Australia’s Kyle Chalmers was untouched in the final of the men’s 100 freestyle, while Canada’s Summer McIntosh continued her impressive summer with another world junior record in the 200 IM.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Australia’s Kyle Chalmers proved he is still one of the best freestyle sprinters on the globe, taking the Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 100 freestyle with a 47.51, erasing any doubts that the Brits could take him down.
Chalmers flipped in the lead at 22.87 on level turns with Worlds bronze medalist Josh Liendo of Canada, but the 2016 Olympic champion left everyone in his wake, and the gold and silver medalist from the 200 - Duncan Scott of Scotland, and Tom Dean of England, could not catch him.
Chalmers upgraded his silver medal from the 2018 Games in Australia to a gold here as his semi final time last night put him second in the world rankings for 2022. Chalmers did not race this event at the World Championships to instead focus on the butterfly events.
"It's special. Four years ago I came second by such a small margin, and it's something that has motivated me for a long period,” Chalmers said. “It wan't my best swim, it's not my best time but time does not really matter. What matters is getting the gold medal. That took all my courage to race and it was all about getting my hand on the wall first."
Dean won the silver medal at 47.89 with Scott, the defending champ, winning the bronze at 48.27, while Liendo faded to seventh at 48.66.
"You can never complain about a medal on the international stage, sharing the podium with some of the best athletes in the sport,” Dean said. “They're both two incredible sprinters so I'm in great company.”
Scott won his 10th career medal at the Commonwealth Games.
"That is exactly how I thought it would pan out in terms of a 100m final,” Scott said. “It's always a bit cagey, it's never usually that fast. I knew if I was a wee bit quicker than yesterday I'd be in with a chance of nicking a medal. These boys were producing good times yesterday and were [able] to deliver again but I was quite happy with that."
Women’s 200m Backstroke
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown made it two-for-two in gold medals for the Australians as she dominated the final of the 200 backstroke, winning her second individual gold in Birmingham with a 2:05.60, setting the Games record in the process.
McKeown jumped out to a big lead over the likes of Canada’s Kylie Masse, who won silver in the 100 earlier in the meet, as she was expected to push McKeown down the last 50. McKeown and Masse were the gold and silver medalist at the Olympics last year. But it was all McKeown, as Masse finished with the silver at 2:07.81.
“It’s awesome to see up-and-comers and Kylie has always pushed me. Its awesome to not only have it at the Commonwealth Games but at worlds and Olympics as well,” McKeown said. “It’s awesome to have somebody in marshalling you can talk to. There’s no bad vibes there. She is a lovely human being.”
"It’s incredible to get up and race against her and to have that camaraderie, it’s what sport’s all about,” Masse said. “I’m super thankful to have someone like her pushing the boundaries in backstroke and I am glad to be fighting and battling there with her every time I can."
Scotland’s Katie Shanahan (2:09.22) ran down Australia’s Minna Atherton (2:09.40) for the bronze medal.
“To come away with a bronze medal is amazing,” Shanahan said. “I can't actually believe it. I thought I'd make a few finals and have some fun.”
McKeown follows up her World Championships gold medal with a gold at the Commonwealth Games as she was a 2:05.0 to win that title in Budapest.
Women’s 200m IM
Two of the best female swimmers in the Commonwealth were on full display in the 200 IM final in Birmingham as Canada’s Summer McIntosh won her second gold medal of the meet, doubling up in both IM finals with a 2:08.70 over Australia’s Kaylee McKeown (2:09.52).
McIntosh didn’t have much of a history in the 200 IM, as the 15-year-old has been on fire all year and was expected to put up a pretty solid time in this event. McKeown, who won Worlds silver last month, had just gotten out of the 200 back earlier in the session so it was going to be a tough double for her to win two gold medals in the span of an hour.
"It's been a busy day. It's challenging to do both, and I'm not going to lie by saying I wasn't scared, so I couldn't be prouder of myself,” McKeown said. "I took a minute before the [medley] race to gather myself again, but I just wanted to race tough and see what I could do. I am happy with the results."
But McKeown proved her toughness, pulling even with McIntosh on the final 50, but the Canadian showed her freestyle chops by pulling away from McKeown to swim faster than the bronze medal winning time from the World Championships. The time is also a new world junior record for McIntosh, as she admits feel unperturbed by the growing pressure around her name to keep swimming fast.
