2026 Commonwealth Games: Day 1 Men’s 4×100 Free Relay Analysis

2026 Commonwealth Games

• July 24 – 29, 2026 (pool swimming)
• Glasgow, Scotland
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Preview Index
• How to Watch
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1
  • Finals: Day 1

MEN’S 4×100 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

• World Record – 3:08.24, USA, 2008
• Commonwealth Record – 3:08.97, Australia, 2025
• Commonwealth Games Record – 3:11.12, Australia, 2022
• 2022 Champion – Australia, 3:11.12

GOLD – Australia, 3:09.49 *Commonwealth Games Record*
SILVER – England, 3:11.69
BRONZE – South Africa, 3:13.99

Leadoff Legs

Flynn Southam was electric on the leadoff leg for Australia, getting out to an early lead and pulling away down the second half of the race. He lowered his lifetime best by six tenths of a second and led this field by nearly a full second as the only man under 48 seconds.

Jacob Mills split 22.96 at the 50 and closed in 25.06 for a time of 48.02, the third-fastest of his young career. Josh Liendo was the third-fastest leadoff in 48.13, over half a second off his best of 47.55.

Pieter Coetze backed up his Games record in the 50 back with a 48.38 for South Africa, two tenths off his season best and half a second off his lifetime best of 47.88 from last summer. Evan Jones was just off his lifetime best of 48.93 for Scotland.

The Cayman Islands’ James Allison broke 50 seconds for just the second time, having done so the first time this morning. He knocked four tenths off the 49.78 he swam in the heats with a 49.39 tonight, moving closer to the Fraser brothers and Jordan Crooks in the all-time rankings for his nation.

Rolling Splits

Australia had three of the top five splits, led, unsurprisingly, by Kyle Chalmers in 46.93. That was the fastest split in the field by over half a second and the only one sub-47, which gives him 16 career splits under that barrier.

Kai Taylor was half a second off the 47.04 he split last summer, while Harrison Turner was 47.94 in his first appearance on this relay.

England had three splits in the top seven, getting 47.7s from anchor Jacob Whittle and youngster Gabriel Shepherd. Both were significantly faster than their season bests of 48.52 and 48.43 respectively. James Guy split 48.24, a solid return for the 200/400 free specialist, but slower than the 47.72 he split at the 2019 World Championships.

Duncan Scott was Scotland’s only leg under 49 seconds, and the second-fastest in the field with a 47.48. South Africa had a pair of 48-low splits from Chad le Clos, who was two seconds faster than his split this morning, and Ruard van Renen, who undercut his flat-start best by over a second in 48.34.

Canada had a 48.55 second leg from Antoine Sauve, but were sunk by Ben Winterborn’s 49.80.