A Night at Tollcross: The Commonwealth Games Swimming Finals
Our team had seats for the final session of the 23rd Commonwealth Games swimming programme. The racing was superb. Somehow, it still was not the best part of the night.
On July 29th, our team at AquaSwimSupplies was lucky enough to attend the swimming finals at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This was the last session of what had been an incredible week of swimming. A total of 136 medals had been awarded so far, and Tollcross pool had already hosted 20 Commonwealth Games records.
You can imagine our excitement, then, when we took our seats and browsed a schedule containing some of the most exciting events in all of swimming (the eclectic 200 free, the gruelling 200 butterfly, the volatile medley relays). And yet despite these events, and the legion of world-class talent slogging beneath us, our highlight didn't come out of the pool.
Glasgow Does What Glasgow Does
Musicians will often cite Glasgow as one of their favourite places to visit on tour. And when Scotland's Angharad Evans held off Kaylene Corbett in her final 50m to win the 200 breast, or when Scotland's Keanna MacInnes fought all the way to a silver in the 200 fly, or when the Scotland women's medley relay team also managed to win silver against a stacked field: it was easy to hear why.
The atmosphere was incredible, with people even stomping their feet whenever the races were close. And the successes from other home nations were still the source of a good cheer, such as when England's Ollie Morgan tailed the imperious Pieter Coetze to a silver medal, or when Northern Ireland's Daniel Wiffen silvered in the 1500m freestyle.
Watch the vlog
We filmed our night at Tollcross - the walk in, the noise, and the last race of the week. It is all up on our Instagram.
One Race Left, One More Record
There was also, of course, rapturous appreciation of the international performances through the night: Australia won 15 medals (9 of which were gold), and South Africa won 6, with one of these - Pieter Coetze's 100 backstroke - coming within a blink of the world record. And then suddenly there was just one race to go. Despite being fully satiated from excitement, there was yet more history to be made. The final race of the night, the men's medley relay, saw Chad le Clos become the most decorated Commonwealth athlete of all time.
Why We Swim
We can get caught up in the day to day trials and tribulations in our tough sport of swimming, but our night at that pool - with its atmosphere, and sportsmanship, and unconditional support - it was a reminder of just how wonderful our sport can be.
Been racing, coaching or spectating somewhere worth writing about? We are always happy to hear from swimmers. Drop us a line at support@aquaswimsupplies.co.uk, or browse our Expert Gear Guides for everything from kickboards to parachutes.
