Duncan Scott got the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games off to an ideal start for the host nation as he won the men’s 200m medley title on day one of the swimming at a packed Tollcross International Pool.
The Glasgow-born athlete clocked a Games record of 1:56.38 to take gold, with silver going to New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt in 1:56.77 and England’s Tom Dean – who beat Scott to Tokyo 2020 gold in this event by 0.04 – taking bronze in 1:67.22.
Scott and Dean, who will compete at the European Aquatics Championships Paris 2026 next month, train together at the University of Sterling. Both have won men’s 4x200m freestyle gold at the last two Olympics and last year’s World Aquatics Championships.
“I have raced Duncan my whole adult career. We stood on the podium of this event four years ago. To stand next to him, to walk out with him in front of his crowd, it was something I will never forget. I am fortunate to call him a training partner as well as a friend.”
Elsewhere on the opening night in the pool England took silver in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle.
The men’s quartet recorded 3:11.69 behind Australia, who set a Games record of 4:09.49, and ahead of South Africa, who clocked 3:13.99.
The women’s clocked 3:35.66 behind the 3:31.40 recorded by Australia, with South African earning bronze in 3:38.67.
Scotland’s Katie Shanahan earned women’s 200m backstroke silver in 2:08,65, with gold going to Jenna Forrester of Australia in 2:08.17 and Hannah Fredericks of Australia taking bronze in 2:09.02.
In men’s para-swimming, Scotland’s James Clegg took silver in the 100m freestyle S13 in 55.16 behind the 54.54 recorded by South Africa’s Nathan Hendricks, with England’s Matthew Redfern earning bronze in 56.86.
Home swimmer Faye Rogers earned gold in the women’s para-swimming 200m individual medley SM10, clocking 2:29.61. In the 100m freestyle S13 Ela Letton-Jones of Wales earned silver in 1:04.30 behind Jenna Jones of Australia, who clocked 1:03.89.
Swimming at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games runs from July 24 to 29.
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
