Mollie O’Callaghan outgunned as Australia extends Glasgow swimming gold rush | Commonwealth Games 2026

Mollie O’Callaghan has been sensationally dethroned as Commonwealth Games 100m freestyle champion by Meg Harris because the Australian tsunami of swimming medals gushed relentlessly in Glasgow.

Harris’s shock triumph got here after Jenna Forrester continued her good meet with a second gold medal, including the 400m particular person medley title to her 200m backstroke crown.

Alex Perkins made it an ideal twenty sixth birthday current as she lifted the 100m butterfly crown – her second triumph in three days after years of near-misses within the main particular person worldwide races.

Sam Williamson, already champion within the 100m, once more upset the chances to supply a thunderous late burst to stand up for gold within the 50m breaststroke sprint.

Para swimmer Beau Matthews added one other gold within the 100m breaststroke SB9 last, whereas Sam Short powered house to win the 800m freestyle last.

O’Callaghan had been anticipated to once more battle by way of the ache barrier to defend her crown however as an alternative needed to accept the silver in one other Australian 1-2-3, as Shayna Jack, in her last competitors, grabbed the bronze.

The 22-year-old O’Callaghan, who has come into the Games having to battle with stress fractures and bone bruising in her again, had regarded imperious as she received the 200m crown.

“Very happy. Look, I wasn’t meant to be here,” O’Callaghan advised reporters.

“So, to be on the podium with these two amazing ladies – Meg absolute killed it tonight, so did Shayna. Like, honestly, I’m just so happy.

“After the 200m, I kind of re-evaluated my plan. I didn’t feel like myself and went back to the drawing board.”

But this time, it was Albury’s Harris, the 24-year-old double Olympic relay champ, who had the five-time Olympic champ’s measure, main her at midway, with O’Callaghan delivering third.

The Queensland star couldn’t peg again the lead as Harris hit the wall in 52.90 seconds to O’Callaghan’s 53.25 and Jack’s 53.38.

Forrester continued her dream week, following up her shock backstroke victory – an occasion she solely determined to compete in at late discover – with a medley triumph she annexed from begin to end.

Leading after the opening butterfly leg, the 23-year-old stretched away from her English rival Amalie Smith on her specialist backstroke leg, growing her benefit to almost 5 seconds, earlier than comfortably holding on over the past two breaststroke and freestyle legs.

Forrester clocked 4 minutes 31.19 seconds, with Smith timed at 4:33.70, with one other Australian Ella Ramsay, who’d been disenchanted to only miss out on a medal within the 100m breaststroke, grabbing the bronze in 4:37.12.

Perkins continues to take pleasure in probably the most extraordinary meet, successful her fourth gold in as many nights – and on a landmark day.

The 50m fly champion was in a unique class to her chasers, stopping the clock at 56.38, with Scotland’s Keanna MacInnes second, virtually a second down.

Australian Brittany Castelluzzo was fourth, agonisingly lacking out on a medal by a hundredth of a second.

Williamson’s cost for the wall within the one-lap breaststroke was one of many highlights of the meet as he powered by way of over the second half of the race to prevail in 26.50, 0.27sec away from South African Michael Houlie and 0.44 forward of English Olympic nice Adam Ramsay-Peaty.

Matthews, seen as a future para star, got here of age, clocking 1:09.41 to higher Tim Hodge, Australia’s baton bearer on the opening ceremony.

Hodge, who had received the 100m backstroke S9 the evening earlier than, needed to accept bronze behind New Zealander Joshua Willmer.

Kyle Chalmers moved nearer to the tenth gold medal that will take him previous Ian Thorpe as probably the most profitable Australian male swimmer on the Commonwealth Games as he certified quickest for the 100m freestyle last.

“If I win, that’s fantastic. If I get a medal, that’s amazing. I actually just want to enjoy that moment that I’ve worked so hard for, for so long,” he mentioned.