Bishop's Castle's Ollie Morgan hails support ahead of semi-final

“That was for everyone back home,” he explained shortly afterward, having recorded a time of one minute, 57.56 seconds, the 12th quickest which secured a place in the evening’s semi-finals.

Making the final would add further to a story already extraordinary by any standards.

Morgan wasn’t even on the radar of GB Aquatics two years ago but has burst onto the scene since beginning his studies at the University of Birmingham, breaking the British record in the 100m earlier this year.

Qualifying for the Olympic final in the latter, the stronger of his two events, earlier this week was his latest standout achievement.

“It has just been pretty phenomenal. You can’t really put it into words,” he said. “Coming in and making my first Olympic final in my first event, it is out of this world, really, to even be here and to be in the top eight is pretty cool.”

Morgan has certainly captured imaginations back home, with big screens and fanzones set up at Bishop's Castle College.

His parents, girlfriend and sister have, meanwhile, travelled to Paris to support in person.

It is understandable Morgan feels a little taken aback by it all.

“To see everyone at home, to see the fanzone as well and everyone cheering, it is amazing,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back and see them all.”

Morgan’s reaction time was the third quickest and he was right near the head of the field through the first three lengths.

Yet while he faded down the closing 50 metres as the men in the middle lanes, Germany’s 400m champion Lukas Maertens and Hungary’s Hubert Kos pushed to the fore, his time of 1:57:56 was still comfortably inside that required to reach the semi-finals.

The drama was about to take place over the opposite side of the pool. Morgan’s GB team-mate Luke Greenbank, who had touched first, first wore a huge grin but then, after climbing out of the water, sank to his knees with hands on head as the dreaded letters DSQ appeared next to his name, officials ruling he had benefited from swimming too far underwater.

For Morgan, the focus switched to the evening but regardless of what happened his Olympics is not finished. The weekend brings the relays with Morgan due to be involved in the 4x100m men’s and mixed medley relays.

“It was good fun," he said. "It was a tough one this morning but I came in and got the job done.

“The 100 is probably my stronger suit, specifically on the world stage as well. There are guys pushing one minute 54s and 53s so if we could try and get (my time) down a bit tonight that would be nice.”