The first Athletics medals highlight day 4 of the Commonwealth games

The first of the Athletics medals at the Scotstoun Stadium highlights day four of the Commonwealth Games with plenty of other action in the pool, gymnasium and the in the weightlifting, providing a packed day of action.

Swimming and Para Swimming

Medal Events: Women's 400m Individual Medley Final, Women's 100m Freestyle Final, Women's 100m Butterfly Final, Men's 50m Breaststroke Final, Men's 200m Butterfly Final, Men's 800m Freestyle Timed Final, Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final, Women's SB8 100m Breaststroke Final, Men's SB9 100m Breaststroke Final

The Women's 400m Individual Medley features Australia's Jenna Forrester as the clear favourite for gold, bringing elite world-class pedigree to Tollcross, including a hard-fought 400m IM silver medal at the 2025 World Championships. Forrester leads the Australian charge alongside teammate Ella Ramsay, but she will face a challenge from home-nation favourite Katie Shanahan (SCO), who will look to harness the roaring Glasgow crowd to propel her onto the podium.

The Women's 100m Freestyle is a marquee event that promises absolute fireworks in the pool. Australian heavyweights Mollie O'Callaghan (AUS) and Shayna Jack (AUS) head up the field as the formidable favourites, but England brings incredible depth to the starting blocks with Freya Anderson (ENG), Eva Okaro (ENG), and Leah Schlosshan (ENG) all fighting for podium spots in what should be a blisteringly fast race. Watch out for New Zealanders Laticia-Leigh Edwards (NZL) and Monique Pedersen (NZL) trying to punch above their weight and disrupt the frontrunners in a race where fractions of a second will decide the medals.

The Men's 50m Breaststroke is always the ultimate frantic sprint lottery, but all eyes will be locked on Adam Ramsay-Peaty (ENG), who proved he is back in ominous single-lap form with a blistering 26.64 seconds at the GB Championships, but he was only 3rd in the 100m. The master of the explosive start will have to hold off intense domestic pressure from his training partner Filip Nowacki (JER) and teammate Max Morgan (ENG), not to mention the ever-present Australian sprinting threat of Sam Williamson (AUS), who took gold in the 100m , ensuring a breathtakingly fast touch at the wall.

The Men's 200m Butterfly is set up beautifully as a fierce Battle of Britain. Duncan Scott (SCO) comes in with the roaring Tollcross crowd behind him, but he narrowly edged out Edward Mildred (ENG) in a thrilling, razor-close duel at the GB Championships earlier this year. Mildred will be desperate to overturn that result on the international stage, while fellow contenders like Finlay Knox (CAN) have the back-half endurance to reel them in over the final 50 metres if the early pace goes out too hot.

The Men's 800m Freestyle Final makes its historic debut as part of the expanded distance programme at Glasgow 2026, bringing a fresh tactical dimension to Tollcross. Australian distance powerhouse Sam Short is expected to set a blistering early pace, but he will face fierce competition from Northern Ireland's Daniel Wiffen and fellow Australian Benjamin Goedemans in the battle to claim the inaugural Commonwealth crown over this middle-distance freestyle test.

The para-swimming events offer an unmissable domestic showdown in the Women’s SB8 100m Breaststroke, headlined by a fascinating duel between teenage sensation Iona Winnifrith (ENG) and reigning world champion Brock Whiston (ENG). With Isabella Haynes (ENG) also firmly in the mix, we could see a dominant English sweep of the podium if they all execute their race plans cleanly.

The Men's SB9 100m Breaststroke Final features a thrilling showcase of para-swimming power and technical execution. Australian contenders Beau Matthews and Timothy Hodge will battle it out down the final fifty metres against Scotland's Oliver Carter, where explosive turns and late-race endurance will dictate who stands on the top step of the podium in front of the roaring Glasgow crowd.

The Women's 100m Butterfly Final promises to be a tightly contested affair, with England’s Emily Richards (ENG) and Lucy Fox (ENG) primed for a fierce battle near the front. However, they will be pushed all the way by New Zealand's Hazel Ouwehand (NZL), who possesses the explosive speed required to spoil the English podium ambitions in a wide-open race.

Another relay, another race that is Australia's to lose: the Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay features an Aussie squad with staggering depth, making them the heavy favourites to claim gold. The real drama lies in the scramble for the remaining podium steps, where a deeply balanced Canadian quartet, a formidable English squad featuring the likes of Freya Anderson, and host nation Scotland will go stroke-for-stroke in a must-watch endurance battle.

Athletics and Para Athletics

The Women's 10,000m Final brings an electric atmosphere to Scotstoun Stadium on opening night. Following the withdrawal of local hero Eilish McColgan, Scottish hopes rest firmly on the shoulders of Megan Keith, who will look to use the home crowd to battle a formidable East African contingent. Kenya's Beatrice Chebet and Lilian Kasait Rengeruk are expected to push a relentless pace, alongside Uganda's Sarah Chelangat and England's Samantha Harrison in the chasing pack.

