2018 Commonwealth Games: Day 5 Finals Recap

2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES

• Thursday, April 5th – Tuesday, April 10th (swimming)
• Optus Aquatic Centre, Gold Coast, Australia
• Prelims at 10:30am local (8:30pm previous night EDT)
• Finals at 7:30pm local (5:30am EDT)
• Official Commonwealth Games website
• Entries
• Meet Schedule + Results
• Live Stream (Canada)
• Live Stream (US)
• Live Stream (Australia)

Men’s 200 Back – Final

• CG Record: 1:55.58, James Goddard (ENG), 2010

1. Mitch Larkin, AUS – 1:56.10
2. Bradley Woodward, AUS – 1:56.57
3. Josh Beaver, AUS – 1:57.04

Mitch Larkin led an Australian sweep in the night’s opening event, going 1:56.10 for Commonwealths 200 back gold. That time moves up to 5th in the world ranks for this season.

The other two medalists also cracked the top 10 in world ranks. Bradley Woodward sits 7th and Josh Beaver 10th. England’s Luke Greenbank finished just four tenths back of Beaver and is 11th in the world ranks in a field where the bronze medal through sixth place were separated by just eight tenths of a second.

Women’s 800 Free – Final

• CG Record: 8:18.11, Jazz Carlin (WAL), 2014

1. Ariarne Titmus, AUS – 8:20.02
2. Jessica Ashwood, AUS – 8:27.60
3. Kiah Melverton, AUS – 8:28.59

Australia made it 6-for-6 on the night so far in medals, with Ariarne Titmus leading a 1-2-3 sweep of the 800 free. Her 8:20.02 is 2nd in the world ranks this year and was only about two seconds off the Commonwealth Games record.

Jessica Ashwood and Kiah Melverton took home the minor medals about seven and eight seconds back, with England’s Holly Hibbott pushing them hard with an 8:29.05.

Men’s S7 50 Free – Final

1. Matthew Levy, AUS – 28.60
2. Christian Sadie, RSA – 29.65
3. Wei Soong Toh, SGP – 29.83

4th in Rio in this event, Australia’s Matthew Levy ran away with gold on the Gold Coast, going 28.60 to win by a full second. He was about 1.3 seconds off the world record for S7s.

Women’ SB9 100 Breast – Final

1. Sophie Pascoe, NZL – 1:18.09
2. Paige Leonhardt, AUS – 1:18.81
3. Madeleine Scott, AUS – 1:19.98

Sophie Pascoe was the 2008 Paralympic champ in this race and took silver in 2012, but didn’t contest the event in Rio in 2016. She returned to the 100 breast with a vengeance, though, going 1:18.09 to win Commonwealths gold by about eight tenths of a second. Australia’s duo of Paige Leonhardt and Madeleine Scott took silver and bronze.

Men’s 50 Free – Semifinals

• CG Record: 21.45, Ben Proud (ENG), 2018

1. Ben Proud, ENG – 21.30
2. Bradley Tandy, RSA – 21.92
3. Cameron McEvoy, AUS – 22.00
4. Yuri Kisil, CAN / Thomas Fannon, ENG – 22.09
5. —
6. James Roberts, AUS – 22.11
7. David Cumberlidge, AUS – 22.15
8. James Magnussen, AUS – 22.20

South Africa’s Bradley Tandy won the first semifinal with a 21.92, but the top qualifying spot was quickly overtaken by England’s Ben Proud, who scorched a 21.30 to shatter his own Commonwealth Games record from prelims. He was 21.76 in this event in 2014 to set the meet record, then went 21.45 this morning and 21.30 this evening with one more swim yet to go – tomorrow’s medal final.

He now ranks #1 worldwide by a wide margin:

Australia’s Cameron McEvoy came right up to the edge of 21 but didn’t quite cross over, and he’s the third qualifier heading into the final. Canada’s Yuri Kisil tied with England’s Thomas Fannon in their semifinal, and both will be in the final at 22.09. A trio of Aussies rounded out the top 8.

