Murdoch determined to hit maximum performance in lead-up to Rio

ROSS MURDOCH insists he won’t be saving his energy for his Olympic bid when he starts his medal quest on the opening day of the swimming competition at the European Aquatics Championships in London.

The Commonwealth champion, 22, will get the chance to lay down a marker for Rio in the 100 metres breaststroke today when he takes on world champion Adam Peaty, as well as fellow Scot Craig Benson, in the first of up to four events this week.

And with the kind of high-quality field that will await in Brazil in August, Murdoch – who took silver behind Peaty over 100m at the recent trials in Glasgow – admits it’s time for all the Games-bound contingent to move into top gear ahead of their date with destiny at the Summer Games.

“We’re not resting up,” he said. “So we’re all definitely aiming to be swimming as fast as we can in-season. We’re looking at these starts and turns and to get them absolutely spot on.

“Plus I’ll get another opportunity to swim the 200m breaststroke as well so I’d like to get a decent time and maybe pull out a better performance than I did at the Olympic trials. I’d like to be making finals and if I can come out of the European Championships with a medal, I’ll be absolutely delighted.”

Hannah Miley, Scotland’s 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, will start as favourite in the 400m individual medley while Stephen Milne will be competing in the 400m freestyle.

Meanwhile, Scottish prospect Grace Reid believes her medal double in the diving competition in London gives her the perfect platform to target an Olympic shot.

The 20-year-old, from Edinburgh, became the first Scot to make an individual podium at a European Championships for 62 years when she won a bronze medal in the women’s 3m springboard on Saturday to add to the synchro pairs gold she landed in partnership with Tom Daley last week. And Reid, who was handed an international debut six years ago at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, senses her prospects, and performances, have hit a new level.

“I’ve been non-stop working for months behind the scenes and I’ve had great balance in my life and my diving’s really taken off in the past couple of weeks,” she said. “Now I’ve got to maintain my form and keep training. I need to remain focused and take each step at a time.”