2026 Commonwealth Games: Day 4 Finals 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 | Day 4
• Finals Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Live Results

Good evening, swim fans, or afternoon to those of us on the Eastern Seaboard of North America. Don’t worry, I will not forget about Australia and New Zealand; I wish you a very early good morning, or a very late good evening.

Today marks the midway point of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and what a meet it has been so far. Tight finishes, new records, and some very fast relays have made the first three days very exciting. That said, our three final sessions remaining are shaping up to be a very exhilarating few hours of swimming.

Things start off with a bang, as one of my personal favorite events to swim (in short course, of course), the 400 IM, kicks things off. Australia’s Jenna Forrester has been one of the stars of the meet, pulling off one of the toughest doubles (in my recollection), winning bronze in the 400 free, before claiming the gold in the 200 backstroke, in a new personal best to boot. The Australian will be putting that versatility to the test this evening, as she enters the 400 IM final as the 2nd seed. She trails England’s Amalie Smith by nearly a full second, but is easily the one to watch. The battle for the minor medals will be tight behind her as the Australian pair of Tara Kinder and Ella Ramsay will be chomping at the bit to make it the first all-Australian podium on the women’s side.

The Aussies look to be in good stead tonight to potentially sweep another podium as they firmly hold down the top three spots in the women’s 100 free. Defending Champion Mollie O’Callaghan leads the charge, but will be flanked on both sides by her teammates, Meg Harris and Shayna Jack, each of whom will be hunting for another gold medal after having claimed the top spot in the 4×100 free relay. The race won’t be watched only by Australian fans, however, as Wales and Scotland will be looking to their young stars, Theodora Taylor and Evelyn Davis, to make a move up the rankings.

Things this evening stay fast as the women’s 100 fly and men’s 50 breaststroke final occupy the middle of the schedule. Once again, Australia leads the way, occupying the top two spots in the women’s event, with Alexandria Perkins looking to add another gold medal to her already impressive two. She’ll have compatriot Brittany Castelluzzo to one side. Still, the pair will face some stiff competition from the Scottish crowd, as the Glaswegians are bound to be on their feet for their three entrants, as Keanna MacInnes, Ciara Schlosshan and Lucy Grieve all advanced to the final. Don’t sleep on South Africa’s Erin Gallagher, as the African record holder was one of five swimmers under 58 in the semifinals last night.

The fans likely will remain raucous as Archie Goodburn represents the home nation in the men’s 50 breaststroke. Goodburn will hope for some outside smoke as he contests the final from lane 1. Diagnosed with inoperable brain tumors in 2024, the Scotsman will be looking to improve upon his 27.12 national record that he set earlier this year at BUCS. It’s a tight field with less than a second separating 1st from 8th, but look to Michael Houlie, Sam Williamson and Adam Ramsay-Peaty to duke things out in the middle, as the trio was the only swimmers to break 27 yesterday.

The men’s 800 free final and 200 fly final are the last two individual finals on the evening, but don’t let the distance belay the speed going to be put forth. Sam Short of Australia is hunting history in the event, hoping to become the first-ever winner of the event at the Commonwealth Games. The Australian leads the world rankings this year, but with the 2024 Olympic Champion, Daniel Wiffen, in the field, nothing is certain. The 200 fly sees yet another Australian as the top seed, with Harrison Turner‘s 1:56.47 from the prelims this morning leading the way. The young star in the making won’t have an easy time of it, though, as defending champion Lewis Clareburt will be hunting for the repeat, and hometown favorite and poster boy of the meet, Duncan Scott, lurks as well.

The session doesn’t just contain finals; semifinals are scattered throughout and are equally as tantalizing. The men’s 100 free sees England’s Gabriel Shepherd as the top seed. The 18-year-old was one of four swimmers under 49 this morning, but several in the field may have been playing coy this morning as Kyle Chalmers (49.06) and Josh Liendo (49.79) lurk dangerously.  Kylie Masse and Lara van Niekerk have control of the Women’s 50 back and breast semifinals, but the battle for a spot in the top eight is bound to be competitive.

The finals of the women’s and men’s SB9 100 breaststroke are also on tap this morning. England will be looking for a podium sweep in the former as Brock Whiston and Iona Winnifrith lead the way. Still, with Uganda’s Husnah Kukundakwe less than half a second back, it’ll be difficult for Isabella Haynes to move up and secure the bronze from her 6th seeding. The men’s race will pit the Antipodean swimmers against one another, as Joshua Willmer of New Zealand hopes to defend his top seed against Australia’s Timothy Hodge.

