Swimmers power SA’s medal charge at Commonwealth Games halfway mark

Before the 2026 Commonwealth Games commenced in Glasgow on 23 July, Erin Gallagher announced that these Games would be her last. On Monday night, 27 July, the South African swimmer ensured it would be a campaign to remember, claiming bronze in the 100m butterfly by just 0.01 seconds.

Competing at the Tollcross Swimming Centre represented a full-circle moment for Gallagher, who made her Commonwealth Games debut at the same venue 12 years ago.

“Things have come full circle for me, so these are my last Commonwealth Games. I’m the veteran now, but the time is right,” she said. “Next year will be my last World Champs, and that too will be a full circle. My first of those was in Budapest in 2017, and next year they’re back in Budapest.”

Gallagher’s bronze was her second individual medal of the Games after winning silver in the 50m butterfly on 25 July. She also helped Team South Africa (SA) secure bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay, taking her tally in Glasgow to three medals.

At the halfway stage of the Games, SA’s swimmers have been flying the flag high, accounting for all 11 medals won so far – three gold, three silver, five bronze.

Gallagher was not the only swimmer on the podium on Monday as Michael Houlie secured silver in the 50m breaststroke.

But the one to watch has been 22-year-old Pieter Coetzé, who has smashed two Games records in as many days.

The backstroke sensation claimed gold in the 200m backstroke on 26 July in a Games record time of 1:54:22. A day earlier, he had already won gold in the 50m backstroke in 24.18 seconds.

This was his third time breaking the 50m record in this edition of the Games. He first clocked 24.45 in the heats, then lowered it to 24.29 in the semi-finals.

The victory marked an upgrade from his silver at the 2022 Birmingham Games and brought his Commonwealth Games tally to six medals across two editions.

“This feels amazing. I think I had some challenges in my training for these Games and it’s honestly been quite a tough time, so I didn’t know what was going to happen at all,” said Coetzé after the 50m final.

“This medal really means a lot to me because when there’s uncertainty and you’re not really sure where you are, it can be quite nerve-wracking. So, getting the gold and especially getting on the podium with Ruard [van Renen] is amazing.”

Van Renen finished third in the 50m backstroke and was also part of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team that claimed bronze.

The relay quartet, with the addition of Coetzé and Guy Brooks, also featured Chad le Clos. With a strong final leg securing bronze, Le Clos etched his name in history by becoming the most decorated male athlete, securing his 19th Commonwealth medal in his fifth Games.

The Olympic medallist was visibly emotional after the race, reflecting on the importance of the medal, albeit bronze, after a tough couple of years.

“I shouldn’t be crying at bronze, I should be crying at gold, but honestly this means the world,” he said. “After the near misses and some really hard times over the past year, few years, this is unbelievable, and I’m just so grateful to my family for all their support.”

South Africa’s medal haul began in golden fashion thanks to para-swimmer Nathan Hendricks, who announced himself on the Commonwealth stage with victory in the men’s S13 100m freestyle.

The 20-year-old touched the wall in 54.54 seconds to claim gold on his Games debut.

Elsewhere in the pool, Aimee Canny added a silver in the 100m breaststroke to her name, while Olivia Nel claimed a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke event. Rebecca Meder, alongside Canny, Gallagher and Nel secured a bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay final.

Near misses

The Games have also been defined by a number of near misses for Team SA.

While Houlie celebrated silver in the 50m breaststroke, 20-year-old Chris Smith missed out on the bronze medal by just 0.01 seconds.

On the track, Franco le Roux fell short of the podium in the men’s 110m hurdles final on 27 July.

Also falling short of bronze was veteran weightlifter Johanni Taljaard in the 53kg category.

The 41-year-old, who returned to elite competition after starting a family, lifted a combined total of 175kg – 78kg in the snatch and 97kg in the clean and jerk – to finish just 3kg outside the medals.

Taljaard appeared to have secured bronze with a final lift of 101kg in the clean and jerk, but judges ruled the attempt invalid because of a bent elbow.

“I think the nerves got the better of me today. I felt a bit shaky and couldn’t switch myself ‘on’,” she said. “It’s sad to be so close and feel the medal slipping away out of your hands, but it is what it is. We didn’t have the challenge card to challenge the last lift as it was used in the snatch, but I knew it was a wasted challenge.”

3x3 wheelchair basketball breakthrough

With the streamlined 2026 programme featuring only netball and 3x3 basketball among the traditional ball sports, South Africa has enjoyed encouraging results so far in both codes.

The Proteas netball side have a chance to improve on their disappointing sixth-place finish in Birmingham in 2022. They remain on track after opening the tournament with victories over Malawi and Tonga.

Under coach Jenny van Dyk, the Proteas set a new South African Commonwealth Games scoring record with a 96-42 victory over Tonga, surpassing the previous mark of 92 goals.

“Good performance from the team today,” said Van Dyk. “I think the positives for me were that we were very clinical on the attack, but not as predictable and one-dimensional as we were in the first match.

“On the defence, we had a solid second quarter and really got the momentum going then. To us, the priority is to make sure that we can do that from the get-go.”

The Proteas face Northern Ireland this afternoon, with tough games against Australia and England still to come.

The men’s 3x3 wheelchair basketball team, made up of Zakhele Shelembe, Xola Yalezo, Shane Williams and Simanaga Mbhele, has had a historic run so far in the Games.

The South Africans recorded their first-ever Commonwealth Games victory when they defeated Wales 16-12 on 26 July.

They followed that performance with a 13-10 win over Malaysia on Monday night, leaving them second in Pool B heading into today’s quarterfinal clash against Canada.

A gymnastics debut to remember

In gymnastics, the women’s team was unable to improve their fourth-place finish from Birmingham, instead coming fifth in the team competition.

Sisters Naveen and Zelmé Daries both qualified for the all-round final, with Zelmé earning her place after Caitlin Rooskrantz withdrew. Neither gymnast finished inside the top five, but Naveen has another opportunity to challenge for a medal when she competes in the balance beam final today, 28 July.

Meanwhile, in the men’s competition Daniel Mclean impressed on his Commonwealth Games debut, securing a top-five finish in the floor exercise final. DM