Commonwealth Games, Day Two Finals: Sam Short Wins Stunning Victory As Aussies Sweep the 400m Freestyle In Glasgow
Sam Short shined with a stunning gold-medal performance to lead an Aussie sweep in the 400m freestyle, in a sizzling 3:41.25 on the second night of swimming action in Glasgow.
The 23-year-old led almost the whole way, his loping stroke taking control off the first turn from England’s James Guy after two laps, as he ploughed through eight laps of the Tollcross International Aquatic Centre.
Short’s splits: 25.58; 53.07, 1:20.56,1:48.73, 2:16.69, 2:45.10, 3:13.59, 3:41.25.
Short took control on the second lap and powered away in a solo swim to record Australia’s 17th victory in the event from defending champion Elijah Winnington (3:45.56) with his St Peters Western training partner and Games rookie Ben Goedemans taking bronze – a fingernail behind in 3:45.57.
That reversed the 2022 Games podium order when Winnington won gold from Short and 2016 Olympic champion Mack Horton, and this was the fourth sweep for Australia since 1970 in Edinburgh.
It was Australia’s seventh gold and the 12th medal of the Games and the fourth time Australia has swept the event since 1970.
There was a lot of talk before the race about Short (with a personal best of 3:40.08) chasing Ian Thorpe’s Commonwealth Games record of 3:40.08 and Lukas Martens‘ world record of 3:39.96. But Short said after his heat win that the Commonwealth Games was a championship meet and it wasn’t about the time but about getting your hand on the wall first.
And he maintained his place as the number one 400m swimmer in the world.
Short joins a “who’s who” of Australians to have won the event. the 17th Australian since the great Manly swimmer Noel “Tiger” Ryan won back-to-back gold in Vancouver and Sydney in 1934 and 1938 respectively.
An illustrious list includes Olympic champions John Konrads, Murray Rose, Bob Windle, Duncan Armstrong, Kieren Perkins, Mack Horton and Thorpe.
Breaking the world record would see Short become the seventh Australian to break the mark, joining John Marshall, Konrads, Rose, Brad Cooper, Perkins and Thorpe.