Glasgow gold rush closes curtain at Scotstoun Stadium

Australian athletics has enjoyed its most successful day in Commonwealth Games history, winning seven gold and 17 medals in total, and for two events it was an Aussie clean sweep.

The previous best day was six gold and 11 medals back in 1950, which was the first time Australia won the men’s 4x100m relay. On Saturday in Glasgow, they upstaged Olympic champions Canada with the dream run capping off a day that will go down in history.

In 2026, the green and gold have been the talk around Scotstoun Stadium for the continual medal rush over six days. Australia concluded the Athletics and Para Athletics program with 34 medals – 12 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze. 

The nation’s sprinting rise has been cemented with Men’s 4x100m gold in Glasgow, as Lachlan Kennedy, Joshua Azzopardi, Calab Law and Rohan Browning led at every exchange of the relay, as Browning glanced over his shoulder to see the clock read 38.07-seconds and gold for Australia, with the quartet supported by Christopher Ius in the heats.

“We knew what we had in us. We are all competitors and to put it together when it matters, full credit to the fellas,” Kennedy said.

The victory was even sweeter after a disqualification at Birmingham 2022.

“Four years ago I fell over in the heat and got this team DQ’d and I’ve had to carry the burden for the last four years. These guys did all the hard work, all I had to do was hold on,” Browning said.

The 4x100m women finished in fourth place, just 0.02-seconds outside of bronze, running a team of Ebony Lane, Chloe Mannix-Power, Monique Hanlon and Torrie Lewis in the final where they clocked 43.09-seconds, supported by Georgia Harris in the heats.

Writing her name into history as the first ever winner of the Women’s Mile at the Commonwealth Games, it was Abbey Caldwell who landed the knockout blow in the final event of the program, leading an Australian sweep of the podium.

The tactical race saw Caldwell with speed to burn in the final 200m, where she stretched away to win in 4:39.31 ahead of silver medallist Jessica Hull (4:39.86) and Claudia Hollingsworth (4:40.20).

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming of for years now and to execute was an absolute dream come true. Glasgow has put on an absolute show for us,” Caldwell said.

“I truly believed that I was there to take that gold medal and that belief is what got me to the line first.”

“The competitiveness and rivalry we have is so healthy and it brings so much joy to the team.”

In the most anticipated race of the championships, 20-year-old Cameron Myers rose to the occasion with silver in the Men’s Mile, where he could only be topped by world record holder and hometown hero Josh Kerr (SCO).

After a slow start, Myers led at the bell before being shuffled back with 200m remaining; depriving himself of running room as Kerr stretched away to win in 3:54.12 ahead of the Australian in 3:55.26. 

“I want to be challenging and the reality is that with 50m to go, he was 5-10m in front. It doesn’t even feel like I was racing him, I was racing the other guys and I don’t want to be the best of the rest – I want to challenge for the win,” Myers said.

Teammates Oliver Hoare (3:56.28) and Adam Spencer (3:56.62) trailed in fifth and eighth placings.

Jemima Montag successfully defended her Birmingham crown when leading home an Australian sweep in the 10,000m Race Walk, as teammates Elizabeth McMillen and Rebecca Henderson joined her on the podium.

Montag stopped the clock in 42:13.40, followed by McMillen (42:39.87) who led 23 of the 25 laps for silver and Henderson (43:27.46) in bronze.

“I knew I had to be on my absolute A-game today to win and I never underestimated how strong the other Aussies are. Today was a PB, so they are keeping me on my toes,” Montag said.

Discus king Matt Denny also successfully defended his throne, winning with a 67.73m throw that capped off a strong series which saw him own the five farthest throws in the competition to defeat Fedrick Dacres (JAM, 65.10m) and Lawrence Okoye (ENG, 64.45m).

Denny celebrated with a victory lap with his son Roman in his arms, sporting earmuffs to protect himself from the Scotstoun Stadium crowd. 

“Becoming a Dad has been a big one for me and to be able to have him be able to share that moment with Mia; they’re the biggest part of my life. He’s not going to remember but I know I will when I’m old and grey,” Denny said.

Setting a new Games record of 5.85m was Kurtis Marschall who became the first Australian man to win three consecutive Commonwealth titles, winning by a margin of 15m as his career-best year sailed on.

Also standing atop the podium was Mackenzie Little, who built on her major championship form to reign supreme in the Women’s Javelin Throw with a 61.88m throw in the opening round, burying the field in blustery conditions as Lianna Davidson finished fourth with 57.61m.

Paralympian Rhiannon Clarke won the first international gold medal of her career in the Women’s 200m T38 in a time of 26.92 (+1.6), producing a barnstorming finish to lead home two Australian medals as teammate Briseis Brittain landed bronze in 27.66-seconds. 

“I have always wanted to be a gold medallist! I feel like that’s everyone’s dream and to be able to have done it and to know that all the hard work has paid off is incredible,” Clarke said.

Middle-distance star Ky Robinson added tactical 5000m silver to his Glasgow campaign which already featured 10,000m gold, leading the field into the final lap before settling for silver in 13:24.70, while Luke Boyes also clinched silver in the Men’s 800m – charging home in 1:45.93 to add to the medal rush. 

Building upon her Commonwealth Games medal collection with silver in 2018 and 2022, long jumper Brooke Buschkuehl collected bronze just one year after giving birth, leaping 6.80m (+2.5) to lead home teammate Delta Amidzovski in fourth with 6.75m (+2.8). 

Samuel Rizzo lit the fire in the first track event of the day when winning bronze in the Men’s 1500m T54, working alongside teammate Sam Carter at the front of the field, with Carter fading to sixth place in the final lap.

Throwing a new Australian record of 10.29m to finish in fifth place of the Men’s Shot Put F57, father of three Matthew Sheppard made his first appearance on the international stage. 

Full results from Athletics and Para Athletics at the 2026 Commonwealth Games can be found HERE.

Commonwealth Games Australia