2026 Commonwealth Games: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2026 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

• July 24th – July 29th 2026 (pool swimming)
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
• LCM (50m)
• All the Links
• SwimSwam’s Official Preview Index
• Entries
• Prelims Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
•  Live Results

No back-end slump will transpire as we enter the latter half of the 2026 Commonwealth Games for swimming. We expect to see the beginning of three exciting races on the men’s side in the 200 fly, 100 free, and 800 free. On the women’s side, we will be treated to the first round of competition in the 50 back, 50 breast, and the 400 IM.

To kick us off, the Scottish home crowd has a chance to watch its own Duncan Scott, who has already been crowned a gold medalist this week, take the 200 fly heats. He holds the top seed in the penultimate circle-seeded heat, but in the following heat Aussie record holder Harrison Turner and defending champion Lewis Clareburt will be sure to apply pressure.

We then switch over to the lady’s decathlon event, the 400 IM, which saw an unusually speedy pre-season worldwide. Leading the charge among the Commonwealth nations was Australian Jenna Forrester, who hit 4:31.37 for a new best time earlier in the year. She represents the favorite to get the middle lane tonight, and could be surrounded by names like English teenager Amalie Smith or fellow Aussie Ella Ramsay.

A wealth of women’s speed will present itself behind the blocks between the 50 back and 50 breast. In the former, expect Mollie O’Callaghan and Lauren Cox to continue hot streaks, with veteran Kylie Masse right there in the hunt for a middle lane tonight. Later, South African Lara van Niekerk will fight to hold her Commonwealth domain in the shortest breast event from competition like youngster Sienna Toohey.

Perhaps the biggest show of the morning will come from the men’s 100 free. Kyle Chalmers is one of the event’s greatest competitors ever and the defending champion, but a center lane is far from guaranteed. Big names from off Australia’s shores like Pieter Coetze, Josh Liendo, Matt Richards, Jacob Mills will challenge, but the biggest momentum challenger comes from home. Flynn Southam has already been 47.0 this week, and the swimming world will closely watch to see how he fares in the individual event.

Men’s 200 Fly – Heats

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
• Commonwealth Record: 1:52.80 – Ilya Kharun (CAN), 2024
• Commonwealth Games Record: 1:54.00 – Chad le Clos (RSA), 2018
• 2022 Champion: Lewis Clareburt (NZL) – 1:55.60

Top 8:

1. Harrison Turner (AUS) — 1:56.47
2. Lewis Clareburt (NZL) — 1:57.35
3. Edward Mildred (ENG) — 1:57.99
4. Kris Mihalyov (RSA) — 1:58.12
5. Duncan Scott (SCO) — 1:58.29
6. Sajan Prakash (IND) — 1:58.59
7. Benjamin Loewen (CAN) — 1:58.87
8. Matthew Temple (AUS) — 1:59.06

The second half of the meet kicked off with a first-heat duel between Englishman Edward Mildred and South Africa’s Kris Mihalyov. Mildred leveraged a strong third 50 to take the lead from Mihalyov and hold on to be the first heat winner of the morning. A similar story appeared in the second heat, with Duncan Scott taking the reins from Indian record holder Sajan Prakash on the third 50. The last heat proved the swiftest, with Harrison Turner turning in a feisty morning swim of 1:56.47 to draw the top lane tonight. Like this morning, he will be next to defending champion Lewis Clareburt of New Zealand, who is the event’s second qualifier in 1:57.35.

Women’s 400 IM – Heats

• World Record: 4:23.65 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025
• Commonwealth Record: 4:23.65 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025
• Commonwealth Games Record: 4:29.01 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2022
• 2022 Champion: Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 4:29.01

Top 8:

1. Amalie Smith (ENG) — 4:39.13
2. Jenna Forrester (AUS) — 4:40.61
3. Tara Kinder (AUS) — 4:41.81
4. Ella Ramsay (AUS) — 4:42.61
5. Ella Jansen (CAN) — 4:45.19
6. Julie Brousseau (CAN) — 4:51.45
7. Evie Mackie (SCO) — 4:53.45
8. Clara Ginnis (JEY) — 5:05.83

In a morning session that did not require a sub-5 swim to make it back, it was 16-year-old Amalie Smith with the quickest gear on. Highlighted by a 1:18.07 breaststroke, Smith delivered a 4:39.13 that puts the young English star in an Australia sandwich for tonight’s swim. Smith took the first heat before the second heat went to event favorite Jenna Forrester.

Women’s 50 Back – Heats

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Commonwealth Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Commonwealth Games Record: 27.31 – Kylie Masse (CAN), 2022
• 2022 Champion: Kylie Masse (CAN) – 27.31

Top 16:

1. Kylie Masse (CAN) — 27.79
2. Danielle Hill (NIR) — 28.04
3. Lauren Cox (ENG) — 28.14
4. Iona Alexandra Anderson (AUS) — 28.17
5. Savannah-Eve Martin (NZL) — 28.19
6. Olivia Nel (RSA) — 28.22
7. Jessica Thompson (RSA) — 28.56
8. Hannah Fredericks (AUS) — 28.61
9. Madison Kryger (CAN) — 28.77
10. Amber George (NZL) — 28.78
11. Bex Sutton (WAL) — 28.79
12. Halle Harris (SLE) — 29.07
13. Jessica Oliver Twapepwa Humphrey (NAM) — 29.08
14. Emma Harvey (BER) — 29.20
15. Ella Justice (IOM) — 29.30
16. Medi Harris (WAL) — 29.33

Mollie O’Callaghan, who ranks in the global top ten this season, scratched this morning after taking the 200 freestyle gold.