Things wrap up with the women’s 4×200 free relay. There were no prelims this morning, as only eight teams are competing in the event, so we have no splits to look at. The Australians are the huge favorites, with the likes of O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister and Inez Miller on their roster. The trio finished 1st, 2nd and 5th in the 200 free final. The English team also look good, with Freya Colbert, Leah Schlosshan and Freya Anderson representing the core of their team after finishing 4th, 6th and 7th, respectively, in that individual final.

Women’s 400 IM – Final

• 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. Jenna Forrester (Australia) – 4:31.19
2. Amalie Smith (England) – 4:33.70
3. Ella Ramsay (Australia) – 4:37.12
4. Ella Jansen (Canada) – 4:39.12
5. Tara Kinder (Australia) – 4:42.08
6. Julie Brousseau (Canada) – 4:45.43
7. Evi Mackie (Scotland) – 4:51.19
8. Clara Ginnis (Jersey) – 5:04.73

Sixteen-year-old Amalie Smith of England entered as the top seed and lone swimmer under 4:40 this morning. She opened up the race fast, hitting the 50 wall first, but .03 back was Jenna Forrester. The Australian, who claimed the bronze in the 400 free and gold in the 200 back on night one, took over the lead, as she hit the wall in 1:01.79. It wasn’t a big lead, however, as both of her compatriots, Ella Ramsay and Tara Kinder, were just half a second back.

The reigning Worlds silver medalist, Forrester, blew the race up on the backstroke, turning what was a half-second lead into nearly a five-second lead. She used her backstroke strength to open a 4.70-second lead on Smith, with the Englishwoman managing to pass two of the Australians, but was unable to match Forrester’s speed, with the pair touching in 2:08.30 and 2:13.00 respectively. Smith fought back on the next 100, using her breaststroke prowess to cut the gap to less than three seconds, but the lead of the Australian was too much, with Forrester holding her off in the last leg to take the win 4:31.19 to 4:33.70.

Both Forrester and Smith set new personal bests in the race. The Australian’s time jumped her from the 17th fastest performer of all time to 13th, while Smith cut under the 4:35 barrier for the first time, resetting the British Age Group record.  Forrester adds another gold to her already impressive haul of an individual gold and individual bronze. Forrester’s teammate, Ramsay, was a little off her best, but used a strong backhalf to secure the bronze medal in a time of 4:37.12.

Men’s 100 Free – Semi-Finals

• 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 Chalmers (AUS) – 47.51

Top 8:

1. Kyle Chalmers (Australia) – 47.87
2. Flynn Southam (Australia) – 48.08
3. Joshua Liendo (Canada) – 48.20
4. Matt Richards (Wales) – 48.21
5. Gabriel Shepherd (England) – 48.36
6. Jacob Mills (England) – 48.54
7. Jacob Whittle (England) – 48.60
8. Carter Swift (New Zealand) – 48.77

The first semifinal saw the top seed and 2nd seed overall kick things off quickly with Australia’s Flynn Southam opening in 22.88. The lone man under 23, Southam slowed a little on the backhalf, closing in the 4th fastest last 50, but his lead at the turn was more than enough as he hit the finishing wall in 48.08. It was a tight contest behind Southam for the 2nd spot as England’s Jacob Mills and Jacob Whittle duked things out. Whittle opened up .03 faster, 23.45 to 23.48, but Mills used the fastest last 50 in the heat (25.06) to take 2nd place 48.54 to 48.60. Australia’s Kai Taylor took 4th in the heat in 49.10, a tough position to be in considering the strength of the last semifinal.

With the likes of Kyle Chalmers, Josh Liendo and Matt Richards in the 2nd semifinals, expectations were high for the 2nd semi to be faster, and they were as Kyle Chalmers posted the fastest time and lone sub-48 time of the evening. The Australian was not out first to the turn, as it was the Canadian Liendo who touched first, 22.96 to 22.98. The lone pair under 23, the duo were close together off the wall, but Chalmers shifted into a higher gear and produced a sub-25 last 50 (24.89) to take the win in 47.87. Liendo, home in 25.24, took 2nd with a 48.20, but was nearly run-down by Wales’s Matt Richards, who coled in 24.90 to touch .01 back at 48.21. England’s Gabriel Shepherd and New Zealand’s Carter Swift joined the trio under 49, meaning it took a sub-49.00 time to make the final.

