Coetze sets another record as Team SA bowls pair stun England
Another record, two more swimming medals and a stunning bowls upset capped a memorable day for Team SA at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Swimmer Pieter Coetze continued his Commonwealth Games campaign yesterday (July 26) by winning a second gold medal and setting another record, while South Africa’s women’s bowls team produced one of the biggest upsets of the day in Glasgow.
Coetze stormed to victory in the men’s 200m backstroke final in a Commonwealth Games record time of 01:54:22, finishing 2.22 seconds ahead of England’s Oliver Morgan. After claiming the 50m backstroke title the previous day, the South African was on world-record pace at the halfway mark before comfortably securing another gold.
South Africa added two more medals in the pool, with Aimee Canny claiming silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke in 01:06:19, while Olivia Nel produced the race of her career to take bronze in the women’s 100m backstroke in 01:00:09.
Michael Houlie and Chris Smith also advanced to the men’s 50m breaststroke final after qualifying as the first- and fourth-fastest swimmers respectively, while Erin Gallagher booked her place in the women’s 100m butterfly final. Caitlyn de Lange also qualified for tonight’s women’s 100m freestyle final.
Bowls upset
Away from the pool, Jackie Janse van Rensburg and Thabelo Muvhango produced one of Team SA’s standout results by defeating previously unbeaten section leaders England in the women’s bowls pairs. Having lost their opening three matches, the South Africans bounced back to beat the favourites 9–0, 3–4, 1–0 after a tie-break.
Netball team stays unbeaten
South Africa’s netball team maintained its perfect start to the tournament with a dominant 96–42 victory over Tonga, following Saturday’s opening win over Malawi. Rolene Streutker led the scoring with 51 goals, while Sammy Ngubane added 34 as South Africa made it two wins from two in Pool A.
Elsewhere, the men’s wheelchair basketball team secured its first victory by beating Wales 16–12, while the women’s side suffered defeats to Australia and Canada.
Looking ahead
Attention now turns to today’s programme, with athletics getting underway for Team SA. Bradley Nkoana and Cheswill Johnson are scheduled to compete in the men’s 100m heats, while Prudence Sekgodiso lines up in the women’s 800m.
In the pool, Coetze returns in the men’s 100m freestyle heats, while Houlie and Smith contest the men’s 50m breaststroke final. Gallagher races in the women’s 100m butterfly final, De Lange competes in the women’s 100m freestyle final, and Lara van Niekerk, Kaylene Corbett and Rebecca Meder begin their women’s 50m breaststroke campaigns.
Team SA fixtures (SA time)
Athletics
- 11:00 – Men’s 100m heats: Nkoana and Johnson
- 12:25 – Men’s 110m hurdles heats: Francois le Roux
- 20:25 – Women’s 800m heats: Sekgodiso
- 22:45* – Men’s 110m hurdles final (Le Roux)
Para athletics
- 13:55 – Women’s T38 100m heats: Liezel Gouws
- 13:56 – Women’s T38 100m heats: Sheryl James
- 20:50* – Women’s T38 100m final
Gymnastics
- 14:05 – Men’s floor final: Daniel McLean
Weightlifting
- 14:00 – Women’s 53kg: Johanni Taljaard
- 16:30 – Women’s 58kg: Anneke Spies-Burger
- 21:00 – Men’s 79kg: Jon-Antohein Phillips
Bowls
- 17:10 – Men’s singles: Wayne Rittmuller vs Gary Kelly (Northern Ireland)
- 22:55 – Men’s singles: Rittmuller vs Frederrick Tafatu (Niue)
Boxing
- 19:15 – Women’s flyweight, 51kg, Round of 16: Thandolwethu Mathiba vs Ruby White (England)
Wheelchair basketball
- 13:20 – Women’s 3×3: South Africa vs England
- 19:15 – Men’s 3×3: South Africa vs Malaysia
Swimming
- 12:17 – Men’s 100m freestyle heats: Guy Brooks, Coetze
- 12:35 – Women’s 50m breaststroke heats: Meder
- 12:36 – Women’s 50m breaststroke heats: Corbett
- 12:37 – Women’s 50m breaststroke heats: Van Niekerk
Evening swimming session
- 20:17* – Men’s 100m freestyle semi-finals: Coetze, Brooks
- 20:26 – Women’s 100m freestyle final: De Lange
- 21:01 – Women’s 100m butterfly final: Gallagher
- 21:07 – Men’s 50m breaststroke final: Houlie, Smith
- 21:28* – Women’s 50m backstroke semi-finals: Jessica Thompson, Nel, Hannah Pearse
- 22:05 – Women’s 50m breaststroke semi-finals: Van Niekerk, Corbett, Meder
- 22:14* – Men’s 200m butterfly final: Jarden Eaton, Kris Mihaylov
* If qualified.
