Murdoch’s curling prowess was sculpted on that Scottish ice from the age of seven, another product – like women’s skip Eve Muirhead – of solid curling stock.
His sister Nancy is an Olympic coach and older brother Neil is a former European champion, while David was a member of the junior World Championship-winning teams in 1995 and 1996.
Murdoch rose to the role as skip in 1999, and four years later took his Scotland team to the European title, with Neil as second. He clinched silver at his first World Championships in 2005 and avenged the disappointment of Turin by guiding Scotland to the world title just a few months later.
Going to Vancouver, Murdoch’s rink were among the favourites, but were unable to live up to their billing.
“I don’t think we suffered from the pressure,” he said. “I think it was form. We never really had good form and if you don’t have that it’s a tough thing to get going.”
In a bid to make the small gains that create a champion, Murdoch moved to Stirling to be closer to the national training centre, where endless hours on the ice, fitness work, lifting weights, nutritionists and psychologists were the daily routine.
But he was soon sidelined by a serious shoulder problem, while Sochi team-mate Tom Brewster, 39, took his rink to the silver medal at both the 2011 and 2012 world championships.
When Murdoch was fit again he was drafted in to Brewster’s team to add some experience, and took them to third at both the European and World Championships.