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Australia’s Sam Short is a near unbackable favourite for this. Don’t read too much into his heat time of 3:46.23. Short is desperate to break Lukas Martens’ world record of 3:39.96 after clocking a personal best 3:40.67 at Australia’s trials last month. If he can’t do that, the big one Short would love is Ian Thorpe’s Commonwealth and Australian record of 3:40.08.
Sam Short competing in the 400m freestyle heats earlier today. Getty Images
The Dolphins could go 1-2-3 here with Elijah Winnington and Ben Goedemans in reasonable form. My tip is Short to win but just outside Thorpe’s lifetime best from the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Amazing that time still stands.
Hi folks, I’m here at Tollcross International Swimming Centre for another action-packed day at the pool, and hopefully another gold rush for our Aussie athletes.
It’s 6.35pm here in Glasgow and tonight’s evening session kicks off around 7pm, with men’s 400-metre freestyle final, followed by the women’s 100m backstroke semi-final. Eager spectators are starting to pile into the centre and quickly discard their jumpers and jackets, with the thick scent of chlorine in the air.
It’s been a fairly grey day with some sporadic rain here in Glasgow, but the swimming centre is very warm. Kind of makes you want to join the athletes and take a dip.
Stay tuned for all the action to come.
Over at the bowls, Australia’s women’s pairs team of Dawn Hayman and Kelsey Cottrell have taken the first set over Singapore.
Hayman and Cottrell lost the first end but bounced back to take the next four and the set 6-4. One more set to go!
Dawn Hayman in action on day two. Getty Images
Hello from Glasgow International Arena, where our women’s gymnastics team is in action this morning.
Australia’s Georgia Godwin has the chance to carve herself a little slice of gymnastics history today. If she wins a medal of any colour, she will become the most successful female gymnast in Australian Commonwealth Games history. At the moment, she’s tied with Allana Slater for most medals won with a total of eight.
Slater won three gold, four silver and one bronze between the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur and the 2002 Games in Manchester, while Godwin has won two gold, four silver and two bronze between Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 – she will be wanting to add to that tally in Glasgow.
The fact Godwin has made it back here is quite incredible. She thought her career could be over after she suffered an Achilles injury three months out from the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Now, Godwin is back once again as the most experienced and successful member of the Australian women’s team and as the reigning champion in the individual all-around and vault.
We saw Australia’s men win bronze in the all-round team gymnastics final on day one, and on day two it’s the women’s turn to compete for a medal in the same event.
In the men’s event, the countries split into three groups, and Australia were in the third and final group to compete. But in the women’s event, where group three is in progress, there are a total of four groups. Australia are in group four, and will hit the apparatuses in a couple of hours.
There’s another difference to look out for – the men compete on six different apparatuses, where four athletes from each country compete on each one, and the top three scores count towards the team total.
But in the women’s competition, there are only four apparatuses – vault, floor, beam and uneven bars. Each country puts up at least two athletes on each apparatus. They can put up a third athlete, but only the top two scores will count.
Australia’s team will be led by eight-time Commonwealth medallist Georgia Godwin, who has come back from serious injury to compete.
Not so much sport news, but of note – there has been quite a police presence in the city centre here today. That’s because two rival groups of protesters are out in force.
One group is a right-wing, anti-immigration protest. The other is a left-wing, anti-fascist group.
At least one street in the city centre was shut down by police, with reports in local media that three in total were shut. Those local reports also state that there have been arrests, and that protesters have turned on police at times, throwing glass bottles and other items at police vehicles.
Doesn’t seem to have affected any of the Games venues at all, but we will keep an eye out.
Matthew Richardson went on holiday after winning bronze with the Australian men’s sprint at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and just never came back.
At least, that’s how former teammate Leigh Hoffman described Richardson’s controversial defection from Australia to England following the last Olympics, as the two prepare to face each other at the Commonwealth Games velodrome in Glasgow.
Matthew Glaetzer, Leigh Hoffman and Matthew Richardson after winning bronze at the 2024 Olympics. Eddie Jim
“We’d never experienced something like that before. You know, you grow up racing someone, and you think you’re both Aussie, but then he’s not,” Hoffman said.
Here are a few cool pictures from the action on day two so far:
Australia’s Ella Ramsay competes in the women’s 100m breaststroke heats. Getty Images
Carys Stythe of Team New Zealand jumps for the ball. Getty Images
Uneeq Palavi of Team Tonga reacts during introductions. Getty Images
England couldn’t match Australia’s opening day tally of 99 goals, but they still completed a thumping win over Northern Ireland today to open their competition with an 83-34 win.
The Roses will take on the Diamonds on Sunday evening AEST in their second group game. It’s a match that could well decide which nation will top pool A, although South Africa will also hope to disrupt those plans.
Jayda Pechova of Team England attempts to block Lisa Bowman of Team Northern Ireland. Getty Images
The Roses were far too good for the Irish but they know their biggest test will come in the potential gold medal match preview against Australia.
Roses captain Fran Williams was pleased to see her side win as several new players made their Games debuts and had some “jitters”.
“It gives us huge confidence, but we know tomorrow will be a huge step up, but we are ready for it,” Williams told broadcasters.
Mollie O’Callaghan is expected to complete her full Commonwealth Games schedule despite nursing a back injury in Glasgow.
Leading into the Glasgow Games, O’Callaghan revealed she was told not to compete at national trials in June because of back stress fractures.
Mollie O’Callaghan of Team Australia reacts after competing during the Women’s 200m Freestyle - Heats on day two. Getty Images
The Australian swim star, who has medical clearance to swim in Scotland, won her sixth Commonwealth Games gold medal with victory in the 4x100 freestyle relay on day one.
On Saturday night (AEST), she qualified fourth-fastest for the 200m freestyle final.