Women’s 100 Free – Final

• World Record – 51.68, Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 2026
• Commonwealth Record – 51.96, Emma McKeon (AUS), 2021
• Commonwealth Games Record – 52.27, Bronte Campbell (AUS), 2018
• 2022 Champion – Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 52.63

Top 8:

1. Meg Harris (Australia) – 52.90
2. Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) – 53.25
3. Shayna Jack (Australia) – 53.38
4. Theodora Taylor (Wales) – 54.00
5. Evelyn Davis (Scotland) – 54.40
6. Freya Anderson (England) – 54.52
7. Leah Schlosshan (England) – 55.02
8. Caitlin de Lange (South Africa) – 55.52

Back-end speed paid dividends in the women’s 100 free final as Meg Harris powered her way to the win, claiming the event ahead of her compatriots Mollie O’Callaghan and Shayna Jack. The trio was out fast, with Harris opening in 25.53, .07 ahead of Jack and .12 ahead of O’Callaghan. The trio, all members of Australia’s winning women’s 4×100 free relay, were close together, but Harris, the reigning World champion in the 50 free, pulled away from the pair to take the win with a time of 52.90.

Her last 50 was 27.37, the fastest in the field, but could have been faster as Harris took an additional stroke, mere inches from the wall. Fortunately, the mistake did not cost her, as O’Callaghan closed in at 27.60 to finish in the silver-medal position with a 53.25, while Jack claimed bronze, .13 back at 53.38. All three were faster at their nation’s trials, with O’Callaghan taking the win back in June in 52.33, although it has since been revealed that the two-time World Champion has been dealing with a back injury.  With the win, Harris adds a third gold medal to her collection, joining her wins in the women’s and mixed 4×100 free relays.

Theodora Taylor of Wales was so close to joining the sub-54.00 club, taking 4th in 54.00. She flipped in 5th behind Scotland’s star, Evelyn Davis, but used a 27.91 (the only other sub-28 last 50) to pass Davis to secure the 4th place finish.

Men’s 100 Breast SB9 – Final

• SB9 World Record: 1:04.02 – Pavel Poltavtsev (RUS), 2012
• SB8 World Record: 1:07.01 – Andriy Kalyna (UKR), 2008
• SB8 Games Record: 1:11.99 – Joshua Wilmer (NZL), 2026

Top 8:

1. Beau Matthews SB9 (Australia) – 1:09.41
2. Joshua Willmer SB8 (New Zealand) – 1:11.44 ***NEW GAMES RECORD***
3. Timothy Hodge SB8 (Australia) – 1:12.74
4. Jack Gill SB9 (Canada) – 1:12.79
5. Swatik Patil SB9 (India) – 1:15.82
6. Abd Halim Mohammad SB8 (Malaysia) – 1:16.41

Beau Matthews of Australia took the gold medal in the men’s 100 Breast SB9. Matthews led the way from the get-go, opening in 31.60, the fastest split, and had the fastest closing split (37.81) to win by over two seconds in a time of 1:09.41. New Zealand’s Joshua Willmer, who competes in the SB8 classification, took the silver medal, bettering his Games Record of 1:11.99 from this morning. Canada’s Fernando Lu posted a time that would have earned a medal but was ultimately disqualified.

Women’s 100 Breast SB8 – Final

• SB8 World Record: 1:13.83 – Brock Whiston (GBR), 2019
• SB7 World Record: 1:24.51 – Mariia Pavolova (NPA), 2025
• SB8 Games Record: 1:26.18 – Katarina Roxon (CAN), 2018

Top 8:

1. Brock Whiston SB8 (England) – 1:22.05 ***NEW GAMES RECORD***
2. Husnah Kukundakwe SB8 (Uganda) – 1:26.20
3. Iona Winnifrith SB7 (England) – 1:26.31
4. Alyssa Gillespie SB8 (Australia) – 1:32.80
5. Gemma Sellick SB8 (Australia) – 1:33.95
6. Isabella Haynes SB8 (England) – 1:34.35

Brock Whiston, the SB8 world record holder, was off her personal best but still got the job done, with the Englishwoman taking the win in 1:22.05, setting a new Games record. Out in 39.14, Whiston was closely tailed by Uganda’s Husnah Kukundakwe (39.67) but pulled away, ultimately winning by over four seconds. Kukundakwe held off a fast-charging Iona Winnifrith to secure her nation their first medals of the meet, earning the silver by .11 ahead of the Englishwoman.