The Men's Hammer Throw Final is headlined by reigning Olympic and World champion Ethan Katzberg (CAN), who arrives with personal bests soaring well beyond the 80-metre mark, making him the overwhelming favourite for gold. The battle for the remaining steps on the podium will be tightly contested between his compatriot Rowan Hamilton (CAN), England's Nick Miller and Jake Norris, and New Zealand's Anthony Barmes.

The Men's High Jump Final promises a high-stakes duel, with New Zealand's Olympic champion Hamish Kerr arriving as the man to beat. He will face fierce competition from Australia's Yual Reath, while India fields a dual threat in Sarvesh Kushare and Adarsh Ram, alongside local Scottish hope William Grimsey looking to spring a surprise under the lights.

The Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final will likely see Kenyan distance tacticians Amos Serem and Abraham Kibiwot dictate the tempo from the front. However, they will be tracked closely by India's national record holder Avinash Sable and New Zealand's strong-running Geordie Beamish, who are fully equipped to disrupt the frontrunners over the final water jump.

The Men's 110m Hurdles Final is set to be a blistering sprint over the barriers, featuring Jamaican sprint-hurdling royalty Rasheed Broadbell and Hansle Parchment. They will be pushed all the way by England's rapid Tade Ojora, Australia's Chris Douglas, and India's Tejas Shirse in a razor-thin race where zero errors can be afforded.

In the para-athletics field events, the Women's Shot Put F55-57 Final showcases incredible technical power, with India's Sharmila Dhankar and Shilpa Kanchugarakoppalu Shyla leading the medal hunt against a competitive international field.

The Men's 1500m T20 Final is set to be a massive moment for the host nation, with a stellar Scottish trio of Steven Bryce, Owen Miller, and Ben Sandilands taking to the track to battle for the medals in front of a roaring home crowd.

The Women's T37/38 100m Final brings explosive short-track para-sprinters to Scotstoun Stadium, where top international classification talent will sprint down the straight for the podium.

Finally, the Men's 100m T38 Final features intense short-distance acceleration, with India's Rakeshbhai Bhatt and Shreyansh Trivedi lining up in a swift and competitive field chasing a prized medal finish.

Gymnastics Apparatus Finals Preview

Medal Events: Men's floor exercise final, Women's vault final, Men's pommel horse final, Women's uneven bars final, Men's rings final

The Men's Pommel Horse Final kicks off the apparatus programme with Northern Ireland's Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan arriving as the overwhelming favourite to claim gold, backed by his unmatched difficulty and execution scores. The treacherous apparatus will test the entire field, with England's Joshua Nathan and Cyprus stalwart Marios Georgiou ready to pounce on any rare error to challenge for the top step of the podium.

The Men's Floor Exercise Final promises a high-flying, spectacular showdown. England's Luke Whitehouse brings immense tumbling difficulty to the floor, but he will face severe competition from Canada's all-around standout Felix Dolci, who relies on sticky landings and supreme execution to match the raw power of the field.

The Men's Rings Final features a fierce test of brute strength and stability. Canadian powerhouse William Émard enters as a primary contender for gold, but he will be pushed all the way by England's Adam Tobin and a competitive international field where microscopic form breaks on the dismount will dictate the medal placings.

The Women's Vault Final pits veteran Canadian star Ellie Black and her exceptional execution against the explosive power of Australia's all-around champion Georgia Godwin and Wales's dynamic vaulting specialist Ruby Evans, setting up a thrilling sprint down the runway where every tenth of a point is critical.

The Women's Uneven Bars Final showcases a highly technical battle of release moves and handstand precision. Australian standout Kate McDonald brings world-class pedigree to the bar routine, but she faces fierce pressure from Canada's Ellie Black and England's specialist contenders in a wide-open final where connection values will decide the champion.

Weightlifting

Medal Events: Women's 53kg final, Women's 58kg final, Men's 71kg final, Men's 79kg final

The Women's 53kg Final shapes up as an intense tactical battle on the platform, featuring Nigerian champion Omolola Onome Didih and India's consistent medal contender Gyaneshwari Yadav. They will face heavy pressure from Australia's Brenna Kean and England's Noorin Gulam, where strategic weight declarations during the clean and jerk phase will ultimately determine who claims the gold.

The Women's 58kg Final brings elite international pedigree to the SEC Armadillo, headlined by Australian standout Kiana Elliott and Nigerian powerhouse Rafiatu Folashade Lawal. India's experienced Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam and England's Eliza Pratt are also right in the mix, promising a fierce battle for the podium steps where consistency across all six lifts will be vital.

The Men's 71kg Final promises explosive lifting, with host-nation hope Corey Duncan looking to thrill the Scottish crowd. He will be pushed to the limit by Nigeria's dynamic Edidiong Umoafia, Samoa's John Tafi, and England's Jonathan Chin in a wide-open category where every single kilogram on the bar alters the medal standings.

The Men's 79kg Final features a high-stakes showdown between India's Ajaya Babu Valluri and Malaysia's tactical specialist Muhammad Erry Hidayat. Scotland's Iain Wilson will carry strong home support onto the platform, while Canada's Shad Darsigny and England's Chris Murray possess the brute strength required to disrupt the frontrunners under maximum loads.

 

Daniel Mott