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Australia are the defending champions within the males’s 4×100 free relay, clocking 3:11.12 for a brand new Games file, however England had been simply over half a second again because of a monster 46.70 anchor from Tom Dean. The Aussies appear to be having a bigger successful margin this 12 months, however England might push them shut if Dean makes a shock return to type.
Canada, the defending bronze medalists, have despatched a crew containing simply six males’s swimmers, opening up the rostrum to considered one of Scotland and Wales.
There is a transparent alternative within the males’s 4×100 free relay, with Australia at present holding the world title and returning three of the 4 swimmers who had been on that medal-winning crew.
Kyle Chalmers, Kai Taylor, and Flynn Southam will likely be in Glasgow, and whereas Max Giuliani won’t be, his was the weakest leg final summer season at 47.63. Jamie Jack, Matt Temple, Harrison Turner, and Ed Sommerville present ample replacements although, and whereas they might break 3:09 once more they need to have an excessive amount of for anybody else on this area.
Chalmers has been 47.59 this season, with Southam (47.94) and Kai Taylor (47.98) additionally breaking 48 seconds. All three confirmed they may deal with the stress at worlds final 12 months, and must be the bedrock of a successful crew right here. Harrison Turner (48.22) had an excellent Australian Trials however has not been a part of this relay earlier than, whereas Matt Temple (48.38 this season) has been an necessary contributor to medal-winning relays on this occasion.
Australia are in all probability the one nation that would area a full set of 47-point-or-better splits, and Chalmers has constantly been beneath 47 seconds on the anchor leg. Taylor (47.04), Southam (47.69 FS) and Jamie Jack (47.68) have all damaged 48 seconds both from a flat begin or on a relay within the final 12 months.
Chalmers is the gamechanger for the Green and Gold. There will likely be no different swimmer in attendance, doubtlessly bar Josh Liendo on a weak Canada crew, who can throw down the sub-47 splits he appears to do at will. For 5 years in a row from 2021 to 2025 he broke 47 seconds on the anchor leg at both Worlds or the Olympics.
Australia have received this relay on the final 4 Commonwealth Games, and have been a constant presence on the rostrum at current World Championships. With Chalmers specializing in Commonwealths this summer season, they need to be the favorites once more right here.
England are the strongest of the 4 “home nations”, and now have essentially the most depth. Jacob Mills, Jacob Whittle, Tom Dean, and Gabe Shepherd might be the anticipated lineup, however James Guy swam a PB of 48.37 on the Aquatics GB Championships, and each Ollie Morgan (48.47) and Cam Brooker (48.40) have thrown down some fast relay splits this 12 months. While rotation isn’t a lot of a problem for the highest nations, that depth ought to cowl anybody being out of shape.
Mills is the star at simply 18 years outdated, posting a PB of 47.72 in April, and had a number of 47-point splits final summer season on the World Junior Championships. He might be the leadoff leg for this relay, up towards Flynn Southam and doubtlessly Duncan Scott, however has the expertise to the touch the wall first out of that trio.
Whittle cut up 48.11 and 47.67 final summer season, each stable splits, however hasn’t actually kicked on since clocking 48.11 within the semi-finals on the Tokyo Olympics. He was simply 48.52 on the Aquatics GB Championships, and his spot might be in danger. Gabe Shepherd has proved himself an exceptional relay swimmer, splitting 48.24 at European Juniors at simply 16 years outdated in 2024, and has dropped from 48.95 to 48.43 this season.
Dean is considerably of an unknown amount, however has seemed in first rate form over the past couple of months. Guy might be the least prone to swim this relay, with the person 200 free and 400 free, however it wouldn’t be a shock to see both one of many backstrokers Morgan or Brooker within the heats (if there are any).
Wales could have British file holder Matt Richards, however are comparatively skinny behind him. Dan Jones will return proudly owning a PB of 48.93 from 2024, however their different choices are 18-year-old Harry Milne, distance swimmers Tyler Melbourne-Smith and Kieran Bird, and 100 fly nationwide file holder Lewis Fraser.
None of these swimmers are beneath 49.5, though Melbourne-Smith’s transfer right down to the 200 signifies he has time to drop right here. Milne is a proficient teen and was a function of some sturdy junior worldwide relays at European Juniors this summer season, together with a 48.60 cut up on the 4×100 free relay, however that is in all probability one cycle too early to see him at his finest. Bird has damaged 50 seconds earlier than, and practically did so once more on the Aquatics GB Championships this 12 months, though Jones has a better of 49.46 is prone to be a stable 49-flat cut up. Wales are in all probability behind Scotland right here within the battle for bronze, however solely simply.
