Record Night for Australian Swim Team
8 October 2010

Australia has won a wonderful seven gold medals in the Delhi pool at the Commonwealth Games in a night of emotion.

15-year-old Yolane Kukla among the winners.

Geoff Huegill who has lost 45kg as part of his two-year comeback to swimming completed his fairy-tale return to the pool with a gold medal and Commonwealth Games record time of  51.69sec in the men’s 100m butterfly.  The second Australian, Chris Wright, was 4th in 52.66.  Huegill’s time was a personal best and a faster time than he swam when he won bronze at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

15 year old Yolane Kukla won gold in the women's 50m freestyle.  Kukla, the youngest team member of the Australian team was shocked to see her name as number one at the end of the race.

In the women's 200m backstroke Australia’s Meagen Nay won gold in a time of 2min 07.56sec, ahead of Australian teammate Emily Seebohm who won the bronze medal in 2:08.28.

Leisel Jones won Australia’s fourth gold of the night when she won the 100m breaststroke from Australian teammate Samantha Marshall who finished 2nd. This was Leisel’s 9th gold medal at a Common wealth Games, just one medal behind Susie O’Neill and Ian Thorpe who have won a record 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals. 

Australia’s next gold came from Sophie Edington in the women's 50m backstroke.  Sophie swam a games record time to win and Australia’s Emily Seebohm dead-heated for the bronze, to win her 7th medal of these games.    

The Australian women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay team won gold in 3:36.36 to defeat England (3:40.03) and New Zealand (3:42.12).  Canada (3:38.91) finished in second place but were disqualified.
The seventh gold of the night came from disabled athlete Ben Austin in the S8 freestyle.  His teammate Blake Cochrane finished third.

Australian Brenton Rickard shared a silver medal in the 50m breaststroke.

In the men's 100m backstroke, Australia's Ashley Delaney swam 54.51, to win his third bronze medal for the meet.

Kylie Palmer also won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle in a gusty swim.

Alicia Coutts wins third gold medal
7 October 2010

In the 100m Butterfly Women Finals Final Aussie Alicia Coutts won her 3rd gold medal in a personal best time of 57.53.

100m Freestyle Men Finals Final Eamon Sullivan claimed a bronze medal.

Ellie Cole claimed a bronze medal for Australia in the Para Sport 100m Freestyle S9 Women Finals Final

800m Freestyle Women Finals Meslissa Gorman claimed a bronze medal. Australia's Katie Goldman came 4th and Blair Evans 5th.


NIGHT THREE GOLD FOR AUSSIES
6 October 2010

Night three started with a gutsy swim by Australian Ashley Delaney in the Men’s 200m Backstroke.  Ashley won the bronze medal to add to his bronze in the 50m Backstroke.  It was Ashley’s first International medal in a 200m Backstroke.

Gold medal girl from night one, Aussie Alicia Coutts was unstoppable again, winning the Women’s 100m Freestyle in a time of 54.09.  It was her second gold medal at the Commonwealth Games for this rising star following her win in the 200IM on night one.  Australian Emily Seebohm finished a close second in 54.30 for a 1-2 finish for the Aussies.

In the Men’s Para Sport 50m Freestyle, Matt Cowdrey broke the world record in a time of 25.33 to win the Gold medal.  Australia’s Ben Austin was 4th and John Cochrane finished in 5th place.

The Australian girls were unstoppable in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke.  Competing against the World Record holder Annamay Pierce from Canada, the Australian trio of Leisel Jones, Tessa Wallace and Sarah Katsoulis won the gold, silver and bronze medals in a clean sweep for Australia.  It was an outstanding win by Leisel Jones and it took her tally of gold medals won at a Commonwealth Games to 8.

In the Men’s 50m Butterfly, comeback king Geoff Huegill swam a superb race to win the silver medal in the very fast time of 23.37, missing the gold by 0.02sec.  Australian Mitchell Patterson finished in 4th place.

Emily Seebohm has had a great meet so far winning 3 medals, however her breakthrough gold medal in the Women’s 100m Backstroke was outstanding.  Emily won the event and was the only swimmer to swim under 60 seconds in the event.  Australia’s Sophie Edington and Belinda Hocking finished in equal 4th position.

