Australia capped its most successful athletics campaign at the Commonwealth Games with a historic podium sweep in the women's mile and a breakthrough men's 4x100m relay victory, securing seven gold medals on the final day of track and field competition in Glasgow.
Historic Podium Sweep in Women's Mile
Abbey Caldwell, Jessica Hull, and Claudia Hollingsworth delivered an unprecedented one-two-three finish in the women's mile, with Caldwell taking gold ahead of Hull and Hollingsworth. The trio's achievement marked the first time Australia has swept the medals in this event at the Games.
"It is a privilege to line up with people like Jess and Clauds," Caldwell told Channel Seven. "Getting onto the track, they are my main competitors, and for them to be from the same nation is unbelievable, so watch out for us Aussie girls in the coming years." Hull, who had already secured silver in the 5000m, expressed her amazement at the sweep: "I heard them [the stadium commentators] say with about 40 to go, that the Australians are going to sweep, and I was just like, 'Oh my god!'"
Relay Gold After 52-Year Wait
The men's 4x100m relay team, comprising Lachie Kennedy, Josh Azzopardi, Calab Law, and Rohan Browning, claimed Australia's first gold in the event since 1974. The team took calculated risks with faster baton handovers to edge out Olympic champions Canada by just 0.04 seconds.
"We all knew we were capable of getting gold today, so all our [handover] marks, we pushed them out [stretched them], and we just sent it," Kennedy said. Browning, who had carried the burden of a disqualification in the 2022 heats, described the win as "probably the most special moment of my career."
Other Gold Medal Wins
Mackenzie Little won gold in the javelin, while Matt Denny and Rhiannon Clarke triumphed in the discus and T38 200m respectively. Jemima Montag led another Australian sweep in the 10,000m walk, finishing ahead of Elizabeth McMillen and Rebecca Henderson.
Kurtis Marschall secured a third consecutive pole vault title, clearing 5.85m to break Steve Hooker's Commonwealth Games record set in 2006. "It couldn't have been more of a fairytale ending if I asked for one," Marschall said, adding that he aims to break Hooker's Australian record of 6.06m.
Silver and Bronze Achievements
Luke Boyes earned silver in the 800m, Ky Robinson added a 5000m silver to his 10,000m gold, and Cam Myers finished second in the mile behind world record holder Josh Kerr. Myers expressed disappointment, citing hesitation at a critical moment: "I had a perfect position with a lap to go, and I lost it to two or three guys, and I gave Kerr a three-metre head start at 200 to go, so you can't do that at this level."
Record-Breaking Day for Australia
The seven gold medals surpassed the previous Australian record of six in a single day at the 1950 Auckland Games, setting a new benchmark for the nation's track and field performance at the Commonwealth Games.
