Dolphins set for most successful Games

CLOSE but not yet.

The Australian Dolphins have turned Tollcross Swimming Centre into their own record-breaking liquid gold.

With one night of finals left, the Dolphins are set to establish a new Commonwealth Games record for most gold, and most medals won.

Tonight a haul of five gold, 3 silver and four bronze saw the Dolphins on top of the table with a staggering 28 gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze – equal to the golds won at the Gold Coast in 2018 (28 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze).

And while Glasgow is famous for its exceptionally fresh tap water piped straight from Loch Katrine, it will now also famous for the exceptional water performances of the Australian swimming team.

Led by distance ironwoman Lani Pallister, the Samsational Sam Williamson, young gun Flynn Southam and the 4x100m medley relay team, here is how the night unfolded.

TEEN QUEEN:

Sienna Toohey added a second breaststroke medal to her week, taking silver (30.54) in the women’s 50m breaststroke final following her 100m bronze earlier in the meet.

TORCH PASSED: SOUTHAM STRIKES 100M FREE GOLD
Flynn Southam won the men’s 100m freestyle final to claim his maiden international title while handing Kyle Chalmers his first defeat by a fellow Australian on the world stage. Just 21, Southam clocked 47.13 to end Kyle Chalmers’ hold on the title. Chalmers, who claimed silver on the Gold Coast in 2018 and gold in Birmingham in 2022, took bronze this time, touching in 47.74.

For Southam, his gold adds to his haul of two relay golds and a silver in the 50m freestyle.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JENNA’S:

Kiralee Hayes and Jenna Jones, both already medallists in the S13 100m freestyle, flipped the script and swapped podium positions for the women’s S13 50m freestyle. Hayes claimed gold (27.63), adding to her bronze in the 100m moving up the podium, while Jones, swimming as an S12, added to her golden collection from the same 100m race, now with a bronze (29.02). Also sizzling in the one lap dash was 14-year-old Mia Hogan who placed fourth (29.26).

Meanwhile the other Jenna – Jenna Forrester ground out her fourth win of the meet but this time in the 200 IM in 2:09.24 to finally earn a day off. For Forrester, this was her third gold after claiming gold in the 200m backstroke, gold in the 400m IM, bronze in the 400m freestyle.

Ella Ramsay, bronze in the 400m IM, placed fifth (2:10.83) and Tara Kinder sixth (2:11.09).

PALLISTER’S POOL:

Lani Pallister claimed a distance trifecta with the 1500m and 400m freestyle champion adding the 800m freestyle title in a Games record – 8:11.12 – to her collection, a fifth medal for the meet and her third individual gold. Molly Walker added another bronze – again in a PB (8:25.93) – while Tiana Kritzinger (8:33.28) placed fifth.

BACK IN THE MIX

Iona Anderson (27.45) added a silver from the 50m back to add to her 100m crown from earlier in the week – and then Hannah Fredericks, up early for the medley relay heat, rounded out a long day in the pool with a finals swim in the same race, finishing eighth.

UNBLEMISHED:

Six starts for six golds from Australia’s relay stocks as recently minted backstroke queen Anderson, Samsational Williamson, reliable Matt Temple and world champion Meg Harris put on the after burners to claim the 4x100m mixed medley relay in a Games record of 3:40.46. Williamson was the only athlete to back up from the morning heat that set the Dolphins up beautifully for the final – shout out to Hannah Fredericks, Brittany Castelluzzo and Harrison Turner.

FINAL WORD:

Tomorrow’s final session boasts an all-star cast of Shayna Jack, Alex Perkins and Meg Harris … and that’s just in the women’s 50m freestyle final. Ben Armbruster, Cam McEvoy and Kyle Chalmers will chase 50m butterfly gold; Henry Allan fought his way through to the men’s 100m backstroke final and two relays remain on the program – men’s and women’s 4x100m medley final.

The Dolphins are chasing eight from eight, and history as the best ever Commonwealth Games swim team.