Swimmer Freya Colbert formed part of Team England’s silver medal-winning Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay team after a night of high drama at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
The current Loughborough student and sport scholar produced a time of 53.41 seconds in leg two as Team England attempted to chase down eventual gold medal winners, Australia.
The top podium spot remained just out of reach with the quartet of Colbert, Eva Okaro, Leah Schlosshan and Freya Anderson settling for a solid second place in 3:35.66.
First-place Australia hit the wall in 3:31.40, with South Africa taking bronze in 3:38.67 – an African record.
Abbie Wood, a Loughborough University alum, will also take home a medal as her efforts of 55.17 seconds in the heats helped England progress to the final with ease.
In Para Powerlifting, there was more joy for Loughborough as Olivia Broome, Mark Swan and Matthew Harding all made the podium in their respective events.
Broome, another Loughborough alum, lifted 119kg in the Women’s Lightweight category to secure bronze for Team England, adding to the silver medal that she won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Nigeria’s Esther Nworgu took gold in a Commonwealth Games record, with compatriot Esther Oyema taking silver.
Speaking to the media following her performance, Olivia Broome said: “To come away with a bronze medal after battling a bit of an illness last week and trying to bring back the shape that I was in in such a short amount of time, to be walking away with this, I'm happy.”
In the Men’s Lightweight category, Loughborough-based Mark Swan won an incredible gold earlier in the day.
Swan’s top lift of 222kg – more than three times his body weight – saw him win the first gold medal at the 2026 Games, beating Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike in second place and Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin in third.
Mark Swan told BBC Sport: “To get the first medal, especially gold, for Team England in the very first medal event, it's absolutely huge.
“Hopefully this motivates the rest of the athletes in Team England to go out and push.”
In the evening session at the SEC Armadillo, Matthew Harding successfully lifted 199kg to take a well-deserved silver. The university-based athlete bettered his sixth-placed finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games to win a medal that will live long in the memory.
Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris won gold, and Nicodemus Moses of Malaysia took bronze.
Sports Scholarships play a vital role in helping athletes thrive. With philanthropic support, student-athletes can seize every opportunity at Loughborough, realise their potential, and strive for success both on and off the field. To donate, visit: www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/commonwealth-games-2026/support-athletes
For all the latest Loughborough news around the Commonwealth Games, visit the dedicated website here: www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/commonwealth-games-2026/
Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #Lboro2Glasgow
