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Filip Nowacki secured his status as Jersey’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete by storming to a historic gold medal in the men’s 200m breaststroke.
The 18-year-old led from start to finish in a commanding display, touching the wall in 2min 07.87sec before erupting in celebration as he climbed on to the lane dividers and slapped the water in delight while soaking up the enthusiastic applause around the Tollcross International Swimming Centre as Jersey flags waved. Canada’s Oliver Dawson claimed silver, with Australia’s Olympic champion, Zac Stubblety-Cook, taking bronze.
Having captured silver in the 100m breaststroke earlier in the Games, Nowacki arrived as the favourite and delivered under the weight of expectation. The Jersey teenager took control from the opening 50m, remained in front at halfway and produced a superb pull-out after the turn to extend his advantage.
By the 150m mark, Nowacki had opened up a lead of more than seven tenths of a second and never looked in danger of surrendering it, powering home to claim Jersey’s first Commonwealth swimming gold.
It was Jersey’s first Commonwealth gold medal in any sport since Colin Mallett won the individual fullbore shooting title in Auckland in 1990 before teaming up with his father, Cliff, to take bronze in the pairs.
Nowacki’s triumph marks another milestone in the remarkable rise of the world junior and British senior champion, who is widely viewed as the heir to the British breaststroke great Adam Ramsay-Peaty, having already finished ahead of the Olympic champion in the 100m breaststroke final in Glasgow.
England’s teenage sensation Amalie Smith claimed her second medal of the Games with bronze in the women’s 200m individual medley. The 16-year-old, who won silver in the 400m individual medley on her Games debut on Monday, again impressed against an experienced international field, finishing third behind Australia’s Jenna Forrester and South Africa’s Aimee Canny.
Smith qualified third fastest for the final, with Forrester the quickest and the favourite for gold. Scotland’s Katie Shanahan delighted the home crowd by leading at the halfway stage after 100m, while Smith remained firmly in contention throughout. The English teenager briefly hit the front during the closing stages before Forrester surged clear to win in 2:09.24, with Canny securing silver.
Smith held on for bronze, adding another podium finish to an outstanding first Commonwealth Games campaign. Shanahan narrowly missed out on a medal in fourth after her fast start, while Wood was unable to challenge for the podium.
Earlier, Scotland’s Stephen Clegg claimed gold in the men’s S14 50m freestyle, with the five-time Paralympic medallist touching the wall in 24.73sec to secure an impressive victory. South Africa’s Nathan Hendricks finished second in 24.84, while Canada’s Nicolas-Guy Turbide took bronze in 24.96. The triumph comes days after the 30-year-old won silver in the men’s S13 100m freestyle, where his brother James narrowly missed the podium in fourth place.
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Clegg’s latest success adds Commonwealth Games gold to an already distinguished career. He had previously claimed silver in the same event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, making this victory a significant milestone in his medal collection.
“This is extraordinarily special for me,” Clegg said. “It’s a career highlight. I don’t know how to put it into words. Every time I try and find a way to express it, it feels like I’m underselling it.
“Not only to win a gold in Scotland, but also to hear the national anthem, is emotional beyond words. I was just trembling the entire time while on the podium. I put my arms around Nick and Nathan and we went to take the pictures and they were like: ‘Why are you shaking?’
“Swimming is an individual race, but it’s a team sport. I have an incredible team around me, not just my coaches, but my teammates and my support staff, from my nutritionist and my psychologist to my gym coaches. They all make such a huge difference. It’s such a big puzzle to pull those consistent performances together and not only to produce those consistent performances, but to continue to develop through my career.”
