THE sheen of the gold medal won in historic circumstances has barely dulled, the lustre of being a future Olympic contender shines brightly but Ross Murdoch is destined to remain firmly rooted in the base realities of the present.

A Commonwealth gold medallist, a double medallist in the European champion and a strong challenger for ultimate glory in Rio, the Scottish swimmer needs no specific exercises to keep his feet on the ground. His 21st birthday last month witnessed typical episode in the routine world of a sporting champion.

"This was the first year I was home for my birthday for the last three years. I went home and my mum said she would have a steak pie ready for me but when I got back my brother had eaten it all, so it was a standard day in the Murdoch household," he said deadpan as he stood in Scotstoun, eager to promote Glasgow Warriors' match against Ospreys in the Guinness Pro 12.

There is no danger of young Murdoch being seduced by the glamour of it all. His dry humour is complemented by a seriousness of purpose. Murdoch is six months away from the world championships in Kazan, Russia, and more than a year away from the tests of Rio de Janeiro. His major focus is to make Team GB but there must be a more profound ambition.

"I just want to be the best I can be," he said when challenged about his targets. This is standard speak from sports people but it carries a heavy burden of truth.

Murdoch is quiet and polite but no one should mistake him for being soft. He had the wit to know that he was in with a chance against poster boy Michael Jamieson in the 200m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in July. He had the guts and the ability to outperform the favourite on the day.

Standing in Scotstoun stadium, in the city where he struck gold, Murdoch gave a hint of what took him to the top of the podium.

He rises early, his heart rate being tested at 5.30am and he is in the pool by 7.30am for the first of two sessions. He has daily weights and circuit training. He watches his diet. "Everything has to be balanced, be measured. Even away from the pool when you are trying to sleep at night you are trying to rehearse your race plan and constantly going over things and your mind never has a chance to rest," he said.

This stress is enhanced by the small matter of pursuing a degree in sports and exercise science.

His relaxation regime consists almost entirely of watching rugby on television, playing his Xbox and visiting friends. It is hardly the stuff of tabloid double-page spreads but it is the sort of routine that has led Murdoch to conspicuous success. His Commonwealth gold in the 200m breaststroke was backed by a bronze in the 100m breaststroke and he then travelled t Berlin for the European Championships where he won a silver in both events.

His time in the 200m at Tollcross was a personal best of 2.07.30, showing that when the stakes are high Murdoch brings his best. The profile of that final was extraordinarily high with the arena ready to salute a victory for Jamieson, an Olympic silver medallist, who had become the personification of Scottish expectation at a home Games.

A son of Caledonia triumphed but it was the boy from Balloch rather than the favourite from Bishopbriggs who caressed the gold medal as Flower of Scotland played.

But this is all history to Murdoch, albeit one that carries a resonance.

"At the time I was over the moon. It was the highest point of my career and I still look back at that and smile. I still get the nerves when I watch back the race even although I know the outcome," he said.

But has Jamieson, the favourite whose life was turned upside down in a matter of 200 metres, ever forgiven him?

" We get on fine," said Murdoch. "It is always going to be hard when something like that happens but it is one of those things. It is sport and you have to take it on the chin. He is just as hungry for success as anybody else. He is not going to let up in training. He will turn up in training every day, give his best and hopefully he will get results. "

Murdoch, too, will never rest on that laurel adorned with gold. "I turn up every day in training thinking I don't have anything to my name. Every day you start with nothing so you have everything to gain. There is so much I can work on technically and nutritionally as well and I am working closely with psychologist Misha Botting at sportsscotland's institute of sport. There is so much to improve on but as for the world record, then one day, maybe."

He travels to Sheffield this week for the British Universities championships before competing in trials for the world championships in competition with such as Adam Peaty, Andrew Willis, Craig Benson and Jamieson. They are all colleagues but it is apparent that friendships dissolve on impact with water.

"I always say it does not matter who is standing beside you because you ain't going to let them have anything," he said. "You will fight them every metre for it."

This is Murdoch, the nice guy who will not finish second.