WOMEN’S 100 Fly – Finals

• World Record – 54.33, Gretchen Walsh (USA), 2026
• Commonwealth Record – 55.59, Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2021
• Commonwealth Games Record – 56.36, Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2022
• 2022 Champion – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 56.36

Top 8:

1. Alexandria Perkins (Australia) – 56.38
2. Keanna MacInnes (Scotland) – 57.33
3. Erin Gallagher (South Africa) – 57.39
4. Brittany Castelluzzo (Australia) – 57.40
5. Ciara Schlosshan (Scotland) – 57.58
6. Lucy Grieve (Scotland) – 57.90
7. Lizzy Dekkers (Australia) – 59.28
8. Hazel Ouwehand (New Zealand) – 59.63

Alex Perkins added another gold medal to her haul as she claimed victory in the women’s 100 fly by a very comfortable margin. A member of the winning women’s 4×100 free relay and the victor in the 50 fly, Perkins had established a near half a second lead, as she hit the 50 wall in 26.02, .49 ahead of Erin Gallagher (26.51). She only built upon that lead on the 2nd 50 as she used a 30.36 closing split to take the win in 56.38.

.02 off the Commonwealth Games record set four years ago by Canada’s Maggie MacNeil, Perkins’ time, while not a personal best, is a full half-second improvement on her winning time from trials and her season best of 57.88. Her time this evening jumps the 2025 Worlds bronze medalist to 4th in the world this year.

While the win was not in doubt, the battle for the minor medals was very tight with just .07 separating 2nd from 4th. Gallagher, 2nd at the 50 looked good over the first 75, but Scotland’s Keanna Maciness, 3rd at the 50 turn, used some afterburners to pull herself ahead of Gallagher to secure the silver medal for the host nation, Scotland. Her time of 57.33 not only secured her spot on the podium but also rewrote her own Scottish national record and came just .08 away from the British record set by Ellen Gandy back in 2012. While her compatriots, Ciara Schlosshan and Lucy Grieve, finished off the podium, they equaled MacInnes by setting a new PB. MacInnes’s new best jumps the Scot up the world rankings, to now sit 12th in the world, and 3rd among Europeans.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – Finals

• World Record – 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Commonwealth Record – 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Commonwealth Games Record – 26.38, Michael Houlie (RSA), 2026
• 2022 Champion – Adam Peaty (ENG), 26.76

Top 8:

1. Sam Williamson (Australia) – 26.50
2. Michael Houlie (South Africa) – 26.77
3. Adam Ramsay-Peaty (England) – 26.94
4. Chris Smith (South Africa) – 26.95
5. Filip Nowacki (Jersey) – 27.20
6. Ronan Zuberg Wantenaar (Namibia) – 27.31
7. Archie Goodburn (Scotland) – 27.42
8. Oliver Dawson (Canada) – 27.42

It wasn’t the fastest 50 breaststroke of these Games, but Sam Williamson‘s 26.50 was enough to take the win and earn the Australian the 50-100 breaststroke double gold. Williamson, who is recovering from a knee injury that kept him out for all of last year, wasn’t the quickest off the blocks, but surged out of the pull-out and timed his finish to perfection to win the event by over a quarter of a second.

South Africa’s Michael Houlie was quick off the blocks and looked strong, but the former University of Tennessee swimmer was unable to equal his speed from earlier in the meet. In his 100 breaststroke swims, Houlie jumped on the first 50s, and set the Games record of 26.38 as a split, but fell short of that mark this evening, hitting the wall in 26.77, .17 ahead of the bronze-medalist Adam Ramsay-Peaty. The World Record holder, Ramsay-Peaty, earned another bronze medal, adding it to his bronze medal in the 100 breast, after which he stated his disappointment with his result.

It wasn’t an easy bronze for Ramsay-Peaty as Houlie’s compatriot Chris Smith fell just off the podium by .01, hitting the wall in 26.95.

