The discus thrower competed in the heats on Wednesday, throwing a season’s best throw of 57.28 to book his place in the final.

India’s Vikas Shive Gowda topped the heats results with a monster throw of 64.32, with South African Victor Hogan closely following him with a throw of 64.16.

Speaking shortly after his record throw at Hampden, McInroy said: “I’m pretty pleased with that. I managed it with my third throw and it was so hard to stay relaxed out there.

“I’ve come up with a season’s best when it mattered and that feels pretty good. We will see what happens in the final — there’s been pressure on us as Scotland athletes trying to perform for the crowd and I watched it in the hammer with Mark Dry handling it best.” And McInroy admitted that some last minute calming advice helped him reach the final, he added: “The crowd was so amazing you feel so much adrenalin to try and do it, but just before my last throw Carl Myerscough, the big 22 stone 6’10 English guy, said ‘you’ve got to relax on this one and wait for it’. “He’s the biggest man I have ever met and I’m not going to argue — no matter how many people are in the stands — and his advice helped — we are all friends and we help each other as much as possible.

“I was a bit nervous in my first two throws, I tried to hit it as soon as I left the back of the circle instead of waiting til I reached the front. You’ve just got to chill out and relax.

“You cannot prepare for that crowd, in Delhi there were a few thousand in the stadium and you hardly noticed anyone. I never expected the morning sessions to be almost sold out at Hampden.

“It’s incredible how many people from Glasgow have turned up and supported it.” McInroy will now return to Hampden today (Thursday) for the final but he knows he faces some tough competition if he wants to finish on the podium.

Thge former Lomond School pupil said: “Some of the guys are top quality, I’m not really looking at a medal but just want to throw as far as I can and try and make a top eight if possible.” “My own target will be the top eight but I just really need to focus on my own perormance rather than an actual position.”