{"id":648330,"date":"2026-07-27T12:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T19:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=648330"},"modified":"2026-07-27T12:29:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T19:29:46","slug":"commonwealth-games-day-4-finals-sam-williamson-runs-down-michael-houlie-for-second-breaststroke-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/commonwealth-games-day-4-finals-sam-williamson-runs-down-michael-houlie-for-second-breaststroke-gold\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonwealth Games, Day 4 Finals: Sam Williamson Runs Down Michael Houlie for Second Breaststroke Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commonwealth Games, Day 4 Finals: Sam Williamson Runs Down Michael Houlie for Second Breaststroke Gold<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just as in the 100 breaststroke final two days earlier, South Africa’s\u00a0Michael Houlie<\/strong> had the most early speed. And even in a race half the length, Australia’s Sam Williamson<\/strong> had enough energy remaining to close the gap in the final strokes and secure gold.<\/p>\n

Williamson, behind with 15 meters remaining before pulling even in the final five meters, ended up winning gold by 0.27, a wide margin in a race so short. Williamson recorded a time of 26.50, making him the second-fastest swimmer in the world this year behind American\u00a0Van Mathias<\/strong>. He finished within two tenths of his Oceanic record of 26.32, a time Williamson posted on the way to winning a world title in the event in February 2024.<\/p>\n

This second gold medal in Glasgow made Williamson the fifth swimmer and fourth Australian to win two individual golds. His female teammates Lani<\/strong> Pallister<\/strong>, Jenna Forrester<\/strong> and\u00a0Alex Perkins<\/strong> already had two apiece while South Africa’s\u00a0Pieter Coetze<\/strong> is two-thirds of the way to a backstroke sweep. Williamson continued his remarkable rebound after suffering a career-threatening knee injury last year, a rupture of his patellar tendon that required an extensive rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

Houlie grabbed silver in 26.77 while bronze went to England’s\u00a0Adam Ramsay-Peaty<\/strong> in 26.94. Ramsay-Peaty, the world-record holder and only man to swim sub-26 in the event, has now won a medal in the 50 breast in four consecutive Commonwealth Games. He previously won gold in 2022 and silver behind South Africa’s\u00a0Cameron van der Burgh<\/strong> in 2014 and 2018.<\/p>\n

Chris Smith<\/strong> just missed making it a second South African on the podium here, one hundredth back of Peaty in 26.95. Filip Nowacki<\/strong>, who became Jersey’s first-ever Commonwealth Games medalist in swimming, placed fifth (27.20) as he awaits the 200 breast, in which he will be favored.<\/p>\n