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Gold for Van Niekerk as SA swimmers rake in more medals in Glasgow

football28 July 2026 21:20
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Nathan Hendricks © Getty Images

It was another sparkling night for South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Tuesday as swimmers Lara van Niekerk, Nathan Hendricks, Danika Vyncke, Aimee Canny and the mixed medley relay squad raked in more medals for the country.

Van Niekerk defended the women's 50m breaststroke title she won in Birmingham in style at the Tollcross Swimming Centre.

The South African dug deep all the way down the lane to win in 30.43, a gold medal that she conceded “means more than the one four years ago because of the difficulties I’ve had to overcome.”

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Earlier, Hendricks claimed second spot in in the Men's 50m Freestyle S13 (24.84) behind's Scotland's Stephen Clegg.

Hendricks's compatriot, Vyncke, meanwhile, stormed to silver in the Women's 50m Freestyle S13 Final to claim her first medal of the Games, clocking 28.41 to break the African record in the process.

Canny joined the celebrations with second spot in the Women's 200m Individual Medley with a brilliant 2:09.37 — her second medal of these Games.

South Africa's Pieter Coetze laid down the gauntlet with a Games record time of 52.20 in the Men's 100m backstroke semifinal and will be eying another medal for South Africa after claiming gold in the 50m and 200m.

Team South Africa's mixed medley relay squad, starring Pieter Coetze, Michael Houlie, Erin Gallagher and Aimee Canny, capped off a brilliant night for South Africa with another silver medal.

The awesome foursome, aided by Coetze's Games record backstroke leg, stormed to second place in 3:42.61, smashing the African record to earn South Africa its 7th silver of Glasgow 2026 and the 16th medal overall.

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