The first sub-30 swim of the morning came from heat three in Zambian record holder Mia Phiri (29.83). Then came the circle-seeded heats, where all of our top 16 derive from. Out of the final heat, seasoned veteran Kylie Masse was the morning’s lone sub-28 effort with a 27.79. Right behind her in the same heat was England’s Lauren Cox with a 28.14 to comfortably make it back for a second swim in third place. In the previous heat, Irish record holder Danielle Hill squeezed in between the two aforementioned ladies with a 28.04 heat.

Men’s 100 Free – Heats

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024
• Commonwealth Record: 47.04 – Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2016
• Commonwealth Games Record: 47.09 – Flynn Southam (AUS), 2026
• 2022 Champion: Kyle Chalmer (AUS) – 47.51

Top 16:

1. Gabriel Shepherd (ENG) — 48.44
2. Fynn Southam (AUS) — 48.58
3. Matt Richards (WAL) — 48.72
4. Jacob Whittle (ENG) — 48.78
5. Kyle Chalmers (AUS) — 49.06
6. Jacob Mills (ENG) — 49.13
7. Lamar Taylor (BAH)/Kai Taylor (AUS) — 49.33
8. –
9. Carter Swift Swift (NZL) — 49.40
10. Jack McMillan (NIR) — 49.51
11. Harry Milne (WAL) — 49.66
12. Dan Jones (WAL) — 49.75
13. Josh Liendo (CAN) — 49.79
14. Mikkel Lee (SGP) — 49.82
15. Guy Brooks (RSA) — 49.86
16. Jensen Norris (SCO) — 50.11

Gabriel Shepherd, the 18-year-old out of England, proved on-form this morning. Swimming in the penultimate heat, he earned the top seed in a star-studded field with a 48.44 – just .01 off his 48.43 lifetime best from the Aquatics GB Championships earlier this year. One heat prior, it was an Aussie 1-2 with newly-minted games record holder Fynn Southam taking that heat’s top spot in 48.58, which was also good for second overall. The final heat saw defending champ Kyle Chalmers comfortably secure his second swim spot with a 49.06 effort.

It nearly took a sub-50 to make it back for tonight’s semi, with 15 gentlemen clearing the barrier. Canada’s Antoine Sauve suffered a DQ.

Women’s 50 Breast – Heats

• World Record: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2023
• Commonwealth Record: 29.72 – Lara van Niekerk (RSA), 2022
• Commonwealth Games Record: 29.73 – Lara van Niekerk (RSA), 2022
• 2022 Champion: Lara van Niekerk (RSA) – 29.73

Top 16:

1. Lara van Niekerk (RSA) — 30.12
2. Sienna Toohey (AUS) — 30.72
3. Sophie Angus (CAN) — 30.79
4. Anna Morgan (SCO) — 30.96
5. Sabrina Lyn (JAM) — 31.19
6. Imogen Clark (ENG) — 31.25
7. Gabrielle Idle-Beavers (ENG) — 31.32
8. Kaylene Corbett (RSA) — 31.54
9. Rebecca Meder (RSA) — 31.67
10. Lanihei Connolly (COK) — 31.81
11. Tara Kinder (AUS) — 31.88
12. Maria Erokhina (CYP) — 31.98
13. Amy Crowley (WAL) — 32.31
14. Alicia Kok Shun (MRI) — 32.50
15. Laura Kinley (IOM) — 32.90
16. Asia Kent (GIB) — 33.11

Right off the bat, Australia’s Tara Kinder impressed by qualifying for a night swim after previously doing the same in the 400 IM earlier in the session.

Each of the three circle-seeded heats produced at least one 30.xx swimmer this morning. The first one was 27-year-old Canadian Sophie Angus with a 30.79 delivery. The following heat went to 17-year-old Sienna Toohey in 30.72. The best was saved for last in this event. Defending Lara van Niekerk of South Africa popped a 30.12 to handily lead tonight’s final. That marks a season best for the 23-year-old and sufficient for the global top five this season. Not to be overshadowed was Scotland’s Anna Morgan in the same final heat. Her 30.96 puts her fourth this evening and less than two tenths off the 30.78 best she produced at the Edinburgh International.

Men’s 800 Free – Slowest Heat

• World Record: 7:32.12 – Zhang Lin (CHN), 2009
• Commonwealth Record: 7:36.73 – Samuel Short (AUS), 2026

Results:

1. Khiew Hoe Yean (MAS) — 8:04.47
2. Russel Pang (SGP) — 8:13.47
3. Samuel Sterry (JEY) — 8:29.65
4. Oscar Maddrell (IOM) — 8:40.24
5. Connor Macdonald (CAY) — 8:41.32
6. Chrisitan Chang-Chipolina — 9:19.83

Malaysia’s Kiew Hoe Yean was the star of the show in the men’s 800 free this morning, putting together a ruthless negative split for the slowest heat victory. He flipped at 4:05.37 at the 400 mark, trailing Singaporean Russel Pang. He took command of the lead by the 550, delivering a 3:59.1 back half to lead by nearly ten seconds over Pang in the end.

Women’s 100 Breast SB8 – Heats

• World Record: 1:13.83 – Brock Whiston (GBR), 2019

Men’s 100 Breast SB9 – Heats

• World Record: 1:04.02 – Pavel Poltavtsev (RUS), 2012