Golden night for Aussies as they smash records at Commonwealth Games

Australia had a spectacular Thursday night at the Commonwealth Games, where the first evening of swimming events saw records broken, and five gold medals in total were won by the host nation.

Swimmer Cate Cambell, who had been disappointed by her own ‘choke’ at the Olympic Games in Rio two years ago, led the women’s 4X100m freestyle relay team, comprising Campbell, her sister Bronte, Emma McKeon and teenager Shayna Jack, to a world record time and a gold medal. Campbell completed her own leg of the relay in just 51 seconds, which media reported was the fastest relay split of all time for the event.

Also at the pool, Mack Horton won the 400m men’s freestyle, having dominated the same event at Rio. He overtook fellow Aussie Jack McLoughlin to take the gold, making it the first time an Australian has won that swimming event at a Commonwealth Games since Ian Thorpe triumphed in 2002.

Meanwhile, the Australian men beat their fierce English rivals to take top spot in the team pursuit cycling, beating the record Britain set at the Olympics. Sam Welsford, Leigh Howard, Alex Porter and Kelland O’Brien made up the Aussie team.

The women’s pursuit team – Ashlee Akudinoff, Annette Edmondson, Amy Cure and Alexandra Manly – also took gold, almost lapping New Zealand, The Australian reported. And Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch, who made up the women’s team sprint pair, won their event, also beating NZ.

Australia’s first medal of the games, however, was won by Tasmanian triathlon competitor Jake Birtwistle, who took silver on Thursday afternoon, beaten only by South Africa’s Henri Schoeman.

So far, Australia is leading the overall medals tally with 15 medals, but it is one behind England on gold medals with five against six. 

Are you watching the Commonwealth Games on TV or do you plan to attend on the Gold Coast?