Scott was not being caught, though. Not tonight. Not here. Not with his Scotland kit on and his team looking to him to spark their Games.

A Games which he has backed vocally since Glasgow salvaged it from the wreckage of Victoria’s aborted bid.

Almost exactly 12 years after he won his first Commonwealth medal in this very building, he was taking his 14th in his fourth Games. And it was going to be gold.

“I don’t usually feel the expectation, but that one I probably did,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “Simply because it’s day one and I love representing Scotland and you want to try and get the whole team off to a good start.

“I think there was a bigger picture of trying to get good momentum for the crowd involvement for the rest of the week, and the team as well. So I felt that expectation, but it’s nothing I couldn’t deal with.”

You got the sense there was little that could have discomfited the Alloa native – a momentary loss of his accreditation apart – and even a post-race visit to the drugs testers wasn’t going to trouble him.

Scott’s got the weekend off now – he’s an old boy among the swimming set, after all – but he’s more than done his bit to set Glasgow 2026 off on the right note.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Pedro Neto from Chelsea. The Portuguese star is one of the wingers they have on their radar this summer.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Neto is seen as the ideal replacement for Savinho, who has been linked with a move away. Enzo Maresca is looking to reunite with his former Chelsea player and is pushing the club to sign him.

Neto is reported not to be among the ‘untouchables’ at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are open to selling the 26-year-old. Apart from the Portugal star, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande.

Maresca was quizzed about his time at Chelsea in his first press conference, and he was quick to talk about Leicester City too. He said that the main aim was to return to Manchester City and said:

“I feel quite lucky in terms of my former clubs – Leicester, Chels – I think we did a great job. In both clubs, the identity of the team was clear, the success of the team was clear, and I feel very lucky to be part of these clubs. But now I think we are here today. That is the most important thing, just about City. And nothing to add.”

“I think there was a clear identity at Leicester and Chelsea, probably the reason the club decided for me is they can see similar concepts with the previous manager. We always try to be aggressive on the ball, be the ones that push our idea and try to do the most important thing in football, which is win games.”

Manchester City have been linked with France defender Malo Gusto, while midfielder Enzo Fernandez is also said to be a target.

Former Chelsea manager on Manchester City transfers

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has not shut the door for Rodri leaving Manchester City for Real Madrid. He recalled that the Spaniard is undergoing surgery and said:

“First of all we have to say that around big players there is always speculation. I am not worried about that because it is normal. I think every manager wants to have Rodri, for now surgery. He needs a holiday, he needs rest, recovery and then he will be back here with us.”

The two sides agreed a £17 million deal in the summer, after the Cityzens held talks with the manager while he was in charge of the Stamford Bridge side.