2026 Commonwealth Games
- July 24 – 29, 2026 (pool swimming)
- Glasgow, Scotland
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After setting the Commonwealth Games record this morning in the 50 backstroke, Pieter Coetze lowered his own record again in the semifinal, swimming 24.29 to earn the top seed for tomorrow’s event final.
MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS
- World Record – 23.55, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2023
- Commonwealth Record – 24.04, Liam Tancock (GBR), 2009
Commonwealth Games Record – 24.45, Pieter Coetze (RSA), 2026- 2022 Champion – Andrew Jeffcoat (NZL), 24.65
Top 8:
- Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 24.29 *Commonwealth Games Record*
- Ruard van Renen (RSA) – 24.56
- Ollie Morgan (ENG) – 24.65
- Isaac Cooper (AUS) – 24.85
- Henry Allan (AUS) – 24.87
- Cameron Brooker (ENG) – 24.92
- Jack Skerry (ENG) – 24.94
- Matthew Ward (SCO) – 24.95
Coetze took almost two tenths off the 24.45 record he set in prelims, which was two tenths faster than the 24.62 record set by Liam Tancock at the 2010 Games en route to the gold medal. Tancock is still the Commonwealth record holder at 24.04 from the 2009 World Championships
His swim tonight was his 2nd fastest performance in history, coming in only behind the 24.17 he swam to win the silver medal at the 2025 World Championships.
He will move up to #4 in the world this season, behind only Kliment Kolesnikov, Xu Jiayu, and Pavel Samusenko.
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 | Pieter Coetze | RSA | 24.29 | 07/24 |
| 5 | Oliver MORGAN | GBR | 24.36 | 04/18 |
Coetze won the silver medal in the event in 2022, and will be looking to win the gold medal in tomorrow’s final. He finished more than two tenths ahead of South African teammate Ruard van Renen, who stopped the clock in a new lifetime best 24.56, taking two tenths off his prelims time of 24.78.
He still has the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay in tonight’s session, and through the rest of the week he is entered in the 100 back, 200 back, and 100 free.
