Commonwealth Games 2026, Evening Session, Saturday August 1: Team England jump up the medal table
The sixth and final day – the 12th session – of a packed programme provided a fitting end to what has been an incredible week of athletics. The return of the mile provided all the fireworks any final act deserves. But so did the relays, which were packed with drama and disqualifications as ever. And amongst all that mayhem, Team England added to an impressive medal count with a fabulous gold in the long jump, silver in the mixed 4x400m and finally a bronze in the pole vault. Great stuff on a truly memorable, historic evening in Glasgow.
Saturday evening’s highlights
- Second gold for Scotland’s Mel Woods
- 53.61 last lap to win men’s 5000 metres
- Team England gold in the women’s long jump
- Games’ record in the pole vault
Women's Long Jump Final
It took a couple of jumps for Jazmin Sawyers (Aston Moore, City of Stoke) to find her rhythm, but find it she did. Her second-round jump of 6.75 moved her up to third, just 12cm off the lead. Ironically, it was one of only a couple of wind-legal jumps of the first two rounds which did suggest there was more to come if the wind gods were with her.
The fourth round answered that prayer. She flew out to a windy 6.93 and the lead. If there was ever perfect moment for the seven-metre jumper to produce her best ever mark outdoors this was it. She followed that was a 6.90 and after years of injuries, Team England’s co-captain secured a memorable gold medal.
“You know what, it hasn’t properly hit me. This was the thing I’ve been telling myself the horrible bits were for,” said Sawyers, describing her long battle with injury after such a promising start to her career.
“There was that big horrible thing when the Achilles ruptured in 2024 and after that I started to protect myself for major championships and it worked.
“Twelve years ago almost to the day I won a silver here in Glasgow and when you’ve done that there’s only one thing to do: upgrade. A couple of days ago on the runway something happened: athletes always tell themselves they can do it and a thought popped into my head ‘you will win’ and that settled me. I’ve never really had that before.”
Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton, City of York) and Molly Palmer (Lukasz Zawila, TVH) both had to settle with their opening mark being their best. Hadaway jumped 6.62 and Palmer 6.55 for sixth and seventh.
Men's Pole Vault Final
Owen Heard (Kate Rooney, Harrow) produced one of the surprise medals of the Games with a bronze. He cleared 5.70 at the third time of asking while ahead of him, the big favourite, Australia’s Kurtis Marschall went over an equal Games’ record of 5.80 at the first time of asking. He then made that his own with a second-time clearance at 5.85 to win his third Commonwealth gold.
Heard had three good attempts at that height but had to settle for the bronze medal.
“We were like gladiators out there going toe to toe,” joked Heard. “I now want to jump even higher at the Europeans next week.”
Men's One Mile Final
Blue fireworks lit up the night sky in Glasgow as Scotland’s Josh Kerr (Edinburgh) won the mile as expected. Early on the field dawdled through the half mile mark in a touch over 2:02 with Kerr boxed in. But over the next 440 yards, he managed to get himself and out and ready to strike at the bell.
He hit it hard over the final lap and had plenty left in the tank on his way to a comfortable victory in 3:54.12, running inside 54 seconds waving to the crowd.
Behind him, Thomas Keen (Mark Vile, Cambridge and Coleridge) was shoved off the track at one point in what was a rough and tumble opening few laps, but he got back going for 11th and 3:57.60.
“That meant everything for me; this was the championships of my season,” said Kerr.
“I don’t think anyone thought it would be run like that,” said Keen, explaining how the race panned out. “When it was a bit slow like that there was a lot of shoving. I was in a good position but yes, I did get shoved on the in-field which was a bit annoying. Disappointed but happy with 1400 metres of the race. I just need to come back and get that last 200 metres right”.
Men's 800m Final
Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson won a bumpy old final in 1:45.33. A relatively slow 52.44 opening lap meant the whole field was locked together with 200 metres to run. As ever, Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke and Mid Hants) was close to the back while Alex Botterill (Steve Cram, City of York) found himself sealed in on the curb.
It was Botterill who finished strongest, but he couldn’t force his way through and ended up fifth in 1:46.26. Pattison finished fast but left himself with too much to do and ran 1:46.25 in fourth.
“That was an absolute disaster for me. I let the race get away from me and everything I could do wrong I did,” said Pattison.
Men's 4 x 100m Relay Final
In a desperately close final, just 0.06sec separated the top four with Australia winning with 38.07. Team England could never quite get on the coattails of the leaders and ended up a frustrated fifth in 38.71. At one point that was fourth, but Canada successfully protested against their disqualification and were reinstated in second.
Elliot Jones (Leon Baptiste, Liverpool Pembroke) led out followed by Nicholas Walsh (Tony Walsh, Sale Harriers), Nathaneel Mitchel-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham and Essex Beagles) and finally Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon Harriers) brought them home.
Women's 4 x 100m Relay Final
In 2022, Jamaica lost to England in this final, but they got their revenge with a 42.65 victory. Team England were fifth in 43.45. Led out by Mabel Akande (Denise Timmis, Lincoln Wellington), Aleeya Sibbons (Colin Bovell, Newham and Essex Beagles) ran second, Renee Regis (Darren Braithwaite, Shaftesbury Barnet) produced a great bend and Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers) was on the anchor.
Mixed 4 x 400m Relay Final
Always in first or second, Team England consisting of Ben Jeffries (Bristol and West), Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green and Essex Ladies), Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix) and Laviai Nielsen (Enfield and Haringey) came away with a silver medal.
They ran 3:11.58 behind Jamaica’s 3:10.97. Jeffries opened up with 45.50, John followed that with 50.90, then Harries clocked a very good 45.00 before Nielsen brought the team home with a 50.18.
On another day that 50.18 may have sufficed, but Jamaica’s Dejenea Oakley clocked an eye-opening 48.67 for her anchor.
“That was amazing,” said Jeffries. “To be trusted by the team is huge for me.”
“I’m proud of everyone,” said John, echoing the team’s commitment to each other.
“The team backed me up so well. The crowd were so great as well. Without them, I thought the others would catch me before the line,” said Nielsen.
“Everyone did their part,” she concluded.
Home countries athletes making the headlines
Scotland’s Mel Woods (Rodger Harkins, Red Star), T54 added the 400 metres title to the 1500 metres gold she won earlier in the week… twice. Her first victory was re-run after a terrible crash behind her, but this wheelchair race was a much more orderly affair. Never headed, she won in 56.43.
“It’s been the strangest week; my emotions have been all over the place. It’ll take me a while to reflect on how it’s all been,” Woods said.
Wales’s Jake Heyward (Cardiff) was fourth in the men’s mile in 3:55.54.
Useful information
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