Balloch's Ross Murdoch labels Commonwealth Games success "a good way to end"

Balloch’s Ross Murdoch turned back the clock to secure a 50m breaststroke bronze and bring the curtain down on his swimming career.

The Glasgow 2014 hero revealed an emotion-packed message from a former coach inspired him to grab third behind Adam Peaty and Sam Williamson.

Murdoch won his medal by four-hundredths of a second to add to his 200m breaststroke bronze, taking his overall tally of Games medals to five.

The Team Scotland star said: “I got a really good message earlier from my old coach. It said, ‘That’s where you started your career, son, in lane eight. When nobody believed in you. And that’s where you’ll finish.’

“It really got me going. I sat by myself for about an hour, playing my guitar with tears in my eyes thinking, ‘This is it. You can do it, man. Believe in yourself. Stand up and do it’.

“I’m absolutely buzzing that I did it. It’s the only one I never had. I had a 200 medal, a 100 medal. But all I ever wanted to be was a 50-metre breaststroker.”

Murdoch helped Scotland to bronze in the 4 x 100 relay later in the week and added: “This is my individual career ended. I think it’s a good way to end.”