Angharad Evans has achieved a remarkable double gold victory at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, adding the 200m breaststroke title to the 100m breaststroke crown she claimed earlier in the competition. This achievement marks a significant comeback for the 23-year-old, who had quit the sport four years prior due to disillusionment.
Evans is now the first woman to win two individual Commonwealth gold medals at a single Games for Scotland since Caitlin McClatchey achieved the 200m and 400m freestyle double in 2004. She joins an elite group of Scottish double gold medalists, including Elenor Gordon and Olympic champion David Wilkie.
Her career took a dramatic turn after a period at the University of Georgia. In 2022, Evans left the university and had seemingly abandoned swimming until Bradley Hay, a coach at the University of Stirling, persuaded her to return to the sport in Scotland. This decision has proven highly successful, with Evans now being considered a contender for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"Four years ago this summer, I had quit the sport and thought that was me done," Evans stated. "Then Brad asked me in and I found my love for the sport again in Stirling. He asked me what my goals were and I said maybe just to swim in an international meet one day — now I’m standing here with two gold medals for Scotland."
Evans described her time in America as a period where she was not only an unhappy athlete but also an unhappy person, which influenced her decisions. After an eight-month break from training, she believed her swimming career was over. "I missed out on a lot then but I don’t regret it," she said. "It has opened my eyes to how lucky I am to be at Stirling and everything it and Scotland has given me."
She expressed surprise at being the first woman since Caitlin McClatchey to win two golds at a Commonwealth Games, calling it a "surreal" honor, especially to achieve it at a home Games. "It truly is an honour to represent Scotland, to hear that crowd and to fight for our country," Evans added.
The 200m breaststroke final was a close contest, with South Africa's Kaylene Corbett pushing Evans to the finish. Evans won by a margin of just 0.67 seconds.
The final night of swimming in Glasgow saw other notable performances for Scotland. Keanna Macinnes secured her second silver medal of the event in the women's 200m butterfly, and Toni Shaw won bronze in the women's 100m freestyle S10 final. Evans, along with Macinnes, Katie Shanahan, and Evie Davis, also won a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay.
Overall, the swimming competition at Tollcross was a significant success for Scotland, yielding a total of 12 medals: five gold, five silver, and two bronze. The momentum began on the opening night with Duncan Scott winning gold in the 200m individual medley, followed by Faye Rogers in the women's 200m individual medley S10. Stephen Clegg also secured a silver medal in the men's 100m freestyle S13.