Angharad Evans is the favorite to win gold in the 100m breaststroke final after a strong performance in her semi-final, clocking 1:05.34. The 23-year-old was the fastest qualifier and is seeking to emulate Duncan Scott's opening night success for Scotland.
Another Scottish swimmer, Katie Shanahan, secured a place in the 100m backstroke final, her second final of the meet after winning silver in the 200m backstroke. Shanahan qualified as the slowest in her semi-final with a season's best of 1:00.74, but expressed confidence in her form and ability to improve for the final. "I know that I’m in really good shape. It’s just about getting back in the pool every day and doing as best I can. Hopefully I’ve got more left in the tank for the final," Shanahan stated.
Matt Ward set a new Scottish record of 24.75 seconds in the 50m freestyle final, finishing seventh. He is looking forward to his stronger 100m backstroke event, where he believes he has a strong chance of medaling. "To get a PB and Scottish record, I’m over the moon. It exceeded my expectations," Ward said.
Lucy Grieve also achieved a personal best of 26.42 seconds in the 50m butterfly final, finishing seventh. Grieve, who was diagnosed with coeliac disease earlier this year, expressed joy at being able to compete after her diagnosis. "Two months ago when I was diagnosed, I never thought I was going to swim again. So for me, that was a really successful race and I felt like I’d won when I came out of the water," she commented. The atmosphere of the home Games has been a significant factor for the swimmers.
Despite these individual successes, Australia continued its dominant run in the pool, securing multiple gold medals. Sam Williamson of Australia won the 100m breaststroke, leaving British star Adam Peaty to finish with bronze. Australia also swept the podium in the men's 400m freestyle, with Sam Short taking gold. The night concluded with Australian success in the 4x100m mixed freestyle relay, where Scotland, even with Duncan Scott competing, finished fifth.
While the medal count for Scotland was more subdued compared to the opening night, the performances highlighted personal bests and records, maintaining a positive atmosphere among the team. Dean Fearn and Evan Jones narrowly missed out on the 100m butterfly final, finishing fifth and sixth in their respective semi-finals.