2026 Commonwealth Games
- July 24 – 29, 2026 (pool swimming)
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- Prelims: Day 1
The first day of the prelims at the 2026 Commonwealth Games was not smooth, and the final heat of the men’s 100 breaststroke was delayed by more than 15 minutes after a lane rope malfunction.
MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – Prelims
- World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019
- Commonwealth Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019
- Commonwealth Games Record: 58.59 – Adam Peaty (ENG), 2018
- 2022 Champion: James Wilby (ENG) – 59.25
Top 16:
- Adam Ramsay-Peaty (England) – 59.46
- Sam Williamson (Australia) – 59.56
- Filip Nowacki (Jersey) – 59.93
- Michael Houlie (South Africa) – 1:00.14
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (Australia) – 1:00.21
- Oliver Dawson (Canada) – 1:00.33
- Gregory Butler (England) – 1:00.61
- Chris Smith (South Africa) – 1:00.86
- Bailey Lello (Australia) – 1:00.96
- Max Morgan (England) – 1:01.22
- George Smith (Scotland) – 1:01.63
- Adrian Robinson (Botswana) – 1:01.65
- Joshua Mitchell (Scotland) – 1:01.77
- Josh Inglis (Wales) – 1:02.23
- Kito Campbell (Jamaica) – 1:02.31
- Jacob Story (Cook Islands) – 1:02.43
The final heat of the men’s 100 breaststroke featured world record holder Adam Ramsay-Peaty, but swimming fans had to wait a while before they got to watch him in action.
Just before the last heat, the lane rope came unhooked from the wall, and the hook holding it in dropped to the bottom of the pool.
CBC reporter Devin Heroux posted about the saga on X, formerly Twitter, during the event, as Canadian swimmer Oliver Dawson was also in the final heat.
SWIMMING BEGINS
Good morning sports fans. A bit of an issue at the pool to begin swimming at the Commonwealth Games.
The lane rope has become unhinged. Right before Canadian Oliver Dawson’s 100m breaststroke heat. Not ideal. Major delay here. pic.twitter.com/vn1PcjX7Dm
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) July 24, 2026
About 15 minutes after the lane rope came detached, one of the members of the Commonwealth Games staff jumped into the water to retrieve the hook and get the lane rope back into the wall.
This is quite the scene at the Commonwealth Games pool.
We’re in a lengthy delay because one of the lane ropes has become unhooked. And the hook just dropped to the bottom of the pool.
And now an organizer has jumped in the pool to get it. My goodness. pic.twitter.com/yqzLJELgAL
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) July 24, 2026
A similar event happened in 2024 at the British Olympic Trials when a lane rope actually broke before the men’s 100 backstroke final and scattered plastic pieces throughout the pool.
Peaty won the final heat in 59.46, earning the top seed for tonight’s semifinal. The top six swimmers from the heat Zac Stubblety-Cook (1:00.21), Oliver Dawson (1:00.33), Bailey Lello (1:00.96), Adrian Robinson (1:01.65), and Joshua Mitchell (1:01.77), all earned their way into the semifinal.
