Scotland's Archie Goodburn achieved a significant personal triumph by competing in the 50m breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games, a remarkable feat given his diagnosis of oligodendroglioma, a rare and incurable form of brain cancer, two years prior.
Goodburn, 25, reached the elite final alongside competitors like Australian winner Sam Williamson and England's Adam Peaty. The crowd at Tollcross offered a thunderous reception, acknowledging his inspirational journey back to elite swimming after his diagnosis. He had previously won European and world junior medals and became the British champion in 2023.
In the final, Goodburn finished tied for seventh place with a time of 27.42 seconds. Reflecting on the race, he expressed a mix of disappointment with his time and profound gratitude for the opportunity to compete at such a high level.
"I’ve had a lot of tough months over the past few years," Goodburn stated. "These last few months have been big in terms of moments of success. The shoes I was in, the position I was in this time last year, it was a dark spot. So looking back on it 12 months later, everything I’ve managed to achieve over the year with the support of my family and friends, everyone at the University of Edinburgh, I can’t say a big enough thank you."
He acknowledged the immense support from the crowd, describing the pre-race atmosphere as "next level." Goodburn also spoke about maintaining a positive outlook, emphasizing the importance of advocacy.
"I advocate because I believe my own advocacy can make a difference. The best way I can do that is be positive about the situation," he said. "I swim for the future Archies who want to achieve on international level. It’s also for young patients, people with brain cancer under the age of 40. Brain cancer is the biggest killer of all cancers for people under 40 in the UK."
Elsewhere in the pool, Scotland's Keanna Macinnes secured a silver medal in the women's 100m butterfly, breaking her own Scottish record. The 24-year-old finished second behind Australia's Alex Perkins and still has her favored 200m butterfly event to compete in.
Macinnes was joined in the 100m final by teammates Ciara Schlosshan and Lucy Grieve, who finished fifth and sixth respectively, marking the first time three Scottish women reached that final. Evi Mackie, the youngest member of Scotland's swimming squad at 17, finished seventh in the women's 400m individual medley, exceeding expectations in her first senior meet.
England's 16-year-old Amalie Smith claimed a silver medal in the same race. Evie Davis finished fifth in the women's 100m freestyle, an event dominated by Australia. Scottish swimmer Ollie Carter was disqualified from the men's 100m breaststroke SB9 final after finishing eighth.