Commonwealth gold rush on the Gold Coast

Team England’s Tom Hamer and Ellie Robinson won para-swimming golds in back-to-back races on the opening night of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Tom Hamer broke his own world record to land the S14 200m Freestyle title before Ellie Robinson added the S7 50m Butterfly crown. 

As Paralympic silver medallist and world record holder, Tom Hamer (pictured above) was one of Team England’s top medal hopes on the opening night. The English swimmer delivered in style, taking control of the race in the second 50m on the way to a time of 1:55.88.

Hamer’s time saw him become the first S14 swimmer to break 1:56 for 200m Freestyle, lowering his world record of 1:56.18 from last year.

Tom, said:

"I took it steady in the first length to see how everyone was reacting first and then the middle 100m I worked on that and tried to bring it home on the last length.

“It’s pretty incredible to be the first world record of the meet. I’m super pleased. I got a silver in 2014 and it’s amazing to see how much I’ve progressed in four years.” 

Minutes later, there was another English champion in the pool as Northampton Swimming Club’s Ellie Robinson (pictured above) stormed clear in the S7 50m Butterfly.

While Ellie, who is classified as an S6 swimmer, was ‘swimming up’ on the Gold Coast, she won by nearly two seconds, touching in 35.72. Canada’s Sarah Mehain was next home in 37.69.

Ellie, said: 

“I’m very focused before I get in the pool. I tell myself what I can do and what I can achieve. It’s then about going into the pool and proving that to myself. The most important thing for me is to have that self-belief that I can do it.

“I really love having big crowds to swim in front of and show people what I can do.”

Before the swimmers made a splash, there was plenty to celebrate on the cycling track, with Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott (pictured above) securing not only Team England’s first gold of the Games but the first world record from any competitor in action.

The English pair won gold in the Blind and Visually Impaired sprint finals, taking the title in two races and with a world record time of 10.609 seconds. 

Sophie, said:

"It's been amazing, it's been more than we ever expected so we are absolutely over the moon." 

More Home Nations success on the track as Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham secured Scotland's first title of the Games. Last to go in the Blind and Visually Impaired 1000m time trail, the pair stormed to gold in style with a time on 1:00.065.

World, and now Commonwealth champion, Neil Fachie said: 

"I’m so, so happy with it. We are in a fortunate position where we did race everyone here less than two weeks ago [at World Championships], so not a lot can change really but we knew we had to be completely on our A game if we wanted to beat it.

"The crowd was immense for us as well as for the home team so I can’t thank them enough for the support they’ve given us.

"Matt is definitely built for tandem racing. He’s a great solo rider in his own right, but on the front of a tandem he is immense."

Team Wales para-cyclist James Ball and his guide Pete Mitchell join them on the podium, taking silver in the same event. 

Follow the action of our Home nation stars on the Gold Coast 2018 website. The Games take place from 4-15 April 2018. 

Photo credit: Swim England, ParalympicsGB