Larkin finds mojo as Peaty crashes to earth

Gold Coast (Australia) (AFP) – Five highlights we learned from the Commonwealth Games swimming competition on the Gold Coast.

– Le Clos makes history –

South African Chad le Clos leaves Australia as the most decorated swimmer in Commonwealth Games history with a career total of 17 medals. He finished the meet with three golds, one silver and a bronze to lie just behind the Games’ most successful athletes, shooters Mick Gault and Philip Adams. Le Clos claimed an unprecedented butterfly treble and came up just short in the 100m freestyle.

– Reality check for Peaty –

Adam Peaty arrived in Australia unbeaten since the 2014 Glasgow Games, but while he defended his 100m title he was brought crashing down to earth by South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh in the 50m final. World record holder Peaty expressed fears he wouldn’t remain as Olympic champion in the 100m unless he learned to become more relaxed about his swimming. 

– Ruck’s great eight –

Canadian teenager Taylor Ruck had a breakout Commonwealth Games, finishing with eight medals to equal the most by any athlete — countryman Ralph Hutton and Australian swimmers Susie O’Neill and Emily Seebohm. The 17-year-old stormed to gold in the 200m freestyle and her victory in the 4×100 medley relay on the last night made her Canada’s greatest ever Commonwealth athlete.

– Great Scott! –

Duncan Scott produced swimming’s biggest giant-killing upset when he won Scotland’s first-ever Commonwealth title in the 100m freestyle. The unheralded 20-year-old mowed down Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers and le Clos to grab gold and finished the meet with six medals. Scott added a silver and four bronze medals to his gold to top the four won by Gregor Tait at Melbourne 2006.

– Larkin finds mojo –

Mitch Larkin was Australia’s star turn in the pool, winning five golds in five events. Larkin completed a backstroke treble, the 200m medley and a flying lead-off leg in the 4×100 medley relay final. His resurgence comes after a poor world championships in Budapest last year. He’d said he wanted to ‘get the Old Mitch back’. Job done.