In the Men’s 100m Breaststroke Australian’s Christian Sprenger and Brenton Rickard swam strong races to win the silver and bronze medals. 

The Womens 4 x 200m Freestyle event saw Australia win the gold medal in a dominant display, and not to be outdone, the Mens 4 x 200 Freestyle also won the gold medal.

England versus Australia on Night Two
5 October 2010

In the first event of the night, the Women’s 50m Butterfly, the World Champion Marieke Guehrer 26.27 was beaten by English swimmer Fran Halsall who won the gold by 0.03 seconds.  Emily Seebohm finished 3rd and Yolane Kukla finished 4th in the event.

In the second event, English swimmer Liam Tancock won the 50m Backstroke with Australian’s Hayden Stoeckel 2nd in 25.08 and Ashley Delaney winning the bronze medal. 

In the third event Australia’s Leiston Pickett 30.84 won the Women’s 50m Breaststroke with Leisel Jones second in 31.10 and Sarah Katsoulis in 4th place.

Next up Geoff Huegill, Mitchell Patterson and Andrew Lauterstein are all through to the final of the 50m Butterfly tomorrow night after finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the first semi-final.

Aussies in Action in the Pool on Night Two
5 October 2010

Women's 50m Butterfly Final: Marieke Guehrer, Yolane Kukla, Emily Seebohm
Men's 50m Backstroke Final: Daniel Arnamnart, Ashley Delaney, Hayden Stoeckel
Women's 50m Breaststroke Final: Leisel Jones, Sarah Katsoulis, Leiston Pickett
Men's 50m Butterfly Semi Final: Geoff Huegill, Andrew Lauterstein, Mitchell Patterson
Men's 100m Breaststroke Semi Final: Craig Calder, Brenton Rickard, Christian Sprenger
Women's 100m Freestyle Semi Final: Alicia Coutts, Yolane Kukla, Emily Seebohm
Men's 200m Freestyle Final: Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Kenrick Monk
Women's 100m Backstroke Semi Final: Sophie Edington, Belinda Hocking, Emily Seebohm

Australia One-Two in 200 IM
4 October 2010

Alicia Coutts broke her personal best time of 2:11.43 in the 200m Individual Medley, winning the race in 2:09.70.  Alicia was very excited at the end of the race saying the gold medal was a bonus. Her goal was to swim a personal best time.

Australia’s Emily Seebohm finished second, winning the silver medal in 2:10.83.

The one-two result was an excellent outcome for Australia following the withdrawal from the Australian team of our number one swimmer Stephanie Rice.

Silver Lining for Ryan
4 October 2010

Ryan Napoleon has won the silver medal in the 400m freestyle in one of the gutsiest swims you will see at these Commonwealth Games.

Ryan swam a great race to finish in 3:48.59 just behind Canadian Ryan Cochrane.

In the Mens 200m Butterfly the event was won in a new Commonwealth Games record by  Le Cros of South Africa.  Australians Chris Wright, 4th in 1:57.32 and Jayden Hadler, 5th in 1:57.37 swam very strong races.

Semi-Final Performances into Finals Tomorrow Night
4th October 2010

Daniel Arnamart is through to tomorrow nights final of the 50m backstroke winning the first semi-final in 25.39. 

In the second semi final of the 50 metre backstroke Australian Ashley Delaney finished in 1st place in 25.04 and Hayden Stoeckel second in 25.27.  The three Aussie boys are ranked first, second and third into tomorrow night’s final.

In the Womens 50m butterfly, Marieke Guehrer broke the Commonwealth Games record in 26.07 and Yolane Kukla finished a close second in 26.22 in semi final one.  Emily Seebohm was second in the second semi final in 26.62 with all 3 girls in the final tomorrow night.

The last of the semi finals on night one were in the Womens 50m breaststroke.

Australians Leisel Jones was 1st in 31.29 and Sarah Katsoulis was 3rd in 31.58 in the first semi-final.  Leiston Pickett won the 2nd semi final in 30.74, with all 3 girls in the semi-finals.

Kylie Palmer, you Champion
4th October 2010

Australian swimmer Kylie Palmer has won the opening event of the Commonwealth Games swimming competition.

Swimming in the 200m freestyle, Kylie equaled her personal best time of 1:57.50 and won the first gold medal of the Games.

