South African Women Set New African Record With 3:38.67 in 400 Freestyle Relay

2026 Commonwealth Games

• July 24 – 29, 2026 (pool swimming)
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  • Prelims: Day 1
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In the final women’s event of night one, South Africa set a new African record in the women’s 400 freestyle relay. They stopped the clock in 3:38.67, taking almost two seconds off the 4:40.29 mark they set at the 2021 South African Championships.

WOMEN’S 4×100 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

• World Record – 3:27.96, Australia, 2023
• Commonwealth Record – 3:27.96, Australia, 2023
• Commonwealth Games Record – 3:30.05, Australia, 2018
• 2022 Champion – Australia, 3:30.64

GOLD – Australia, 3:31.40
SILVER – England, 3:35.66
BRONZE – South Africa, 3:38.67

South Africa picked up the bronze medal in the women’s 400 freestyle relay, setting a new African record time of 3:38.67.

Three of the four swimmers in the relay were the same as the 2021 relay: Aimee Canny, Erin Gallagher, and Rebecca Meder.

Canny led off both relays, swimming almost a second faster at the Commonwealth Games with her 54.40 split. Her lifetime best is 54.27 from the South African Nationals in April.

Rebecca Meder swam 54.46 on the 2nd leg, a second faster than the 55.74 she swam as the anchor in 2021.

Erin Gallagher swam the 3rd leg on both relays, splitting 55.52 tonight, a little more than a second slower than the 54.34 she swam on the former record relay.

Olivia Nel was the new athlete on the relay, anchoring the team in 54.29, seven tenths faster than the 54.94 Emma Chelius swam.

As a team, they finished four tenths ahead of Scotland’s 3:39.03 in 4th place. This marks South Africa’s first women’s relay medal at the Commonwealth Games since 2002 when the 400 medley relay won the silver medal.