2026 Commonwealth Games
- July 24 – 29, 2026 (pool swimming)
- Glasgow, Scotland
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- Prelims: Day 1
Pieter Coetze sliced nearly two tenths of a second off Liam Tancock‘s Commonwealth Games record of 24.62 in the 50 back this morning, posting a dominant 24.45 out of the final heat.
The world silver medalist led from the start, getting out to an early lead and cruising home in a new season best time. He had clocked 24.54 at the South African Championships in June, so looks to be in top form so far in Glasgow.
Tancock’s record had stood since the 2010 Games in Delhi, where he won by nearly half a second over Australia’s Hayden Stoeckl. His mark of 24.62 had lived a charmed life, with the winners in 2014, 2018, and 2022 missing his record by a combined 0.14 seconds.
Ben Treffers took gold in Glasgow 12 years ago in 24.67, with Tancock relegated to 3rd in 24.98, Mitch Larkin won in 24.68 on the Gold Coast in 2018, and New Zealand’s Andrew Jeffcoat set a new national record of 24.65 to win in Birmingham in 2022.
Coetze’s time this morning was his 5th-fastest, behind only his three swims at the World Championships last summer and the 24.36 he posted at the South African Championships in 2023. He won silver at the 2025 World Championships in 24.17, having clocked 24.36 in the heats and 24.32 in the semi-finals.
He also won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, having been the top seed out of heats and semi-finals. He will be looking to go one better this year and add to the Commonwealth title he won in the 100 back in Birmingham.
He moves up to rank 10th in the world so far this season, and led prelims by 0.33 seconds over fellow South Africa Ruard van Renen, who set a new lifetime best of 24.78. Ollie Morgan was the final man under 25 seconds in 24.91, but ranks 4th in the world this season with his 24.36 from the Aquatics GB Championships.
2025-2026 LCM Men 50 BACK
Kolesnikov
23.86
| 2 | Xu Jiayu | CHN | 23.92 | 06/17 |
| 3 | Pavel Samusenko | RUS | 24.12 | 06/07 |
| 4 | Oliver MORGAN | GBR | 24.36 | 04/18 |
| 5 | Georgy Yakovlev | RUS | 24.38 | 04/20 |
| 5 | Michele LAMBERTI | ITA | 24.38 | 04/14 |
| 7 | Apostolos CHRISTOU | GRE | 24.40 | 06/26 |
| 8 | Miroslav Knedla | CZE | 24.43 | 05/24 |
| 8 | Miron Lifintsev | RUS | 24.43 | 06/07 |
| 10 | Pieter Coetze | RSA | 24.45 | 07/24 |
| 10 | Quintin McCarty | USA | 24.45 | 06/18 |
The 50 back was Coetze’s only swim of the morning. He is likely to be part of South Africa’s men’s 4×100 free relay team in the finals session this evening, after the quartet of Kris Mihaylov (49.64), Guy Brooks (48.61), Ruard van Renen (49.56), and Chad le Clos (50.33) moved through in 4th in a time of 3:18.14.
