{"id":255750,"date":"2026-08-01T23:02:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/podium-sweep-and-relay-gold-cap-australias-record-athletics-haul-at-commonwealth-games\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T23:02:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:02:55","slug":"podium-sweep-and-relay-gold-cap-australias-record-athletics-haul-at-commonwealth-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/podium-sweep-and-relay-gold-cap-australias-record-athletics-haul-at-commonwealth-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Podium sweep and relay gold cap Australia\u2019s record athletics haul at Commonwealth Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Australia delivered an unprecedented podium sweep in the women\u2019s mile on the final day of athletics competition at the Commonwealth Games<\/a>, after Abbey Caldwell upset Jessica Hull to secure one of seven track and field gold medals including a breakthrough victory for Lachie Kennedy\u2019s 4x100m relay team.<\/p>\n

The haul exceeds the six gold medals from one day in Auckland in 1950, when Marjorie Jackson and Shirley Strickland were among the winners, to make it Australia\u2019s most successful track and field day at the Commonwealth Games.<\/p>\n

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Caldwell held off Hull and a fast-finishing Claudia Hollingsworth in the final race of the evening. \u201cIt is a privilege to line up with people like Jess and Clauds,\u201d Caldwell told Channel Seven after securing Australia\u2019s first gold medal in the women\u2019s mile at the Commonwealth Games. \u201cGetting onto the track, they are my main competitors, and for them to be from the same nation is unbelievable, so watch out for us Aussie girls in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hull\u2019s silver is her second of the Games, after she finished behind another Australian, Rose Davies, in the 5000m. \u201cI heard them [the stadium commentators] say with about 40 to go, that the Australians are going to sweep, and I was just like, \u2018Oh my god!\u2019,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The win in the men\u2019s relay was Australia\u2019s first in the event for 52 years, secured after the team trusted each other with faster but riskier baton hand-offs. \u201cWe all knew we were capable of getting gold today, so all our [handover] marks, we pushed them out [stretched them], and we just sent it,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe gave it everything we had and I mean, credit to everyone here, and shout out Chris [Ius] for running the heat this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Rohan Browning, Calab Law, Josh Azzopardi and Lachie Kennedy celebrate.<\/span> Photograph: Ian MacNicol\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kennedy handed the baton to Josh Azzopardi, who had complained before the Games about Rowan Browning being preferred to him for selection in individual 100m. Azzopardi maintained the lead and passed onto Kennedy\u2019s training partner Calab Law, who handed Browning just enough of a buffer to hold off the Olympic champions Canada.<\/p>\n

Browning glanced to his inside on the line to see for himself the margin of four hundredths of a second. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever run quite that scared in my life,\u201d said the veteran, who shared an embrace with Azzopardi at the line.<\/p>\n

\u201cFour years ago, I tripped over, got the team DQd [disqualified] in the heat, when I think we were medal threats, and I\u2019ve had to carry the burden of that for the past four years,\u201d Browning said. \u201cThis hopefully wipes the slate clean, and it\u2019s probably the most special moment of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mackenzie Little claimed victory in the javelin, adding to Australian wins in the morning session by Matt Denny in discus and Rhiannon Clarke in the T38 200m. The day began with another Australian one-two-three, when Jemima Montag finished ahead of Elizabeth McMillen and Rebecca Henderson in the 10,000m walk.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Mackenzie Little launches a javelin on her way to gold.<\/span> Photograph: Ben Stansall\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The procession of gold was bookended by Kurtis Marschall, who won a third pole vault title in a row in the Glasgow night, clearing 5.85m to surpass by 5cm the Commonwealth Games record of Steve Hooker set in Melbourne in 2006. \u201cIt couldn\u2019t have been more of a fairytale ending if I asked for one, mate,\u201d Marschall said.<\/p>\n

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