ALEXANDRIA swimmer Ross Murdoch missed out on a podium finish at the first Mare Nostrum event in Canet, France.

The event is being used in conjunction with a GB training camp to get Britain’s top swimmers into the best shape possible for the 2015 World Championships in Russia, which starts on July 24.

Murdoch, the reigning Commonwealth champion at 200m breaststroke, will only compete in the 100m in Russia and so is focusing his training towards that distance, it was the only event he swam in Canet.

In an illustrious field which included Adam Peaty and Cameron Van Der Burgh, Murdoch came through his heat well, finishing third fastest behind the aforementioned, in a time of 1:00:86.

He clocked a similar time in the a final at 1.00.89, but that was only enough for a seventh place finish, Peaty claiming victory with a 59.83 second swim.

Murdoch tweeted after the race: “Not too bad tonight... to 75, wheels fell off a bit down the last 25 but that’s what mid-season racing is all about! Stick to the process.”