2026 Commonwealth Games
- July 24 – 29, 2026 (pool swimming)
- Glasgow, Scotland
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Olivia Nel scratched out of her second semi-final of the week today, skipping the 50 free semi-finals tonight after initially qualifying 8th in 25.24.
Her scratch pulls New Zealand’s Milana Tapper into the semi-finals after she placed 17th this morning in 25.99, 0.02 seconds faster than her entry time of 26.01.
Nel was 0.42 seconds off her entry time of 24.82 this morning, but would have had a double with the 50 back final tonight. She briefly owned the African record in that event after clocking 27.91 to win bronze at the World University Games last summer.
Nel’s teammate and current African record holder Jessica Thompson missed the 50 back final in 9th, clicking 28.54 to finish 0.04 seconds outside the top eight.
Nel is the 4th seed into the 50 back final tonight after touching 2nd in the first semi-final last night in 28.12, just two tenths off her lifetime best.
She has already won one individual medal this week in the women’s 100 back, setting a new lifetime best and South African record of 1:00.09 to win bronze behind Iona Anderson and Kylie Masse two days ago.
Just like tonight, she scratched out of the semi-finals of a freestyle event to focus on that final, pulling out of the 100 free after qualifying 11th into the semi-finals.
Nel will potentially have a double tonight with the mixed 4×100 medley relay. Pieter Coetze is likely to swim the backstroke leg, but Nel could be called into action on the anchor after splitting 54.29 to anchor South Africa to bronze in the women’s 4×100 free relay on day 1.
” in the women’s 100 back, setting a new lifetime best of 1:00.09 to win bronze ”
That’s a new national record for Nel
Ooh good catch, I’d missed that.