Hoping that his home nation’s crowd could help him to the podium, Scotland’s Archie Goodburn had the fastest reaction time of the field (.57) but couldn’t quite match his best time and national record from earlier this year, as he tied for 7th at 27.42.

Women’s 50 Back – Semi-Finals

• 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 8:

1. Kylie Masse (Canada) – 27.57
2. Iona Alexandra Anderson (Australia) – 27.69
3. Lauren Cox (England) – 27.85
4. Olivia Nel (South Africa) – 28.12
5. Danielle Hill (Northern Ireland) – 28.17
6. Savannah-Eve Martin (New Zealand) – 28.28
7. Amber George (New Zealand) – 28.37
8. Hannah Fredericks (Australia) – 28.50

The first heat of the women’s 50 backstroke semifinals saw some very fast swimming from Australia’s Iona Anderson. The 2024 World silver medalist, Anderson, surged into the first and only wall in 27.69. While a little off her PB of 27.33 that she set last month at Australian Trials, Anderson, the winner of the 100 backstroke, was the creme de la creme of her heat, as she was the lone swimmer to break the 28-second barrier, winning by .43.

Behind her, however, it was a different story, with a very close finish between South Africa’s Olivia Nel and Northern Ireland’s Danielle Hill. Nel, who swims at the University of Georgia, got the better of Hill 28.12 to 28.17.

The 2nd heat, the more loaded of the two, saw the defending champion and Games record holder, Kylie Masse, defend her top billing as the Canadian took the 2nd semifinal in a time of 27.57. While, like Anderson, her time is a little off her season best of 27.35 from her nation’s trials earlier this month, Masse looks to be in a good position to defend her title. She wasn’t the lone swimmer to break the 28-second barrier in her heat as England’s Lauren Cox took 2nd in the heat and 3rd overall with a result of 27.85.

Men’s 800 Free – Fastest Heat

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

Top 8:

1. Sam Short (Australia) – 7:39.81 ***NEW GAMES RECORD***
2. Benjamin Goedemans (Australia) – 7:46.49
3. Matthew Galea (Australia) – 7:47.10
4. Daniel Wiffen (Northern Ireland) – 7:48.82
5. Luke Hornsey (Scotland) – 7:59.58
6. Tyler Melbourne-Smith (Wales) – 7:59.79
7. Hoe Yean Khiew (Malaysia) – 8:04.47
8. Aryan Nehra (India) – 8:07.26

AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE!!!!

The Australian men came to Glasgow with a mission and look to be fulfilling it as they dominated the event and added yet another sweep of the podium as Sam Short, Benjamin Goedemans and Matt Galea earned the top three spots.

Sam Short, the fastest man in the event this season, had the crowd excited from the get-go as the Australian took things out fast, flipping under the World Record pace at both the 100 and 200 turn. A quarter of the way through, Short (1:52.24) was .31 under Zhang Lin‘s pace from 2009, but he started to fade from that point, slipping .40 back over the next 100, to sit .11 off the pace.

Ahead by over two seconds at the 200, Short continued to build his lead, holding low 29s from the 350 mark up to the last 50, where he used a 27.55 last 50 to hit the wall in 7:39.81, a time that would rank 3rd in the world this season.

While his win was never in doubt, the battle for the minor medals was tight behind him. Short’s compatriot Goedemans sat in 2nd for the whole race, but it never was a comfortable position as Galea and Northern Ireland’s Daniel Wiffern were just behind. However, with just a tenth or two gained each 50, Goedemans pulled himself away to earn the silver in a time of 7:46.49, a result that jumps him from 12th in the world up to 9th. Galea, the 3rd Australian in the field, used the same tactic to edge out a small lead on Daniel Wiffen, taking the bronze in 7:47.10 to 7:48.82. Wiffen, the defending Olympic champion, would have been a favorite for the podium, but is coming off an injury that derailed his 2025 season and two changes in his training bases.

Women’s 50 Breast – Semi-Finals

• 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 8:

Men’s 200 Fly – Final

• 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:

 WOMEN’S 4×200 Free RELAY – Final

• World Record: 7:37.50 – Australia (2023)
• Commonwealth Record: 7:37.50 – Australia (2023)
• Commonwealth Games Record: 7:39.27 – Australia (2022)
• 2022 Commonwealth Champion – Australia, 7:39.27

Top 8: