Games records fall as Aussies bank gold

Cam McEvoy has added another chapter to his swimming renaissance, dominating the 50m freestyle final at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The 32-year-old dad was the only finalist to go under 21 seconds as he led an Australian medal sweep ahead of Flynn Southam and Jamie Jack.

It emphatically ended McEvoy’s personal gold medal drought in his third Commonwealth Games.

Lani Palliser similarly turned the 1500m freestyle into a personal time trial, while Kai Taylor swam an outstanding anchor leg to give Australia the win over England in a riveting 4x200m freestyle relay final.

Iona Anderson, aged 20, produced a gusty win in the women’s 100m backstroke final then shared an emotional hug with Scottish grandmother Pam.

Tim Hodge (pictured), Australia’s baton bearer at the opening ceremony, set the tone early on Monday morning (AEST) with victory in the men’s 100m backstroke S9 as his nation claimed five gold medals in the Tollcross pool.

Australian swimmers have now collected 16 gold medals in three days, entrenching their country atop the overall Games medal standings.

McEvoy clocked 20.97 seconds to beat Flynn Southam’s 21.44, while Jamie Jack took bronze in 21.47.

McEvoy broke the world record mark in March this year with 20.88 at the China Swimming Open. It had stood for 17 years.

The Australian’s latest achievement continues his remarkable swimming renaissance since taking a sabbatical after the Tokyo Olympics and nearly quitting the sport.

Nicknamed ‘The Professor’, he returned to the sport and radically overhauled his training before winning the 50m freestyle at the Paris Olympics.

This is McEvoy’s fourth Commonwealth gold at his third Games – the previous three were in relays.

Anderson, who had tartan-patterned nails done for the Games in a nod to her heritage, stopped the clock at 58.71 to pip Canadian Kylie Masse (58.77).

Pallister won the 1500m final by nearly 18 seconds, but there was nothing certain about Australia’s win in the 4×200 men’s freestyle relay.

England led at the last change, but Taylor stormed home to claim the last gold of the evening.

Sam Short, Harry Turner, Ed Sommerville and Taylor clocked seven minutes 1.47 seconds to break the Games record Australia set in Birmingham.

Also on day three, Australian Matthew Temple suffered a bad case of deja vu, again losing to Canadian star Josh Liendo in a record-breaking 100m butterfly final.

Liendo beat the Australian by one one-hundredth of a second.

The Olympic silver medallist clocked 50.42 seconds while Temple touched the wall in 50.43, going under the Game record of 50.63 that the Australian had set on day two in the semi-finals.

Liendo also won gold in the 100m butterfly four years ago at the Birmingham Games and Temple dead-heated for silver with English swimmer James Guy.

Gemma Sellick (silver) and Victoria Belando Nicholson (bronze) medalled behind England’s Alice Tai in the women’s 100m backstroke S9.

Commonwealth Games Australia