Commonwealth Games 2026, Morning Session, Tuesday July 28: Taking care of business

Heats can always be tense affairs with everything to lose but Team England’s athletes navigated that hurdle without any issues. Equally, the opening few events in the heptathlon can also provide plenty of unwanted drama, but again Team England’s top trio comfortably moved onto this evening’s session well positioned.

Tuesday morning’s highlights

• A 12.99 100 hurdles opens the heptathlon
• Defending champion and three English athletes advance in the 800m
• A great high jump for Team England in the heptathlon
• 45.13 the fastest in the first round of the men’s 400m

Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham and Essex Beagles), eighth in the World Champs last year opened her campaign with 13.32 in the 100 hurdles to cross the line second behind Canada’s Sienna MacDonald who flew to an impressive 12.99.

Behind her, Niamh Emerson (Aston Moore, Newham and Essex Beagles), the former World U20 champion and bronze medallist in the Commonwealths as far back as 2018 ran a controlled looking 14.03. That was a nice start for an athlete dogged by injury for the best part of a decade. Indeed, for many of those years she chose to book her holidays during the Championships to avoid watching and being frustrated. It’s great to see her back!

In the first heat, Ellen Barber (John Lane, Wells City) was equally composed and fast. The bronze medallist from the 2016 England Combined Events Champs took a huge chunk off her lifetime best with her 13.74 worth 1015pts. That was her first time inside 14 seconds and set her up nicely for the high jump.

A great, last-ditch, attempt at 1.73 in the high jump kept Emerson in contention, which she promptly followed that with a first-time clearance at 1.76 to match her teammate O’Dowda and pre-event favourite, and World Indoor bronze medallist Northern Ireland’s Kate O’Connor (Newry). Emerson then went over 1.79 at the first time of asking while O’Dowda needed two attempts in what was fast becoming a fabulous high jump for Team England. Both could go no higher, but with 966pts, they could move to the evening well-positioned in the overall table. Over in the other pool, Barber enjoyed a clear card all the way to 1.67, which she cleared with her second attempt.

Women's 400m Round 1

A good top bend and a strong final 30 metres meant Lavia Nielsen (Michael Ford, Enfield and Haringey) crossed the line in her heat in second place in 52.72. Nice and solid from an athlete who only found out she’d be running in the days leading up to the Games, Technically, she would have to wait to see if that qualified but given only five were eliminated over the three heats it was comfortable enough (outside 61 seconds was good enough to move on). The next round promised to be tougher as with the 100 metres, the fastest eight in the Commonwealth were automatically advanced without having to run the first round.

“Scotland is windy,” Nielsen said afterwards, happy to have got through it all unscathed. “I feel a bit emotional making my debut at 30 and the last six weeks have been tough dealing with a hamstring injury so I didn’t know if I could line up.

“I’ve never done this before qualifying on times, so it was strange to sit and wait,” she added.

Men's 800m Round 1

England Age Group champions Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke and Mid Hants) and Max Burgin (Halifax) enjoyed a slightly different early career, but the finish point has been the same: both are world class at 800 metres. Pattison won the 300 metres in Bedford back in 2016 in 35.41, while Burgin was the 2019 800m champion with 1:45.36. Pattison, who has been training with Burgin in Tenerife was supremely easy in his heat, clocking 1:46.96 while if anything, Burgin looked even more relaxed on his way to 1:46.61, which he led from the gun.

“I felt good. The first round is always difficult, and your legs always feel worse than they should be, but that’s probably mental rather than physical,” said Pattison. “But the crowd is great, and the track is quick. My coach is coming up Saturday, so I knew I had to make it worthwhile.”

“I was excited to run rather than be stuck in America like last time,” said Burgin explaining how thrombosis meant he couldn’t fly back from Oregon for the last Games.  “I felt comfortable even though it’s not the nicest of conditions. I went into it thinking ‘I’ve just got to time trial it’,” he added referring to the fact that athletes aren’t being shown what times the heats before had run. “I train at one of the windiest tracks in the country, so this wasn’t too bad,” he laughed.

In the final heat, Alex Botterill (Steve Cram, City of York) finished superbly to make Pattison’s pre-race prediction that England could go one-two-three very possible. Fourth, and potentially knocked out with 50 metres to go, he edged past a loaded field to finish second in 1:45.92.

Men's 400m Round 1

Eight ran inside 46 seconds although this event didn’t feature any Team England athletes. Brodie Young (James McMenemy, Airdrie H) is the Scotland’s indoor record holder and he ran 46.57.

Home countries athletes making the headlines

Welsh athlete Charlotte Henrich (Nigel Stickings, Invicta East Kent) is in great form this season and has clocked 50.32 at the recent Diamond League. She ran a very controlled 52.13 to comfortably move on to the next round in the 400 metres, winning her heat.

Scotland’s Nicole Yeargin (Pitreavie) was second in her race but kept the crowd happy thanks to a strong finish which gave her a 52.44 clocking.

In the 800 metres, Welshman Justin Davies (Martin Rush, Team Bath) finished second to Burgin with 1:46.98

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