish fifth in 8:28:15. Fellow Scot Camilla Hattersley was seventh with a time of 8:33:82. Leading them all home was Jazz Carlin who became the first Welsh woman in 40 years to win Commonwealth gold in the pool.
In Miley's second race of the night, the 200m butterfly, she finished sixth with a time of 2:09:32 behind winner Canada's Audrey Lacroix. Miley will go one more time today - in the 400m freestyle - after which she plans some deserved rest and a catch-up on sleep and with her family.
"I've really happy and I've got a big smile on my face," said Miley, rather unnecessarily given her near-permanent state of cheerfulness. "That's two finals I didn't expect to make and two personal bests. So it's gone really well for me so far.
"It's very hard having to race every day. But it's great to be able to produce PBs at the right time. After [today] that's me. I'm not going to be entering the diving. I'd like to flick the power switch off and get some sleep. You need some time off or you might grow gills and flippers."
Miley will be joined poolside today by Dawson who finished third in her semi-final in a Scottish record time of 28.55, good enough to place her sixth overall.
Born in Kirkcaldy but living in Warrington since she was a toddler, the bashful 16-year-old admitted the only disappointing aspect of her Commonwealth experience so far that she is yet to bump into Usain Bolt wandering around Dalmarnock.
"I'm really pleased with the result and another Scottish record," she said. "If I get to see Usain Bolt and swim in the final that will be my Games experience complete."
In the opening race of the night - the men's 200m backstroke final - Craig McNally was fifth with a time of 1:58:27, while Ryan Bennett was a place behind after posting 1:58:45 in a race won by an Australian trio, headed by Mitch Larkin.
In the women's 100m breaststroke final, Scotland's Katie Armitage finished in eighth place with a time of 1:09:56, with England's Sophie Taylor taking gold.
There was disappointment, too, for Richard Schafers who finished fourth in the slower of the two semi-finals of the men's 50m freestyle with a time of 22.59 and failed to qualify for the final.
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