{"id":648173,"date":"2026-07-25T12:32:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T19:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=648173"},"modified":"2026-07-25T13:22:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T20:22:01","slug":"commonwealth-games-day-2-finals-flying-fish-alex-perkins-claims-australias-third-gold-medal-of-the-night-in-the-50m-butterfly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/commonwealth-games-day-2-finals-flying-fish-alex-perkins-claims-australias-third-gold-medal-of-the-night-in-the-50m-butterfly\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonwealth Games, Day 2 Finals: Flying Fish Alex Perkins Claims Australia\u2019s Third Gold Medal of the Night in the 50m Butterfly"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Commonwealth Games, Day 2 Finals: Flying Fish Alex Perkins Claims Australia\u2019s Third Gold Medal of the Night in the 50m Butterfly<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Australia\u2019s flying fish Alex Perkins<\/b> has powered off the start to win her second gold medal of the Games with a brilliant win in the 50m butterfly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The 25-year-old was never headed from the get-go after an impressive and precision display of underwater work to surface well ahead of the field, winning in 25.37 from South Africa\u2019s Erin Gallagher<\/b> (25.57) with New Zealand\u2019s Hazel Ouwehand<\/b> (25.76) taking bronze.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Queensland Sunshine Coaster, coached by Michael<\/b> Sage<\/strong>, has had a glorious start to the meet, dominating one of her pet events after winning her first gold on night one as a member of Australia\u2019s all-conquering 4x100m freestyle relay with Mollie O\u2019Callaghan, Shayna Jack <\/b>and Meg Harris.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Perkins saying after the race: “It doesn\u2019t really feel real..I don\u2019t think it has really sunk in yet\u2026.it\u2019s been. Big coupole of days with more racing than I\u2019m used to but I\u2019m just really proud of myself\u2026that I was able to back up..and get the job done\u2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt did take me a while to realise I\u2019d actually won..I can\u2019t really see through my goggles..but when it sunk in it was a relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt my speed\u2019s been really good\u2026I was definitely chasing a personal best\u2026I do think I\u2019ve got a bit more in me but today\u2019s just about getting your hand on the wall first.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It was the sixth time Australia has won the event with Perkins joining Emma McKeon<\/b> (2022), Cate Campbell<\/b> (2018), Danni Miatke<\/b> (2006) and the 2026 Chief de Mission Petria Thomas<\/b> who won the in augural 50m butterfly gold in Manchester in 2002.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For 27-year-old Gallagher it was her second consecutive silver, finishing second to McKeon in Birmingham in 2022, and for 26-year-old Kiwi Ouwehand<\/b>, it is the first medal for New Zealand in this event with all three girls having their sights set on LA28 when the 50m butterfly is swum at the Olympics for the first time.<\/p>\n