2017 World Champion Ben Proud False Starts in 50 Fly Heats To Start Commonwealth Games

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The first morning of swimming at the 2018 Commonwealth Games from the Gold Coast in Australia featured plenty of drama to get the swimming portion of the Games started. 2017 World Champion Ben Proud broke the Games Record in the 50 fly but was disqualified for a false start as he won’t get a chance to defend his Commonwealth title.

Scotland’s Hannah Miley will have a chance to three-peat in the 400 IM as she is the top seed. Australia’s Mack Horton and Ariarne Titmus will have lane four in their respective finals in front of the home crowd fans. Fellow Aussie Emma McKeon will also have a chance to defend her 200 free title and Scotland’s Ross Murdoch will have a chance to defend his 200 breast title.

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Women’s 400 IM

Two-time defending champion Hannah Miley of Scotland cruised to the top seed at 4:38.20 in the 400 IM on Thursday morning in Australia. Miley is ahead of England’s Aimee Willmott (4:39.19) as the two were first and second four years ago in Glasgow. Miley also won the gold medal in 2010 in Delhi.

Miley is clearly the oldest in the field as she is two years older than Australia’s Blair Evans (4:41.54).

The Australians had plenty to cheer about as Evans and Meg Bailey qualified for the final (4:41.51).

Canada’s Sarah Darcel (4:41.55), Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (4:41.81), Mary Sophie Harvey (4:43.40) and England’s Abbie Wood (4:44.39) also qualified for the final.

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Men’s 400 Free

Australia’s Mack Horton cruised to the top spot in the 400 free heats on Thursday morning in the Gold Coast. Horton showed he has a lot left as he cruised in to a 3:47.93 ahead of Wales’ Daniel Jervis (3:48.18). Australia has not had a gold medalist in this event at the Commonwealth Games since Ian Thorpe broke the World Record in 2002.

Australia has three total finalists tonight with Jack McLoughlin (3:48.31) and David McKeon (3:48.86) placing third and fourth as the Aussies could see plenty of flags during the medal ceremony tonight.

England’s James Guy (3:50.23) placed fifth with a slipping cap as he fell off pace. He should have a lot left if he can keep his cap on.

Canada’s Jeremy Bagshaw (3:50.76), Scotland’s Stephen Milne (3:51.65) and Malaysia’s Welson Sim (3:51.78) also will swim in the championship final.

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Women’s 200 Free

No one has really taken a hard stroke on Thursday morning at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. The Aussies have been swimming well so far in the pool in the Gold Coast as Ariarne Titmus (1:57.02) and Emma McKeon (1:57.40) both advanced to the 200 free final. Australia also picked up a third finalist with Leah Neale (1:58.91).

McKeon is the defending champion in the 200 free as she has a big program of racing ahead of her.

They will have a duel with the Canadian teenage duo of Taylor Ruck (1:57.44) and Penny Olekisak (1:58.21).

England also qualified two finalists with Eleanor Faulkner (1:57.87) and Holly Hibbott (1:58.10). Scotland’s Lucy Hope (1:59.18) will also swim in the final as this is looking promising for Great Britain moving forward, although they compete as separate nations in the Commonwealth Games.

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Men’s S14 200 Free

Every single swimmer qualified for the final tonight as Australia’s Daniel Fox, Liam Schluter and Mitchell Kilduff finished 1-2-3 in the S14 200 free heats on Thursday morning at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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Women’s S7 50 Fly

There were only four competitors in the S7 50 fly as England’s Eleanor Robinson (S6) and Canada’s Sarah Mehain (S7) lead the four qualifiers. Robinson was the only S6 swimmer competing as Australia’s Tiffany Thomas Kane and Canada’s Tess Routliffe will also compete in Thursday’s final.

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Men’s 50 Fly

In a huge turn of events, England’s Ben Proud swam a new Games Record in the 50 fly heats with a 22.84, but was disqualified for a false start. Proud was the defending champion from 2014 in the event and leaves the race wide open as the reigning World Champion is out.

