Hammer thrower Craig Murch said he was “ecstatic” when he learned of his England selection for this year’s Commonwealth Games.

That’s something you’d expect, of course, but the just turned 29-year-old admitted there was a certain amount of relief too when he learned of his call-up.

“I’d made a slow start to the season, I’d had five competitions at 70 metres,” he told The Local Answer. 

That was not up to his normal high standards, but fortunately he was able to dig deep and turn things around.

“The week before the Commonwealth Games selection meeting I threw 72.69 at Loughborough,” he said. “Then England took me to France and I threw 71.76, which backed up what I’d done at Loughborough.”

It was enough to earn him selection in the three-man England hammer team alongside Joseph Ellis and Nick Miller and one thing is for sure, he's not going there just to make up the numbers.

Murch, who trains at Gloucester Athletic Club which is his second claim club, reckons a throw of 74 metres will earn a medal in Birmingham and although his PB is 73.64, he is heading for the Midlands in confident mood.

“I’m looking at my slow start to the season in a positive way,” he said. “It means I haven’t peaked yet. I’ve got another five weeks of training, I’d like to think I’m on the up even though I expected to qualify more easily than I did.”

So why did he struggle to find his best form in the early part of the season?

“That’s a good question,” he said. “I just needed to bed in some technical and physical changes that I’d made over the winter. I’ve thrown 73 metres over the past couple of years but that won’t be enough to get me a medal, I’ve got to throw some bigger distances, 74 metres will be enough to medal.

“I think by the time the Games come I will be where I want to be, I’ll have had six weeks of solid training and I’ll be ready to go.”

The qualifying round takes place on Thursday 4^th August with the final two days later, with both events taking place at the home of Birchfield Harriers, which just happens to be the first claim club of Murch, who is originally from Rugby.

These days he lives in Churchdown and works as a Director at CGI in Gloucester and even though this is a very intense period for him, he’s obviously counting down the days to that opening qualifying round.

“This is easily the pinnacle of my career so far,” said Murch, who was British champion in 2020.

“To represent England in the UK at my local club, that will be quite an experience.”

And whatever happens, he won’t be short of support.

“My mum, dad and sister will definitely be at the stadium,” he said, “they’ve got tickets for the qualifying and the final, I hope I’m not tempting fate!”