Short & Pallister Lead Dolphin Threat: 6/8 Top Spots In 2 Finals
Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Day 2 Heats: all big guns safely through, Sam Short at the helm of 400 free pace, three Aussies in the middle four lanes with N. Ireland's Dan Wiffen for the showdown; and Lani Pallister leads three Dolphins in top 4 of the 200 free with England's Freya Colbert
Sam Short and Lani Pallister, the 400m champion last night, led the next wave of Dolphin podium chasers into day 2 finals here at the Tollcross International Pool the day after Duncan Scott got the hits off to a cracking start:
Craig Lord
The men's 400m free and women's 200m free will each feature three Australians in the middle lanes this evening a day after a Dolphin gold rush:
Craig Lord
Short, the defending champion and 2023 Worlds gold medalist was followed home by Ben Goedemans, with 2002 World champion Elijah Winnington the third Dolphin through in fourth adrift Northern Ireland's Olympic 800m free champion Dan Wiffen.
Pallister, who is favourite for there 800 and 1500m free titles and is also in line for 4x200m action in a relay with Australia's name on it, topped the 200 heats ahead of teammates Inez Miller and Olympic champion Mollie O'Callaghan, in fourth a fingertip behind England's Freya Colbert, none of them in need of putting a foot on the gas.
On the eve of the Games, O'Callaghan, the World champion either side of her Paris 2024 victory at Fukuoka 2023 and Singapore 2025, revealed that she was told just last month before Australian trials that she should quit swimming "immediately" on medical grounds, Commonwealth and Pan Pac Championships selections washed away, her career on the rocks.
She posted on Instagram:
"I was also told to stop swimming immediately. It was a moment that reinforced just how much representing Australia means to me and how badly I want to be part of this team. The scans showed stress fractures and bone oedema in my lumbar spine. My team immediately sought advice from a spinal specialist to see if there was any safe way for me to compete. Thankfully, after further assessment, everything has continued to move in a positive direction, and after Trials I was given the green light to compete at the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs. "
The post in full:
Day 2 qualifiers for semi-finals - all big guns comfortable through:
