Commonwealth Games: Alicia Coutts Wins Third Gold Medal, Brent Hayden Swims World-Leading 100 Freestyle During Day Four Finals

DELHI, India, October 6. THE fourth day of long course meter finals is complete at the Commonwealth Games held in India.

Women's 100 fly finals
Unquestionably the biggest breakout star of the meet, Australia's Alicia Coutts won her third gold of the meet with a 57.53 in the event. That performance jumped her up to fifth in the world rankings. England's Ellen Gandy placed second overall in 58.06 to take ninth in the rankings, while Wales' Jemma Lowe finished third in 58.42. Lowe improved her 17th-ranked season best of 58.44, but did not leapfrog Felicia Lee (58.41) into 16th.

Australia's Yolane Kukla (58.47), Australia's Felicity Galvez (58.83), Canada's Audrey Lacroix (59.22), England's Jessica Sylvester (59.40) and Canada's Katerine Savard (59.91) comprised the rest of the finale.

Men's 100 free finals
Canada's Brent Hayden stood atop of the world in the sprint free event, as the first man under 48 seconds this year with a 47.98 for the win. He cleared Michael Phelps' previous top-ranked time of 48.13, and lowered Hayden's Games record of 48.18 set as Canada's leadoff in the men's 400 free relay on day one this year. England's Simon Burnett raced into second place with a time of 48.54, while Australia's Eamon Sullivan faded to third in 48.69. Burnett moved into 10th in the world rankings, while Sullivan could not replicate his ninth-ranked season best of 48.52 set in March.

South Africa's Gideon Louw (49.21), Australia's Kyle Richardson (49.26), Australia's Tommaso D'Orsogna (49.40), South Africa's Graeme Moore (49.64) and England's Adam Brown (49.82) also competed in the finale.

Men's 400 IM finals
South Africa's Chad Le Clos captured the distance medley crown with a Games-record time of 4:13.25 for his second gold of the meet. That performance moved Le Clos up to ninth in the world rankings, and crushed the previous meet mark of 4:15.98 set by David Carry in 2006. England's Joseph Roebuck captured silver with a time of 4:15.84, while South Africa's Riaan Schoeman completed the podium with a third-place 4:16.86.

Wales' Thomas Haffield (4:17.47), Australia's Thomas Fraser-Holmes (4:17.99), Canada's Brian Johns (4:19.77), England's Roberto Pavoni (4:19.81) and Scotland's Lewis Smith (4:21.64) finished in fourth through eighth place.

Women's 800 free finals
England's Rebecca Adlington won the distance event going away with an 8:24.69. She's been much faster this year with a top-ranked 8:21.25 from the Barcelona stop of the Mare Nostrum in June. South Africa's Wendy Trott placed second in 8:26.96, while Australia's Melissa Gorman finished third in 8:32.37.

Australia's Katie Goldman (8:38.65), Australia's Blair Evans (8:39.66), England's Sasha Matthews (8:45.28), Scotland's Megan Gilchrist (8:47.83) and England's Aimee Wilmott (8:49.31) completed the rest of the championship heat.

Semifinals
South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh and New Zealand's Glenn Snyders posted matching times of 27.86 to lead the way in the men's 50 breast. Australia's Christian Sprenger (28.10) and Brenton Rickard (28.11) finished third and fourth. Canada's Scott Dickens (28.35), England's Daniel Sliwinski (28.53), Tonga's Amini Fonua (28.73) and Wales' Robert Holderness (28.74) completed the field for the finale.

Australia's Emily Seebohm downed the short-lived Games record of Gemma Spofforth in the women's 50 back with a top time of 28.03. That performance cleared Spofforth's preliminary time of 28.30. Spofforth finished second in semis with a 28.29, while New Zealand's Georgia Davies finished third in 28.45. Australia's Sophie Edington claimed fourth overall in 28.53. Claiming the other spots for the final were Canada's Julia Wilkinson (28.65), Australia's Grace Loh (28.72), New Zealand's Emily Thomas (28.85) and Canada's Sinead Russell (29.09).

Australia's Leisel Jones claimed the top seed in the women's 100 breast with a 1:07.73. Aussie teammate Samantha Marshall finished second in 1:07.51, while fellow Australian Sarah Katsoulis placed third in 1:08.47. England's Kate Haywood picked up the fourth seed heading into finals with a 1:08.51. Canada's Annamay Pierse (1:08.97) and Martha McCabe (1:09.47), and England's Stacey Tadd (1:10.16) and Rebecca Ajulu-Bushell (1:10.67) completed the top eight.

Australia's Ashley Delaney charted the top time in the men's 100 back semis with a 54.31, while England's Liam Tancock placed second in 54.32. New Zealand's Daniel Bell (54.38) and Wales' Marco Loughran (54.45) qualified third and fourth. England's Christopher Walker-Hebborn (54.76), New Zealand's Gareth Kean (55.26), South Africa's Charl Crous (55.28) and England's Ryan Bennett (55.50) will also compete in the final.

Australia's Yolane Kukla turned in a 25.02 for the top seed in the women's 50 free. New Zealand's Hayley Palmer placed second in 25.11, while England's Fran Halsall continued a bounce-back day with a third-seeded 25.18. Canada's Victoria Poon also made the finale with a 25.26. Australia's Marieke Guehrer (25.35), England's Amy Smith (25.49), Australia's Alice Mills (25.63) and Malaysia's Lai Chui (26.03) will also swim in the final.

Kenya's Jason Dunford topped the men's 100 fly semis with a 52.39, while Australia's Geoff Huegill finished second in 52.53. Australia's Chris Wright (53.04), England's Antony James (53.08), Papau New Guinea's Ryan Pini (53.12), Canada's Stefan Hirniak (53.85), Cayman Islands' Shaune Fraser (53.88) and Scotland's Andrew Mayor (54.31) picked up finals spots as well.

Day Four Finals Results

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