That leaves South Africa’s Chad Le Clos (23.53) as the top seed ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Dylan Carter (23.62) as the race again will be wide open. The top 16 swimmers advance to the semi-finals as South Africa’s Ryan Coetzee (23.94) and Australia’s Grant Irvine (23.95) were the other two swimmers under 24 seconds in the heats.

New Zealand’s Daniel Hunter (24.01), England’s Jacob Peters (24.19), Australia’s David Morgan (24.21) and New Zealand’s Sam Perry (24.23) placed in the top eight.

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Women’s 50 Breast

England’s Sarah Vasey posted the quickest time in the 50 breast heats on the first morning at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia. Vasey is just ahead of two-time defending champion Leiston Pickett of Australia who posted a 30.87 in second.

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker is third seed at 30.92. She was just off the African Record of 30.83 by fellow South African Penny Heyns from the 1999 Pan Pacs. Schoenmaker will have two more chances to get under Heyns’ time at this meet.

The top 16 swimmers will qualify for the semi-finals as Australia’s Jessica Hansen (30.93) and Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson (30.98) also broke 31 seconds in the heats.

Australia’s Georgia Bohl (31.00), Canada’s Faith Knelson (31.19) and Wales’ Chloe Tutton (31.24) also placed in the top eight.

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Men’s 100 Back

Australia’s Mitch Larkin had a lackluster 2017 as he is looking for a clean start in 2018. Larkin had a solid 100 back heat swim with a 54.02 on Thursday morning at the Commonwealth Games in Australia. Larkin was actually second in the 100 back in 2014 at the meet in Glasgow and England’s Chris Walker-Hebborn won the event in Scotland four years ago. Walker-Hebborn is not competing at this year’s Commonwealth Games.

Larkin will move on to the semi-finals ahead of England’s Luke Greenbank (54.62), Australia’s Bradley Woodward (54.71) and New Zealand’s Corey Main (54.99).

The top 16 will move on to Thursday night’s semis. England’s Elliott Clogg (55.08), Canada’s Markus Thormeyer (55.26), Australia’s Ben Treffers (55.30) and Wales’ Xavier Castelli (55.51) placed in the top eight this morning.

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Women’s 100 Fly

Australia’s Maddie Groves posted the quickest time of the morning in the 100 fly heats as she swam a 57.77 in her first major competition since the Rio Olympics. Groves sat out most of 2017 so she has not swam a tapered swim at an international competition in a long time and has showed no signs of slowing down.

Groves is the top seed headed into the semi-finals ahead of fellow Aussie Emma McKeon (58.04) and Canada’s Penny Oleksiak (58.50) who will have a busy night with the 200 free final, 100 fly semis and the 4×100 free relay final. Wales’ Alys Thomas is the third seed at 58.48.

Canada’s Rebecca Smith (58.51), Australia’s Brianna Throssell (58.96), Isle of Man’s Charlotte Atkinson (58.97) and South Africa’s Erin Gallagher (59.25) will also swim tonight as they placed in the top eight.

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Men’s 200 Breast

Defending champion Ross Murdoch had the quickest 200 breast of the heat with a 2:08.77 on Thursday morning in the Gold Coast. Murdoch won the 200 breast in his home country four years ago with a Games Record of 2:07.30 and has a chance to defend that title in 2018.

Can the home country repeat though as Australia’s Matt Wilson is the second seed with a comfortable 2:09.74. Both Murdoch and Wilson finaled in Budapest last year in the 200 breast.

The British have a big influence on the top eight as England’s James Wilby (2:10.07) and Andrew Willis (2:10.52) will swim in the final along with Scotland’s Calum Tait (2:10.83) and Craig Benson (2:12.13).

Canada’s Elijah Wall (2:11.47) and Australia’s George Harley (2:11.62) will also swim in the championship final as Murdoch is looking to be the first to repeat in this event at the Commonwealth Games since Australia’s Ian O’Brien won in 1962 and 1966.

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