"For freedom!" he shouted in triumph after coming from fourth place to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. With a surname like Wallace, it's no surprise the 21-year-old watched the 1995 film Braveheart hours before his victory.

"I yelled at the top of my lungs "for freedom" because being here, in front of my home crowd, really brought the Braveheart and Scot inside of me out," Wallace told The Daily Record. "I just thought I'd soak up the moment."

Wallace said he watched the film on the plane to Glasgow to reignite his patriotic fervour, in a similar manner to compatriot Ross Murdoch who cried his eyes out in jubilation after winning the 200m breaststroke on the opening night of competition.

"It's such a Scottish thing and it warms my heart seeing stuff like this and all the patriotic fans.

"I just thought I would soak it all up and have fun.

"I think there's a bit of Wallace in all of us."

There may have also been a political aspect to Wallace's show of emotion post-race. Some say it was the first political act of an athlete regarding Scottish Independence at the Games, an issue to be decided by a referendum on September 18.

Mel Gibson's portrayal of the character William Wallace, a 13th century Scottish warrior, is done in a noble manner, but as for the contemporary Wallace, his behaviour of late has been far from heroic.

His participation at the Games was thrown in doubt after being suspended indefinitely by the University of Florida, where he was on a swimming scholarship, and arrested for urinating on a police car during a drunken night out in May.

"I was very close to not getting in the team, so I had to re-evaluate my life," Wallace said. "I had to re-evaluate living the life of a rock star and start living like a professional athlete.

"I've had some real highs and lows in and out of the pool and the bottom line is I've come to see who I am as a person and what I can achieve.

"Winning the gold medal makes it all worthwhile. This is the beginning."