Scotland has Duncan Scott, which frequently looks like it must be price a Commonwealth medal in itself, however with Evan Jones, Matt Ward, Jensen Norris, and Dean Fearn there’s a fairly sturdy and younger core behind him. Jones broke 49 seconds for the primary time with a 48.93 on the Aquatics GB Championships in April, and cut up 48.99 off a 51.54 PB on the final Commonwealth Games. Norris and Fearn cut up 49.13 and 49.27 respectively on the European Junior Championships earlier this month, and Matt Ward has a better of 49.72.
They in all probability have a barely larger ground than Wales, and a reasonably safe quartet. Norris and Fearn might want to again up their taper from European Juniors although, and they’ll want Scott to be as shut as doable to Matt Richards to maintain them in contact early on.
South Africa have Pieter Coetze, Guy Brooks, Ruard van Renen and Kris Mihaylov, however in all probability want one of many latter three to grow to be a 48-low swimmer to be within the podium hunt. Coetze owns a better of 47.88 from the World University Games final summer season, the place Brooks additionally cut up 47.95, however South Africa has no different swimmers beneath 49 seconds from a flat-start. Brooks and Mihaylov did set their lifetime bests on the South African Championships this 12 months, however this may occasionally not but be a medalling quartet.
Singapore, with Indiana’s Mikkel Lee and Stanford’s Jonathan Tan, even have some high finish expertise and are the reigning SEA Games champions, however have introduced a crew of simply six swimmers in whole and will not be entered.
Fiji have ASU’s Tolu Young main the best way, who just lately set a nationwide file of 49.38 within the 100 free, and reset their nationwide file on the Oceania Championships in May as they clocked 3:50.55. Young cut up simply 50.84 on that relay, so look ahead to them to take that file beneath 3:30.
Canada could have Josh Liendo and Antoine Sauve, however nobody else on their males’s crew of simply six swimmers is beneath 50 seconds. They in all probability skip this relay, and received’t bother the rostrum in the event that they do swim it.
| Place | Nation | 2022 Commonwealth Games Finish |
| 1 | Australia | 1st |
| 2 | England | 2nd |
| 3 | Scotland | DNS |
| 4 | Wales | 4th |
| 5 | South Africa | sixth |
| 6 | Fiji | eighth |
| 7 | Jersey | ninth |
| 8 | Isle of Man | seventh |
The males’s 4×200 free is considerably of an anomaly right here. Great Britain has the strongest quartet in world swimming at present, however none of its constituent nations will win the occasion right here. Taking a have a look at their quartet – James Guy, Duncan Scott, Matt Richards, Jack McMillan – it’s clear to see why. With all 4 swimming for a unique nation, the depth is pretty evenly distributed, and Australia will profit from that chance.
The Aussies might have been quietly assured anyway. The 2025 World Championships bronze medalists have received a world or Olympic medal yearly since 2017, and had maybe their strongest ever 200 free efficiency at Trials.
Sam Short set a brand new PB of 1:45.16, with Kai Taylor shut behind in 1:45.30. An extra three swimmers (Harrison Turner, Ed Sommerville, and Charlie Hawke) had been beneath 1:46, and each Tommy Neill and Elijah Winnington have thrown down large splits on this relay earlier than.
Short’s flip of velocity, dropping greater than half a second since final season, provides them a real star on this relay. Australia has not had a world or Olympic medalist within the 200 free since Grant Hackett in 2005, however have a number of legit last contenders for the primary time shortly.
There has been quite a lot of turnover because the 2022 version of the Games, with not one of the 4 finals swimmers returning as a part of this relay. Flynn Southam, who led off in 1:45.85 final summer season, is on the crew individually within the 100 free however might be a part of this relay based mostly on coaching camp performances.
The crew must be no weaker for that turnover although. Kai Taylor has a pair of 1:44-point splits to his title now, splitting 1:44.56 on the 2023 World Championships and 1:44.64 on the 2025 World Championships. While their different 1:44-point cut up final summer season, Max Giuliani, won’t be in Glasgow, Turner and Sommerville are in a position replacements.
Sommerville clocked 1:44.93 on the 2025 Australian Trials, however added considerably within the particular person occasion at worlds and was left off the relay. He was a barely slower 1:45.72 at Trials this 12 months, 0.01 behind 200 fly star and 2025 200 fly world bronze medalist Harrison Turner, who lowered his lifetime finest by over a second with a 1:45.71.
The possible quartet is Short, Taylor, Turner, and Sommerville. All of them might be 1:45-point or higher, they usually can change any of them with out shedding as a lot as the opposite nations they are going to be in competitors with. This is a relay which must be assured of hitting 7:02 or higher, which will likely be greater than sufficient for the gold right here.
