Another great day in the pool saw Team GB and the Russian Olympic Committee secure one-twos, while teenager Lydia Jacoby earned a surprise triumph and Kaylee McKeown brought home another swimming gold for Australia.
There was also a further look at Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with the pair securing their passage to the final of the women's 200 metres freestyle.
Here is a round-up of Tuesday's goings-on in swimming at the Olympics.
MORE AUSSIE SUCCESS AS MCKEOWN SETS NEW OLYMPIC MARK
Just a day on from Titmus' thrilling win over Ledecky in the 400m freestyle, Australia had more reason to celebrate in the pool on Tuesday as McKeown won the 100m backstroke, becoming the first Australian woman to triumph in the event.
Her time of 57.47 seconds established a new Olympic record, the fourth time this week in the event a new benchmark has been set, and was only 0.02 seconds off her own world-record time.
Kylie Masse had led at the 50m mark and the Canadian held off the challenge of Team USA's Regan Smith to take silver.
DEAN PIPS SCOTT AS GB GO ONE-TWO
A thriller in the men's 200m freestyle saw Tom Dean pip Duncan Scott to gold as two British male swimmers stood on the same Olympic podium for the first time since 1908.
Scott was fastest in Monday's semi-finals and a blistering finish put him right in contention, but it was Dean, having made a superb opening, who just touched home first by four hundredths of a second.
"I knew it was going to be a dog fight," Dean, whose time of 1:44.22 is a new British record, told BBC Sport.
"I didn't know how people were going to swim it. It was just race to race."
TEENAGE KICKS AS JACOBY UPSETS THE ODDS
The shock of the session came in the women's 100m backstroke where American world-record holder Lilly King and Olympic benchmark setter Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa were favourites for gold.
There was an American winner but it was not King, the honour instead going to 17-year-old Jacoby, who became only the sixth swimmer to break 1:05.
The teenager broke free in the final 20m and defending champion King was proud of her younger team-mate's phenomenal achievement.
"We love to keep that gold in the USA family so this kid just had the swim of her life and I'm so proud to be her team-mate. I'm proud to get bronze for my country," King said.
RUSSIAN DUO BEAT MURPHY IN 100 BACK
Defending champion and world-record holder Ryan Murphy had to settle for bronze in a lightning 100m men's backstroke final, which saw the Russian Olympic Committee secure a one-two.
Evgeny Rylov (51.98), the 200m back world champion, edged compatriot Kliment Kolesnikov (52.00) in a tight finish as the USA did not win either gold or silver in this race for the first time since 1980 – when they boycotted the Games.
TITMUS AND LEDECKY TO BATTLE AGAIN?
If Monday's 400m clash was anything to go by then we could be in for another treat at the pool on Wednesday. Titmus qualified fastest in the women's 200m freestyle, with Ledecky winning her heat and going through third quickest overall.
Kristof Milak, who owns the world record, swam fastest in the men's semi-finals for the men's 200m butterfly, while Kate Douglass was quickest in the semis for the women's 200m individual medley.
T&T's Dylan Carter cops gold in men's 50m freestyle at Swimming World Cup
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace swimmer Dylan Carter secured his second gold of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series as he produced a breathtaking performance to land win the men’s 50-metre freestyle in Singapore on Thursday.
Carter, a three-time Olympian, won the event in a brisk 20.82 seconds and left the field in his wake as he was the only swimmer under the 21-second barrier in the final. He won ahead of Australia’s Isaac Cooper (21.01s) and Germany’s Marius Kusch (21.04s).
The 28-year-old Carter is expected to line up in the heats of the men’s 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle on Thursday’s evening session before bringing the curtains down on his campaign in the men’s 50m butterfly on Friday.
Samuda empathizes with Comm Games Federation over scaled-down 2026 event; urges possible compensation for excluded sports
Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president, Christopher Samuda, has expressed understanding and empathy toward the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) as they face the challenge of hosting a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
With the event, traditionally a grand celebration of sport, culture, and unity, being reduced in size due to economic pressures, Samuda acknowledges the difficulties facing the CGF while also stressing the need to find ways to address the impact this decision will have on several sports that have been cut from the programme.
Diving, rugby, squash, badminton, table tennis, hockey, triathlon, and cricket are among the sports that will not feature in the 2026 edition.
The CGF initially struggled to find a host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year, before Glasgow, known for its rich sporting history as a host city—including hosting the 2014 edition of the game—stepped in to save the 2026 Games. However, this comes with the reality of hosting a more compact edition than previous iterations.
For Samuda, the situation is an unfortunate but understandable outcome in a global landscape.