“I don’t think there's much pressure,” McIntosh said. “The only pressure I focus on is the pressure I put on myself and that’s all I care about.”
England’s Abbie Wood (2:10.68) won the bronze medal at 2:10.68, finishing ahead of South Africa’s Rebecca Meder (2:12.01). It is the first Commonwealth Games medal for Wood.
“I feel like such a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Wood said. “I just wanted to get my hand on the wall for a medal. After the season I’ve had, I’m really happy with that. Such a sigh of relief.”
Men’s 50m Backstroke
New Zealand celebrated its third able-bodied gold medal in the swimming pool at the Commonwealth Games as Andrew Jeffcoat won the 50 backstroke final with a 24.65, leading the race from the start.
Jeffcoat took down the 100 champ Pieter Coetze (24.77) of South Africa, who had closed particularly well in the 100 final when he won gold, but could not close the gap after Jeffcoat’s superb start. New Zealand has now won three able-bodied gold medals after Lewis Clareburt’s two golds in the 400 IM and 200 butterfly as well as Joshua Willmer’s and Sophie Pascoe’s golds in the para events.
The bronze went to Canada’s Javier Acevedo (24.97), who broke 25 seconds for the first time in his career.
Women’s 50m Butterfly
Emma McKeon won her fifth medal of the week in Birmingham with a golden swim in the 50 butterfly at 25.90, adding to her gold in the 50 freestyle from yesterday. McKeon shared the podium with 34-year-old teammate Holly Barratt (26.05), who tied with South Africa’s Erin Gallagher (26.05) for the silver medal.
"I feel great,” McKeon said. “I think that was my 13th race. I've been counting since I got to halfway and that was on day two. That's my first international medal in the 50 fly and my main focus is the 100 fly and it's good to know I have that speed. The 50 fly is about keeping your stroke and getting your hand on the wall first. I love a challenge.
“Just having this huge workload is preparing me for Paris (2024 Olympic Games) and even though it's a hard workload physically it's just training my mind to be able to do that many races back to back. I'm not going to have that many once I get to Paris. It's just building that self belief."
Barratt repeats her silver medal from 2018, while McKeon is looking to add four medals to her repertoire in the 100 free, 4x100 medley relay, and the mixed medley relay.
Canada’s Maggie MacNeil (26.17), who got the upper hand over McKeon in the 100 fly on Saturday, finished off the podium in the non-Olympic distance.
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
The Australians staved off the British nations to win the men’s 4x200 free relay thanks to consistent splits across all four of its swimmers. The team of Elijah Winnington (1:46.36), Flynn Southam (1:46.08), Zac Incerti (1:46.08) and Mack Horton (1:46.44) swam a 7:04.96 to break the Games record as the Australians have only lost this relay on one occasion at the Commonwealth Games.
"We knew it was going to be close,” Winnington said. “England has an unbelievable team but I just wanted to do my job and get the boys out to a good lead and you know that's what I did."
The English team of James Guy (1:46.87), Jacob Whittle (1:47.89), Joe Litchfield (1:47.59), and Tom Dean (1:45.15) threw everything they had at the team in green and gold but it was not to be on Monday night as they finished with the silver medal at 7:07.50.
The Scottish team was anchored by 200 champion Duncan Scott (1:44.48) as they overtook the team from Wales to win the bronze medal at 7:09.33 to the Welsh team’s 7:10.64. Scotland was comprised of Stephen Milne (1:49.30), Evan Jones (1:47.64), Mark Szaranek (1:47.91) and Scott as they won their first relay medal of the week.
Looking Ahead
Semi finals wrap and a look ahead to Tuesday’s medal events
Men’s 50m Breaststroke - Redemption For Adam Peaty?
After a stunning defeat in the 100 breaststroke, England’s Adam Peaty showed no ill effects of the fourth place finish last night to swim the second fastest semi final time of 27.03 to sit just behind Australia’s Sam Williamson (27.01).
Peaty, who has won two straight silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in the 50 breaststroke despite holding the world record, will be wanting to ease the sting of the 100 after suffering a foot injury earlier this year that has hindered his performance.
South Africa’s Michael Houlie (27.39) is seeded third and is also a medal favorite.
Women’s 100m Freestyle - How Fast Can Emma McKeon Go?
Australia’s Olympic champion Emma McKeon swam a 53.12 to cruise through the semi finals in the 100 free as she is leading a 1-2-3 with teammates Mollie O’Callaghan (53.33) and Shayna Jack (53.43).
