ROSS Murdoch said he was ready to give it everything against firm favourite Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke final after he qualified impressively for this morning’s final. The 24-year-old from Balloch had a late night following his silver medal win in the event which announced him on the world stage at Glasgow last year, but he showed little ill effects as he finished sixth fastest in a time of 1:00.07secs.
Peaty, one of big names at a games without Usain Bolt competing, was a second and a half outwith his world breaststroke record in 58.59 but that was still enough to be fastest qualifier.
“When I got back to the village it was 1.30am and I was absolutely starving! My first thought was food, the second thought was bed.
“It wasn’t necessarily the result that I was frustrated about, I was annoyed at myself for the pacing of it.
“That first 100 was just a bit difficult, it felt easy at the time, and until 150 it felt really good, then with 35 to go the wheels started to come off and with 10 to go I was gone, I was sinking in the water. I need to have more discipline in the front end of my race and then I’ll be happy.
Peaty is one of the international stars at these Games and organisers must have been hoping he could produce a fireworks moment by improving on his 100m breaststroke world record of 57.1sec. That seemed unlikely as he progressed to the final in 58.59, a way outside his best but still made him the fastest qualifier.
“It was nice to drop a decent time but I feel like I can go faster than that in the final,” said Murdoch, who will be joined in the final by Craig Benson. “I was probably in the best shape of my life for the 200 so if I can get the front end of this 100 right, that can be good as well. I just need to get a steadier build through the first 50 then get more aggressive.
“It’s always been nothing to lose [in the 100m] so I’m just looking forward to getting in and seeing if I can go a bit faster.”
Kathleen Dawson, meanwhile, is through to the final of the 50m backstroke, after the ordeal of claiming a race-off win against England’s Lizzie Simmonds. “My first ever swim-off and it comes in the Commonwealth Games,” she said. “Madness, it almost seemed like a joke, but I am glad to be in the final. There was just England and Scotland fans left and they were on one side and we were on other. The 50m backstroke is stacked here, this is pretty much how it would be on the world stage. So I’m so happy to have made it, even though the times I’ve swum haven’t been that great. If I had lost that I would have been gutted.”
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