New Zealand claims first medals of 2026 Commonwealth Games

<p>New Zealand has won its first medals of the <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/23/how-did-glasgow-change-the-game-on-a-bare-bones-budget/" target="_blank">2026 Commonwealth Games</a> in Glasgow, with Kiwi swimmers Erika Fairweather and Lewis Clareburt both claiming silver in the first finals session in the pool.</p> <p>Fairweather, one of a trio of Kiwi women to qualify for the 400m freestyle final, finished second behind Australia's Lani Pallister, who won the race comfortably in a time of 3m 59.56s.</p> <p>A fast-finishing Clareburt finished second in a gripping men's 200m individual medley final, with Scotland's Duncan Scott claiming gold to whip up the hometown crowd.</p> <p>It was Clareburt's fifth Commonwealth Games medal and first silver, having won two golds and a bronze in Birmingham and a bronze on the Gold Coast in 2018.</p> <p>Scott, defending his title from four years ago in Birmingham, won in a Commonwealth Games record time of 1m 56.38s, just pipping Clareburt who came home strong after being third at the turn into the freestyle leg.</p> <p>England's Tom Dean won bronze in 1m 57.22s.</p> <p>The women's 400m final was more of a straightforward affair, with Pallister going out strong and setting a brisk pace early. Fairweather clung with her for the first 300m of the race, but dropped away over the final stages as her Australian rival kicked home.</p> <p>It was Fairweather's first Commonwealth Games medal, having narrowly missed the podium in Birmingham after battling illness in the lead-up to the event.</p> <p>New Zealand's Caitlin Deans finished sixth in the final, while Eve Thomas came home in eighth.</p> <p><b></b><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/792026/commonwealth-games-erika-fairweather-wins-nz-s-first-medal-of-the-2026-games-silver-in-the-women-s-400m-freestyle" target="_blank"><b>rnz.co.nz</b></a><b></b></p>