Lani Pallister places years of setbacks behind her to spark Australia gold rush | Commonwealth Games 2026

Lani Pallister has consigned years of battle and setbacks to historical past, opening Australia’s medal tally on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with the primary of six gold medals within the pool. Pallister’s dominant win within the 400m freestyle – the primary remaining on the Games swimming program – was the right begin to a Glasgow marketing campaign that’s anticipated to reap her a wealthy medal haul.

Mollie O’Callaghan later spearheaded a cushty win within the ladies’s 4×100 freestyle relay, whereas the boys’s 4×100 freestyle group rounded out the session by ruthlessly capturing Australia’s sixth gold medal. Kyle Chalmers closed clinically to make sure Australia smashed their Games document from Birmingham 2022, successful in 3:09.49.

But there was nothing predictable about Jenna Forrester’s shock gold medal within the 200m backstroke. Forrester claimed bronze within the 400m freestyle, stood on the rostrum alongside Pallister then needed to shortly put together for her subsequent remaining.

Fifth at midway and nonetheless fourth in the beginning of the final lap, Forrester stormed dwelling. Forrester completed fourth within the occasion on the June trials and was solely introduced in when backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown needed to pull out with glandular fever.

Like Pallister, it’s Forrester’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Pallister was the one 400m finalist to go beneath 4 minutes, clocking 3:59.56 to simply beat New Zealander Erika Fairweather. The 24-year-old led from the beginning and kicked clear late, ending nicely forward of Fairweather (4:02.65) and Forrester (4:05.25).

Pallister, the daughter of three-time Commonwealth Games medallist Janelle Elford, was outdoors the Games document of three:58.06, set by Australian nice Ariarne Titmus in Birmingham. It was additionally notably wanting her 3:58.87 private finest, with Pallister admitting she wasn’t proud of the time.

But it represented a breakthrough win given Covid-19 cruelled her Paris Olympics marketing campaign. Pallister certified for the three distance freestyle occasions, however might solely race within the 800m. The god-daughter of Australian sporting nice Dawn Fraser additionally had a succession of well being issues in 2021, together with coronary heart surgical procedure and an consuming dysfunction.

“Without all the ups and downs I wouldn’t be the person or the athlete that I am today, and I think that’s really special,” she mentioned after the win. “I’m proud of the journey that I’ve been on and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

“I think it’s really shaped me into a good human.”

Pallister revealed her mom is on a airplane again to Australia after working at an altitude coaching in Sierra Nevada with the nationwide open water swim group. “It’s amazing. I’m so fortunate that my mum has taken me the whole way through and kind of shown me the ropes, and Dawn as well,” she mentioned.

Pallister can also be favorite to win the 800m and 1500m freestyle, and also will contest the 200m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay. “The first event of the Games is always one to set the tone, so I’m happy that I can do that for the whole team,” she mentioned.

Para swimmer Jenna Jones claimed Australia’s second gold, taking out the S13 100m freestyle on Saturday morning (AEST), earlier than Forrester’s huge upset.

“I did not expect that to happen tonight – I am so over the moon,” Forrester mentioned. “I didn’t really have much expectation going into the 400 free or the 200 backstroke, so I’m really happy with how that went.”

Australian William Petric certified quickest within the 200m medley, however was fourth within the remaining as Scottish legend Duncan Scott had the group roaring with the host nation’s first gold.

Alex Perkins was the quickest semi-finalist within the 50m butterfly, whereas fellow Australians Sam Williamson and Zac Stubblety-Cook reached their day-two 100m breaststroke remaining.