England could have relay specialist James Guy, who has received 4 world gold medals and two Olympic gold medals on this occasion over the past decade. He set his lifetime better of 1:45.04 main off the prelims relay on the 2024 Olympic Games, and has clocked 1:45.08, 1:45.28, and 1:45.38, and 1:45.50 within the 200 free since April final 12 months.
Gabe Shepherd has burst onto the scene this 12 months, and is the #3 English swimmer in historical past because of the 1:46.39 he swam on the Aquatics GB Championships. He proved himself a stable relay swimmer on the junior stage within the summers of 2024 and 2025, and might be the second-best leg on this relay after Guy.
Tom Dean is the wildcard. He missed the Aquatics GB Championships by means of damage, however for the second 12 months in a row was named to a world crew as a discretionary choose. He owns the British file at 1:44.22, however has solely been 1:48.48 to date this season, 4 tenths slower than he was within the lead as much as worlds final summer season. He cut up 1:46.35 in Singapore on the 2025 World Championships, two and a half seconds slower than his best-ever cut up of 1:43.84, however one thing comparable could be sufficient for England on this occasion.
The fourth crew member will likely be the place the intrigue is available in. Jacob Whittle swam on this relay on the 2022 World Championships (1:46.80) and at 2022 Commonwealths (1:47.89), and owns a better of 1:47.85 however hasn’t damaged 1:50 since 2024. Mills clocked 1:48.32 on the Aquatics GB Championships, however has solely damaged 1:50 thrice in his profession, all inside a 5 week interval earlier this 12 months.
That makes Max Litchfield the most definitely choice. He positioned eighth on the Aquatics GB Championships in 1:47.58, his second-fastest swim ever, and posted his third-fastest of 1:47.63 within the heats. He has not been a function on this relay just lately, however did swim it on the 2024 World Championships the place he cut up 1:46.88 within the heats and 1:46.89 within the last.
Scotland have three quarters of what might be an excellent relay, however their fourth swimmer will likely be a 1:49-point flat begin. Duncan Scott has been among the finest swimmers on this planet on this relay, with extra 1:44-point-or-better splits than anybody else within the final decade, and is coming off splitting 1:43.95 eventually 12 months’s World Championships. He would be the key man for Scotland, and has been 1:45.44 to date this season.
He additionally cut up 1:44.48 on this relay 4 years in the past, the quickest cut up within the area, and will likely be joined by Charlie Hutchison and Evan Jones. Jones was a heats swimmer on the 2025 World Championships the place he cut up 1:47.43, however set an enormous better of 1:46.50 this April and will have 1:45-point velocity. Hutchison hasn’t fairly matched the heights of final summer season, when he received a number of European U23 medals, however owns a better of 1:46.84 regardless of solely clocking 1:48.83 this 12 months.
The fourth member of the relay appears to be a alternative between Matt Ward (1:49.43), George Smith (1:49.02), and Luke Hornsey (1:49.79). That isn’t a disastrous leg, however might be sufficient of a distinction to England’s that it sinks Scottish hopes for silver.
Wales have the highest British swimmer to date this 12 months and present British champion in Matt Richards, and whereas he has an in a position lieutenant in Tyler Melbourne-Smith the opposite two legs will not be fairly on the identical stage as their rivals.
Kieran Bird was simply 1:48.46 on the Aquatics GB Championships, though owns a better of 1:46.99, and their last swimmer will possible be Dan Jones, who clocked a brand new PB of 1:49.26 at these championships and cut up 1:48.79 4 years in the past.
Richards has been 1:44.77 to date this season, his fourth-fastest swim ever, and Melbourne-Smith dropped eight tenths of a second on the Aquatics GB Championships to clock 1:46.67. The nationwide file of seven:10.64 might be in peril, however that doesn’t appear to be it’ll be sufficient for a podium this 12 months.
Canada might put a crew of Benjamin Loewen, Ben Winterborn, Antoine Sauve, and Lorne Wiggington collectively, however that’s not prone to bother any of the nations above. South Africa are additionally within the ‘could field a team but won’t be aggressive’ membership, though it appears unlikely that Pieter Coetze would swim which would depart them a person brief.
| Place | Nation | 2022 Commonwealth Games Finish |
| 1 | Australia | 1st |
| 2 | England | 2nd |
| 3 | Scotland | third |
| 4 | Wales | 4th |
| 5 | Canada | fifth |
| 6 | Isle of Man | seventh |
| 7 | Gibraltar | eighth |
| 8 | Guernsey | N/A |
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