To win the event Kylie had to beat dual Olympic gold medal Rebecca Adlington.  It was Kylie’s best performance in an individual event at an International meet.

Australian Blair Evans finished 6th place in the event.

Aussies in Night One Finals
4 October 2010

The Australians started day one of the Commonwealth Games with mixed results in the pool.  The competition is fierce with many world champions and medal favourites missing the finals.

Australia pair Blair Evans and Kylie Palmer are the fastest two qualifiers into the final of the Womens 200m freestyle.  Bronte Barratt missed the final.

In the Mens 200m Butterfly Australians Chris Wright and Jayden Hadler qualified 3rd and 4th fastest into the final.  The favourite for the gold medal Nick D’Arcy missed the final by 0.06 seconds.

Alicia Coutts was the fastes qualifier for the final of the 200m Individual medley whilst teammate and event favourite Emily Seebohm qualified 3rd.

AUSTRALIAN FINALISTS – NIGHT ONE
Women's 200m Freestyle Final: Kylie Palmer, Blair Evans
Men's 50m Backstroke Semi Final: Hayden Stoeckel, Ashley Delaney, Daniel Arnamnart
Women's 50m Butterfly Semi final: Emily Seebohm, Marieke Guehrer, Yolane Kukla
Men's 400m Freestyle Final: Ryan Napoleon
Women's 200m Individual Medley Final: Alicia Coutts, Emily Seebohm
Men's 200m Butterfly Final: Christopher Wright, Jayden Hadler
Women's 50m Breaststroke Semi-final: Leiston Pickett, Leisel Jones, Sarah Katsoulis
Men's 4 x 100 Freestyle Final: From Tommaso D'Orsogna, James Magnussen, Mitchell Patterson, Cameron Prosser, Kyle Richardson, Eamon Sullivan

Aussie swimmers hit by ‘Delhi belly’
4 October 2010

Australian swimmers Ryan Napoleon and Robert Hurley have been unwell since eating dinner together last night at the Commonwealth Games village dining hall.

Despite the setback, Napoleon swam a strong 400m freestyle in the heats today to qualify 3rd fastest for tonight’s final.

Hurley wasn’t as fortunate and despite being one of the favourites for the gold medal was not able to swim a time that ranked him in the top 8 swimmers, and missed the final.

Head Coach Confident that Aussies Can Beat English
3 October 2010

Australia Swim Team Head Coach Leigh Nugent has said today that he is confident that the Aussie swim team can hold off the English swim team in one of the toughest Commonwealth Games swimming competitions ever.

The battle between the two swim teams will be one of the major highlights of the Games and both teams are ready to swim fast.

Leisel Jones, the Australian swimmer who won 3 gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, is reported in the Sydney Morning Herald today as saying ''It is certainly not going to be as easy this year as it has been in the past, the Commonwealth Games this year is actually very strong.”

While Aussie Libby Trickett has announced a comeback, she is not yet back in the Australian team, so success in the freestyle events will be left with 15 year old Yolane Kukla and her teammates.

South Africa Swimming Champ to Carry SA Flag
3 October 2010

South African swimming champion Cameron van der Burgh was a very proud man yesterday when it was announced that he would be carry South Africa’s flag in the Commonwealth Games openeing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.

“It’s an incredible honour to carry my country’s flag, and great for my mother to see back home,” said Van der Burgh. “She’s been such a support over the years.”

Meanwhile top South African swimming sprinter Roland Schoeman has had to wait two days to get the air conditioner in his room fixed so that he can get some rest.

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Opening Ceremony No Show for Many Aussie Swimmers
3 October 2010

With the Commonwealth games swimming competition beginning the day after the official opening ceremony, many Australian swimmers have decided not to march in the opening ceremony.  Head Coach Leigh Nugent has advised his swimmers who are competing in the first 3 days of competition to miss the opening ceremony to ensure that they are in the best possible condition when the swimming competition begins.

This is not unusual for swimmers with many of them missing the opening ceremony in previous Commonwealth Games when the swimming events are held in the first 6 days of the Games beginning.

Nugent said the strategy of keeping swimmers away from the opening ceremony was no different to other events like the Olympics, where the swimming competition also begins at the start of the Games on ABC Online.

The Opening Ceremony will be held on Sunday night at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium tonight, with the first swimming events taking place tomorrow (Monday).