The final is expected to be quick, with Olympic champ McKeon racing alongside the World champ O’Callaghan, and Jack, who did not race this in Budapest due to an injury sustained during the Championships. Last night, McKeon dipped under 24 seconds in the 50 to win the one lap event as she will need to be out quick to hold off O’Callaghan’s now legendary back 50.
O’Callaghan and Jack also sit 1 & 2 in the world rankings for 2022.
If anyone is to spoil the Australian party, it could be England’s Anna Hopkin, who is seeded fourth at 53.96 ahead of teammate Freya Anderson (54.15).
Men’s 100m Butterfly - Veterans vs. Rising Stars in Wide Open Final
The entirety of the eight man final for Tuesday is separated by 0.75 seconds so it is anyone’s game in the men’s 100 butterfly. Worlds bronze medalist Joshua Liendo of Canada qualified fourth at 51.85, as the semi finals were led by Australia’s Matthew Temple (51.52) and South Africa’s Chad Le Clos (51.64).
Le Clos is the two-time defending champion and in a good position for a three-peat, but it will be tough. England’s James Guy (51.82), who won silver in 2018, will also be in the mix as the third seed.
Australia’s Cody Simpson (52.16), who is one of the most famous swimmers in the world due to his global music stardom from his teen years, is seeded fifth in his first international meet. Simpson had a promising youth swimming career but turned his attention to music. Now he is back in the pool and searching for a breakthrough medal here at the Commonwealth Games.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke - South African Sweep?
The South African women have won the 50 and 200 breaststroke thus far in Birmingham with 50 champ Lara Van Niekerk and 200 champ Tatjana Schoenmaker leading the semi finalists ahead of Tuesday’s final. Van Niekerk is the top seed at 1:05.96 ahead of Schoenmaker (1:06.43), with 200 bronze medalist Kaylene Corbett joining the pair in the final as the seventh seed at 1:07.96.
If anyone is to spoil the South African party, it could be Australia’s Chelsea Hodges (1:07.16), who is seeded third ahead of 200 silver medalist Jenna Strauch (1:07.30) of Australia.
Schoenmaker is the defending champion from 2018, but will need a strong swim to get by Van Niekerk as she has shown the perfect mix of speed and endurance to win the 100 breast gold medal.
Men’s 200m Backstroke - Does Luke Greenbank Spoil the Hat Trick For Mitch Larkin?
Australia’s Mitch Larkin has won the last two Commonwealth titles in this event, but will have his hands full for a three-peat with England’s Luke Greenbank, who won Olympic bronze and Worlds silver last month. Greenbank will also be joined by teammate Brodie Williams, who just missed the Worlds podium as it could be an England 1-2.
Women’s 200m Butterfly - Who’s Breakout Moment?
Without World champion Summer McIntosh of Canada, the women’s 200 fly field is seemingly wide open. Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers has the fastest time amongst the entries ahead of England’s Laura Stephens and Australia’s Abbey Connor. Amongst those three, only Stephens has swum in a Commonwealth Games before, where she was eighth in 2018.
Women’s 800m Freestyle - Does Lani Pallister Have What It Takes to Beat Ariarne Titmus?
Australia’s Lani Pallister was forced to scratch this at the World Championships due to a positive COVID test during the meet, so she will be itching to put up a good time, while teammate Ariarne Titmus is fresh off the fastest split in history in the 4x200 free world record. Titmus is the reigning Olympic silver medalist but Pallister has been faster than Titmus this year as it should be a very exciting race on Tuesday evening.
Mixed Medley Relay - Who Takes the Inaugural Debut
England and Australia will once again be the center of attention for a relay final as the new Olympic event will finally make its debut at the Commonwealth Games. The lineups have yet to be finalized, but Australia is the gold medal favorite, despite the British team winning the inaugural Olympic crown.
Tuesday’s Evening Schedule
All times local
- 19:07 Women’s 100m Breaststroke final
- 19:13 Men’s 200m Backstroke final
- 19:20 Women’s 200m Butterfly final
- 19:43 Women’s 100m Freestyle final
- 19:49 Men’s 100m Butterfly final
- 20:11 Men’s 50m Freestyle semi-finals
- 20:21 Men’s 50m Breaststroke final
- 20:34 Women’s 50m Backstroke semi-finals
- 21:15 Women’s 800m Freestyle final
- 21:36 Mixed Medley Relay final