{"id":648155,"date":"2026-07-25T11:41:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T18:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=648155"},"modified":"2026-07-25T13:57:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T20:57:38","slug":"commonwealth-games-day-two-finals-sam-short-wins-stunning-victory-as-aussies-sweep-the-400m-freestyle-in-glasgow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/commonwealth-games-day-two-finals-sam-short-wins-stunning-victory-as-aussies-sweep-the-400m-freestyle-in-glasgow\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonwealth Games, Day Two Finals: Sam Short Wins Stunning Victory As Aussies Sweep the 400m Freestyle In Glasgow"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Commonwealth Games, Day Two Finals: Sam Short Wins Stunning Victory As Aussies Sweep the 400m Freestyle In Glasgow<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sam Short<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The 23-year-old led almost the whole way, his loping stroke taking control off the first turn from England’s James Guy<\/strong> after two laps, as he ploughed through eight laps of the Tollcross International Aquatic Centre.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Short\u2019s splits: 25.58; 53.07, 1:20.56,1:48.73, 2:16.69, 2:45.10, 3:13.59, 3:41.25.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Short took control on the second lap and powered away in a solo swim to record Australia\u2019s 17th<\/sup> victory in the event from defending champion Elijah Winnington<\/b> (3:45.56) with his St Peters Western training partner and Games rookie Ben Goedemans<\/b> taking bronze \u2013 a fingernail behind in 3:45.57.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The boy from Rackley’s in Queensland revealed after the race he had quite a frantic countdown before arriving at the pool, saying he didn\u2019t realise after heats this morning that his race was going to be first up tonight.<\/p>\n

“I had to really handle that\u2026and there was a footie game on here locally so that made traffic a nightmare..so I had to roll with the punches today so really happy to get that good swim out.”<\/p>\n

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And on his solo effort out in front, Shoirt said: \u201cI am getting used to it and holding my composure\u2026it\u2019s hard\u2026but I prefer to have it that way for a championship\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A result that reversed the 2022 Games podium order when Winnington won gold from Short and 2016 Olympic champion Mack Horton<\/strong>, and this was the\u00a0fourth sweep for Australia since 1970 in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With Winnington telling Olympian and Channel 7 Australia’s Mixed Zone interviewer, Giaan Rooney that he actually climbed out of a sick bed to take his place in the final.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m quite emotional actually\u2026(Coach) Dean Boxasll <\/strong>just told me to fight\u2026and fight really hard towards the end..I have been pretty unwell the last 24 hours..I just wanted to give it everything\u2026it\u2019s not the fastest time but Dean said going into tonight\u2026this has nothing to do with times\u2026it\u2019s all about adversity\u2026showing how hard you can fight and that\u2019s what I wanted to do tonight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rookie bronze medallist Goedemans saying: \u201cTo race with these boys and go 1-2-3 it\u2019s amazing and a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was Australia\u2019s seventh gold and the 12th<\/sup> medal of the Games and the fourth time Australia has swept the event since 1970.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There was a lot of talk before the race about Short (with a personal best of 3:40.08) chasing Ian Thorpe\u2019s Commonwealth Games record of 3:40.08 and Lukas Martens<\/strong>‘ world record of 3:39.96. But Short said after his heat win that the Commonwealth Games was a championship meet and it wasn\u2019t about the time but about getting your hand on the wall first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And he maintained his place as the number one 400m swimmer in the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Short joins a \u201cwho\u2019s who\u201d of Australians to have won the event. the 17th<\/sup>\u00a0<\/span>Australian since the great Manly swimmer\u00a0<\/span>Noel \u201cTiger\u201d Ryan<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>won back-to-back gold in Vancouver and Sydney in 1934 and 1938 respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An illustrious list includes Olympic champions\u00a0<\/span>John Konrads, Murray Rose, Bob Windle, Duncan Armstrong, Kieren Perkins, Mack Horton<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>and Thorpe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Breaking the world record would see Short become the seventh Australian to break the mark, joining\u00a0<\/span>John Marshall<\/strong>, Konrads, Rose,\u00a0<\/span>Brad Cooper<\/strong>, Perkins and Thorpe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n