Filip Nowacki wins men’s 200m breaststroke at Glasgow 2026; Jersey’s first gold since 1990.
Commonwealth Games 2026: Ecstatic Filip Nowacki beats Zac Stubblety-Cook to 200m breaststroke title
Commonwealth Games 2026: Ecstatic Filip Nowacki beats Zac Stubblety-Cook to 200m breaststroke title
The Jerseyman becomes the most successful swimmer in Commonwealth Games history for his island nation after his heroics at Glasgow 2026.
Filip Nowacki won the men’s 200m breaststrok e final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday (28 July) to become Jersey’s most successful athlete at the Games.
The 18-year-old beat Canada’s Oliver Dawson , also 18, and the Olympic gold and silver medallist in the distance, Zac Stubblety-Cook .
Nowacki won in a time of 2:07.87 with Dawson 0.52 behind. The Australian relinquished his crown from Birmingham 2022, this time winning the bronze medal with 2:08.91.
“It’s completely surreal,” said Nowacki who won Jersey’s first ever medal in the pool when he claimed silver in the men’s 100m breaststroke final on Saturday and now their first gold since 1990.
“Coming from an island like Jersey and competing against athletes from Australia, Canada, England and the other home nations is very special.”
Only a first-year senior, Nowacki is happy with his progress.
“I think the jump from junior to senior is huge, and it’s often overlooked. Juniors don’t usually make a real impact at senior level until they’re in their early or mid-20s. I was fortunate enough to make that jump while I was still a junior last year. I’m really happy to have backed that up this year.”
With two years until the Olympic Games LA28 , Nowacki is feeling buoyant.
“It’s really exciting,” Nowacki told Olympics.com. “I’ve said before that the water doesn’t care who I am now if I can’t do it again next year. It’s all about continuing to track my progress over the next couple of weeks, then having a good summer break and consolidating everything I’ve been doing. After that, it’s about improving again next year and the year after.”
Looking ahead to the European Championships in Paris from 10–16 August Nowacki had a stark warning for his continental rivals and beyond.
“I always love racing back-to-back, and my body responds really well to that kind of racing load. I’m really looking forward to competing in Paris and being part of a bigger team, not just representing Jersey. There are quite a few athletes here who are also making the step straight on to the Europeans, so I think it’ll be really interesting.”
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Commonwealth Games 2026 | Glasgow | United Kingdom