THIS time a year ago Ross Murdoch watched in awe as fellow Scots Michael Jamieson and Craig Benson made the Olympics.

Now it is his turn to shine.

The University of Stirling swimmer is in the form of his life. He produced a spectacular performance to win the men's 100m breaststroke at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield last month, breaking the one-minute barrier to finish in 59.80sec, ahead of Olympic silver medallist Jamieson whose time was 1:00.06. Their stellar 1-2 saw both men confirm their spots in the British team for the 2013 Fina World Championships in Barcelona which began yesterday, although they don't get under way for another week.

The 19-year-old from Balfron, Stirlingshire, is still pinching himself. "It was strange. I can remember thinking afterwards: 'That can't be me'," says Murdoch. "I knew I'd gone 1:00.01 in the semi-finals, but I stayed there looking at the board for a good 10 seconds afterwards just taking it all in, that there was a 59.80 with my name and a No 1 beside it."

He may have definitively clinched victory, but Murdoch describes the hours leading up to the final as the most nerve-wracking day he has had.

"I was in the centre lane, seeded first, with Michael Jamieson standing next to me and Craig Benson only a few lanes along, both of whom had been to the Olympics," he says. "I was nervous the whole day and had convinced myself there wasn't much I could do to get on the team. I thought it would take a miracle to beat them.

"I've never been in a situation like that before or even experienced anything close to it. I wouldn't say it scared me, but I definitely felt anxious. I was nervous to the point where I didn't want to eat. But I told myself if you can't stand up against the best in Britain, how are you going to stand up against the best in the world? Having that experience now will definitely benefit me in Barcelona and hopefully in the future as well."

Murdoch first took to the water aged four at the Vale of Leven pool in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, on the Learn to Swim scheme. It wasn't the most auspicious of beginnings.

"I was told to leave because I was too hyperactive," he says. "I used to jump under the water and blow bubbles. I was just a bit too young."

But by the time he was a mature seven-year-old, Murdoch was back in the pool and soon showing promise. Within a year he was swimming competitively, moving steadily through the ranks and doggedly persevering while many of his peers left the sport.

Murdoch showed his potential last year when he went to the Olympic trials seeded 52nd in the 200m breaststroke and made the final. In the 2012 European Junior Championships he took silver in the 200m and 50m breaststroke.

Last autumn he moved to the University of Stirling to study Sports and Exercise Science, where he is now coached by Rob Greenwood. Murdoch's British Gas ITC Stirling team-mates include Jak Scott, Josh Walsh and Danielle Huskisson, all selected for the World Championships, Lewis Smith and Ryan Bennett, just back from the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, and Dan Sliwinski, who set a British 50m breaststroke record last month.

Murdoch is typically in the pool 10 times a week with additional weights sessions to improve strength and twice- weekly circuit sessions. "There isn't a lot of time for socialising," he says. "I'm pretty boring to be honest. All I really do is swim."

Before he went to university, Murdoch worked part-time teaching swimming at West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust and Active Stirling to help pay the bills. "Swimming is hard on the wallet because you have to travel to places for competition, pay for accommodation and always need new swimming suits and goggles – it all soon adds up," he says.

He is now funded under the Podium Potential Programme for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games through British Swimming and UK Sport as well as receiving support from Winning Students, Scotland's high performance sports scholarship programme, and the University of Stirling.

There have undoubtedly been sacrifices along the way, not least made by his parents, Graham and Maureen, who have re-arranged their own lives to help their son achieve his dreams. Murdoch's gratitude at their unwavering support is clear as he tells of the countless early morning starts and late night finishes, the driving hundreds of miles on a regular basis to get him to training and competitions.

But it would all appear to be paying off. A year ago Murdoch set himself a goal: that when the plane left for Barcelona this summer with the British swimming team, he would be on it.

"It was a long shot at the start of the season, but every day when I got in the water to train I'd ask myself: 'Do you want to be part of that team'?" he says. "The answer was yes, so I worked super hard to make sure every session counted."

When Murdoch returns home next month, he will have a short break before all thoughts turn to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"Standing behind the blocks before a race, that's our stage," he says. "Having a home crowd will be incredible. I thrive on that environment."

With a blistering 100m already in evidence, he will now focus on his 200m.

"I would love to make the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games," he says. "That is definitely a goal for me and to get a medal would be amazing."

Beyond Glasgow, he has his sights set firmly on the 2016 Olympic Games. "To be able to call yourself an Olympian, there's not that many people in the world who can say they've done that and I want to be one of them," he says. "An Olympic medal is definitely a dream."

Having compatriots Jamieson and Benson on top of their game too, is an added spur. "Every day in the training pool I think: 'Are they going to be working harder than me'?" he says.

"Then I think: 'You know what? They aren't going to be working harder than me. I'm going to work hardest and make sure I'm on that team'. It's good to have that friendly rivalry. That definitely helps drive me on."