2026 Commonwealth Games: Day 5 Prelims Preview

2026 Commonwealth Games

• July 24 – 29, 2026 (pool swimming)
• Glasgow, Scotland
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Preview Index
• How to Watch
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

We are onto the penultimate day at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with ten events this morning and several medalists back in action.

Just like in the women’s event yesterday, there are just 12 swimmers entered in the men’s 400 IM this morning. The fastest of those is defending champion and 200 fly champion from last night Lewis Clareburt, who has a season best time of 4:09.47 from the New Zealand Championships in April.

He set an Oceanian record of 4:08.70 four years ago, with Australia’s Brendon Smith, the #4 seed this morning, winning silver. William Petric is the top Australian with a 4:10.20, a time he swam in a battle with Clareburt at the Australian Open Championships in April. Max Litchfield, who won silver at the 2024 World Championships, is the #3 seed in 4:11.69.

Abbie Wood is in action individually for the first time this week in the women’s 200 IM, the top seed by nearly a second with the 2:08.17 lifetime best she clocked at the Aquatics GB Championships in April. Jenna Forrester, who has won the 200 back and 400 IM so far this week as well as a silver in the 400 free, is the second seed in 2:09.07, with Ella Ramsay (2:09.21), Tara Kinder (2:09.45), and Scotland’s Katie Shanahan (2:09.88) also under 2:10.

Amalie Smith owns the European Junior record in 2:10.32 and won silver in the 400 IM last night, resetting her own European Junior record in 4:33.70. Aimee Canny is entered on a 2:12.70 but set a new South African record of 2:09.99 in June, although she was not part of the women’s 4×200 free relay team last night.

The men’s 50 fly sees the top three seeds separated by just 0.03 seconds. Kyle Chalmers, Ben Armbruster, and 50 free world record holder Cam McEvoy have lane 4 locked down in the circle-seeded heats as the only swimmers under 23 seconds. Singapore’s Mikkel Lee and Tzen Wei Teong are also entered in the top five, with Teong the defending silver medalist.

Josh Liendo is the #9 seed and has won the 100 fly already this week, while Jacob Peters has a lifetime best of 22.84 for England. Dean Fearn is the reigning World Junior champion and Scottish record holder in 23.29, and should be one to keep an eye on.

Meg Harris and Shayna Jack lead the way in the women’s 50 free, with Brits Eva Okaro and Welsh junior sensation Theodora Taylor the next two seeds. Harris won the 100 free last night in 52.90, and is the 2025 World Champion in this event.

Taylor won European Junior gold earlier this month, and Alex Perkins, the 50 fly and 100 fly champion, is also in action. Olivia Nel, Jessica Thompson, and Caitlin de Lange will represent South Africa, while Uganda have two swimmers in the circle-seeded heats, led by national record holder Gloria Muzito.

Jersey’s Filip Nowacki begins his quest for a second medal in the men’s 200 breast, entered over a second and a half ahead of defending champion Zac Stubblety-Cook. Nowacki was just off his best to win silver in the 100 breast, but both he and England’s Greg Butler, a World Championship semi-finalist last summer, should progress comfortably from the last heat.

Australians Stubblety-Cook and Bailey Lello should do the same out of heat 2, with Canadian record holder Oliver Dawson the top seed in heat 1. Jacob Story will hope to make the Cook Islands’ first final of the meet with a best of 2:14.41, while Scottish Pari George Smith (2:10.76) and Joshua Mitchell (2:13.60) will aim to do the same.

Julie Brousseau (8:37.23) and Dune Coetzee (8:38.08) are the top two seeds in the slower heats of the women’s 800 free this morning, with Wales’ Alexandra Bastone (8:40.79) in lane 3 making it a trio of swimmers with NCAA experience. Maltese record holder Sasha Gatt (8:46.69) is also in the mix.

Pieter Coetze is back in the pool in the men’s 100 back after scratching the 100 free yesterday, and has already won the 50 back and 200 back at this meet. He is the defending world champion and Commonwealth record holder, clocking 51.85 last summer, and leads England’s Ollie Morgan by 0.01 in the season rankings.

Morgan has won silver behind Coetze in both backstroke events so far and is the #2 seed, and it is Scotland’s Matt Ward who is in lane four of the first of the circle-seeded heats. Jack Skerry and Cam Brooker are the #5 and #6 seeds for England, with Australia’s Henry Allan swimming next to Coetze in the final heat.

Ruard van Renen is the #8 seed in 54.66, but set a best of 53.61 at the South African Championships and lowered his 50 back best from 24.92 to 24.51 earlier this week. He will be one to watch out for.

Kirralee Hayes is the top seed in the women’s S13 50 free in 27.67, a second ahead of Mia Hogan and 100 free champion Jenna Jones. Hayes won bronze four years ago in 28.24 so will be looking to upgrade to gold. Nicolas Turbide is the fastest entrant in the men’s event, swimming in between Scottish siblings Stephen Clegg and James Clegg. Stephen won silver behind Turbide in Birmingham, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind, so we will hope for a similarly close race this morning.

We round things off with the heats of the mixed 4×100 medley relay. This morning may see some wildly different combinations to those which will be used tonight, but expect the core six of Australia, England, Canada, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and South Africa to make it through safely.