“The circumstances in which the Commonwealth Games Federation unavoidably found itself inevitably led to a scaled-down edition of the games. I regret the exclusion of badminton, table tennis, squash, and hockey; for those sports, the Jamaica Olympic Association has earmarked for real transitioning. The CGF’s decision was clearly influenced by commercial factors and the economy of a diminished sporting agenda, for at the end of the day, the games must be viable to ensure sustainability,” Samuda said.
However, Samuda also noted that the decision to reduce the scope of the Games, which will see several sports omitted from the 2026 programme, raises important questions about the future of those disciplines within the Commonwealth sporting family.
He argued that the CGF must find ways to compensate the sports that have been excluded, as they are integral to the diversity and spirit of the Commonwealth Games.
“Going forward, however, the CGF has to develop a strategy that will compensate those sports that are being excluded so as not to lose the interest and confidence of their international federations, commercial partners, and most importantly, the players and athletes for whom sports exist,” he reasoned.
Despite the current challenges, Samuda remains optimistic about the future of the Commonwealth Games and the role it plays in uniting nations through sport. He sees the 2026 edition in Glasgow as an opportunity to innovate and adapt, ensuring that the Games remain relevant in a changing world.
The Games will feature a 10-sport programme across four venues within an eight-mile corridor, with more than 500,000 tickets made available for spectators.
Athletics and swimming are included as compulsory sports for 2026, while there will also be track cycling, gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and 3x3 basketball.
“It is critical that the next games, while being an economic reinvention, should retain that unique traditional value that has given many sports and invaluable space on the Commonwealth sporting agenda and which have made it competitive as a sporting and commercial product amidst growing competition for the partnership dollar and public viewership and appeal,” Samuda said.
Former Sportsmax presenter Alex Jordan, Carlos Brathwaite honoured with special sports award at Barbados Labour Party ceremony
Accomplished athlete and sports commentator Alex Jordan was recognized with a Special Sports Award on Friday night at the 85th Annual Conference of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Awards Ceremony. The prestigious event, held at the Christchurch Foundation School, also saw former West Indies cricketer Carlos Brathwaite receiving an award, with Barbados Prime Minister The Honourable Mia Mottley and President of Guyana Dr. Irfaan Ali in attendance.
Jordan, a versatile broadcaster and beloved sports commentator across the Caribbean, was celebrated for her outstanding contributions to sports journalism. The citation highlighted her dynamic career, which spans over 20 years, and her representation of Barbados in squash, golf, and swimming. Fluent in four languages, Jordan has also played diplomatic roles for the Government of Barbados on several United Nations bodies, further demonstrating her multi-faceted talents.
“Kaitlin Alexandra Jordan is a dynamic athlete, broadcaster, and sports commentator, who has proudly represented Barbados in squash, golf, and swimming. Fluent in four languages, Alex has played key diplomatic roles for the Government of Barbados on several UN bodies. With over 20 years of experience in radio and TV broadcasting, she has focused her career on sports journalism,” the citation read.
Jordan’s career has seen her grow into a prominent figure in Caribbean sports broadcasting. After returning to Barbados to help launch the Alex Jordan Morning Show on SLAM 101, she transitioned into sports broadcasting, eventually commentating for the Caribbean Premier League. She has since earned a global audience, covering major sporting events like the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, winning fans across the Caribbean for her knowledge and passion.
Jordan and fellow awardee Carlos Brathwaite at the rostrum on Friday where they received their awards.
In an emotional acceptance speech, Jordan expressed her deep pride in being a Barbadian and her admiration for the leadership of Prime Minister Mottley and President Ali.
“May I just say how proud I am to be a Barbadian. We are from such a unique place, and what has distinguished us in the region and the world is our government. I am so grateful for the productivity, the professionalism, the decision-making, and action of this government,” said Jordan.
She also spoke about the importance of regional unity and the strong relationship between Barbados and Guyana: “I am so happy to see these two leaders from Barbados and Guyana, their relationship, their regional and global vision reinforcing how important it is to our identity to understand that we are part of a collective. They are so smart and vibrant and making waves around the world; wherever I go in the world, people tell me how much they admire Mia Mottley, and it makes me deeply proud.”
Jordan’s recognition underscores her significant contributions to sports and Caribbean culture, continuing to inspire through her engaging presence in sports media.
Meanwhile, Brathwaite, best known for his match-winning four consecutive sixes in the 2016 T20 World Cup final, was also honoured during the ceremony, adding another highlight to a night dedicated to celebrating the BLP's finest talents.
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