Murphy second in 50m freestyle heat, but no joy

Barry Murphy completed his Olympic schedule, finishing a creditable second in his 50m freestyle heat.

It has been a forgettable experience for the amiable Dubliner in London. On Saturday he finished eighth his heat and 19th overall in his favoured 100m breaststroke event while yesterday’s 22.76 was well outside the cut off mark for the semis secured by Australian Eamon Sullivan in 22.27.

But at least Murphy, now resetting his sights on the European short course in November, found one positive from his Olympic experience. “Meeting other athletes, seeing people who are like my peers at the pinnacle of their sport and really appreciating some of the stars was great,” he said.

“I saw Maria Sharapova, so that was nice. She’s a good looking girl.”

When Murphy hangs up his goggles and retires from swimming he should consider a career in sports psychology. Even after the less than stellar performance of the past week he managed to see the glass being half full.

“If the lows weren’t so bad, the highs wouldn’t be so great,” he reasoned. “I came to the Olympics and I wanted to swim my best and do my best times. The times I’ve been doing here haven’t reflected the work that I’ve put in. I’m disappointed but this isn’t my last meet. Although it’s the pinnacle of our sport, I’m going to build on this.”