Women’s 50 Back – Semifinals

• CG Record: 27.56, Georgia Davies (WAL), 2014

1. Georgia Davies (WAL) – 27.86
2. Emily Seebohm (AUS) – 27.89
3. Kylie Masse (CAN) – 28.00
4. Holly Barratt (AUS) – 28.12
5. Kathleen Dawson (SCO) – 28.26
6. Cassie Wild (SCO) – 28.29
7. Lucy Hope (SCO) – 28.31
8. Jade Hannah (CAN) – 28.37

Georgia Davies is on track to repeat as Commonwealths champ for Wales, taking the top spot in 27.86, but she’s got hometown hero Emily Seebohm lurking just .03 behind. Those two will fill the middle lanes tomorrow night, with Canada’s Kylie Masse – the 100 back world record-holder – just outside them at 28.00.

Australia’s Holly Barratt is in the final along with a trio of Scottish swimmers between 28.26 and 28.31.

Men’s 50 Breast – Final

• CG Record: 26.49, Adam Peaty (ENG), 2018

1. Cameron van der Burgh, RSA – 26.58
2. Adam Peaty, ENG – 26.62
3. James Wilby, ENG – 27.37

Though Adam Peaty set the meet record both while taking out his 100 breast and in 50 breast semifinals, it was South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh who repeated as Commonwealth champ in the final. Van der Burgh went 26.58 while Peaty fell to 26.62 in a race that came right down to fingertips at the wire.

The rest of the field was well off that pace, with England’s James Wilby taking bronze more than a half-second back, and then Australia’s duo of Jake Packard and James McKechnie sitting another two tenths back of that.

Women’s 100 Breast – Final

• CG Record: 1:05.09, Leisel Jones (AUS), 2006

1. Tatjana Schoenmaker, RSA – 1:06.41
2. Kierra Smith, CAN – 1:07.05
3. Georgia Bohl, AUS – 1:07.22

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoemaker held off a charging Kierra Smith of Canada to win the women’s 100 breast by half a second. That made it two golds in a row for South Africa.

Australia’s Georgia Bohl went out faster than anyone in the field but fell to bronze in 1:07.22, though she still held off Canada’s Faith Nelson by more than half a second.

Women’s 200 Fly – Final

• CG Record: 2:06.09, Jessica Schipper (AUS), 2006

1. Alys Thomas, WAL – 2:05.45
2. Laura Taylor, AUS – 2:07.39
3. Emma McKeon, AUS – 2:08.05

Welsh flyer Alys Thomas smashed the meet record with a stellar 2:05.45 in the 200 fly. That ranks her #1 in the world by more than half a second and would have taken bronze at last year’s World Championships.

Australia’s duo of Laura Taylor and Emma McKeon went 2-3, and they also sit inside the world’s top 10 this year.

Women’s 100 Free – Final

• CG Record: 52.64, Cate Campbell (AUS), 2018

1. Bronte Campbell, AUS – 52.27
2. Cate Campbell, AUS – 52.69
3. Taylor Ruck, CAN – 53.08

Cate Campbell was the star of the 4×100 free relay with her huge 51.00 split, but it was her sister Bronte Campbell who won the individual 100 free, breaking Cate’s meet record from semifinals with a 52.27. Cate was second with a 52.69 that was just a tick off her old meet record. Those two now rank 1 and 2 in the world by a sizable margin:

Canada’s Taylor Ruck was third, beating young Australian Shayna Jack (53.83) as well as Olympic co-champ Penny Oleksiak (53.85).

Men’s 100 Fly – Final

• CG Record: 51.29, Chad le Clos (RSA), 2014

1. Chad le Clos, RSA – 50.65
2. James Guy, ENG – 51.31
3. Grant Irvine, AUS – 51.50

The night ended with three straight meet records, the final one thanks to South Africa’s Chad le Clos. The star butterflyer went 50.65 to blow out his 51.2 meet record from four years ago. Le Clos won by almost a full second over James Guy (51.31) who was just .02 off the old meet record.

Grant Irvine took bronze for Australia, with David Morgan just behind him.