The Commonwealth Games 2026 continued on Saturday with a packed schedule featuring netball semi-finals, athletics finals, cycling events, and more. The day's action saw England's netball team take on New Zealand in a highly anticipated semi-final clash, while athletics fans were treated to several medal finals.
Netball Semi-Finals: England vs New Zealand
England's netball team faced a formidable New Zealand side in the first semi-final, with the winner securing a spot in the gold medal match. The game was a tense affair, with both teams exchanging leads throughout. England's defense, led by Geva Mentor, put pressure on New Zealand's shooters, while the attacking unit of Helen Housby and Eleanor Cardwell looked sharp.
New Zealand, however, showed their experience, with captain Katrina Rore anchoring the defense and shooter Maia Wilson providing accurate scoring. The match was decided by a few key turnovers in the final quarter, with England ultimately emerging victorious 58-54, according to the official Games website.
Athletics Finals: Sprint and Distance Events
On the track, the men's 200m final was one of the highlights, with Jamaica's Oblique Seville taking gold in a time of 19.95 seconds. Seville, who had been in strong form throughout the season, held off a late challenge from Canada's Aaron Brown, who finished with silver in 20.05 seconds. The bronze went to England's Zharnel Hughes, who clocked 20.12 seconds.
In the women's 800m, Kenya's Mary Moraa delivered a dominant performance, winning gold in 1:57.85. Moraa, the world champion, used her trademark kick to overtake Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson in the final 100 meters. Hodgkinson, who had led for most of the race, settled for silver in 1:58.10, while Australia's Catriona Bisset took bronze in 1:59.02.
Cycling: Track and Road Events
On the velodrome, Australia's track cycling team continued their dominance, winning gold in the men's team pursuit. The quartet of Kelland O'Brien, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy, and Josh Duffy set a new Games record of 3:47.12, beating New Zealand's team in the final. Great Britain took bronze, edging out Canada in a tight race.
In the women's keirin, New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews claimed gold, her second of the Games, after a powerful sprint in the final lap. Emma Finucane of Wales took silver, and Colombia's Martha Bayona Pineda secured bronze.
Other Highlights: Swimming and Diving
In the pool, Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan won the women's 100m freestyle final with a time of 52.35 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey. Canada's Penny Oleksiak took bronze. O'Callaghan's victory added to Australia's medal tally, which continued to lead the overall standings.
On the diving board, England's Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding took gold in the men's synchronised 3m springboard, scoring 440.94 points. The Malaysian pair of Ooi Tze Liang and Chew Yiwei claimed silver, while Scotland's James Heatly and Ross Beattie took bronze.
Impact on Medal Table
As of the end of Day 7, Australia remained at the top of the medal table with 45 gold medals, followed by England with 28 and New Zealand with 15. The host nation, India, had secured 12 golds, with several more events still to come in the final two days of competition.
According to the official Games website, over 6,000 athletes from 72 nations are competing in 26 sports, with the event running until August 3. The final day will feature the men's and women's netball finals, as well as the closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
