Nina Kennedy launches pole vault title defence Glasgow; Oceania record 4.95m this season

Commonwealth Games 2026: How to watch Australia live – full schedule and medal events on Friday 31 July

Olympic champion Nina Kennedy launches her pole vault title defence, the 200m finals headline a packed night at Scotstoun and Australia’s judoka open their campaigns. Here’s everything you need to know about Team Australia on Day 8 in Glasgow.

Friday 31 July is one of the biggest days of Glasgow 2026, with 22 gold medals decided across athletics , track cycling and judo , plus a full day of boxing semi-finals. Ten of those golds come on a stacked finals night at Scotstoun Stadium.

With the swimming programme complete and the Dolphins having delivered a record haul, Australia’s medal push now runs through the track, the velodrome and the tatami. Judo makes its Glasgow 2026 bow at the SEC, while the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome stages the second of four days of racing.

Stars to watch for Australia on Friday 31 July

All eyes will be on Nina Kennedy in the women’s pole vault final. Australia’s flagbearer arrives as the defending Commonwealth champion and reigning Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist, and has cleared 4.95m this season - an Oceania record and the highest vault in the world for five years.

The sprints could deliver more. Lachlan Kennedy took 100m silver in a national record of 9.85, Australia’s first men’s sprint medal at the Games in 64 years, while Torrie Lewis became the first Australian woman to break 11 seconds when claiming 100m bronze in 10.99. Both are entered in the 200m, and if they come through Thursday evening’s semi-finals, Friday night’s finals offer a shot at a second medal each. On the infield, rising race walker Isaac Beacroft contests the men’s 10,000m race walk final.

At the velodrome, seven golds are decided on day two of racing: the women’s sprint, 10km scratch race and 4000m individual pursuit, the men’s keirin, 4000m individual pursuit and elimination race, and the men’s C1-3 1000m time trial. Australia’s 25-strong squad has the depth to be in the mix across the programme, led by Georgia Baker , a triple gold medallist at Birmingham 2022 and an endurance rider whose range covers the scratch race and pursuit, and Birmingham champion Kristina Clonan in the sprint ranks.

Judo opens with five gold medals across the women’s -48kg, -52kg and -57kg and the men’s -60kg and -66kg. Defending champion Tinka Easton starts her title bid in the -52kg, Joshua Katz - back for another Games with brother Nathan now in his corner as coach - and 36-year-old Pedro Antun Neto contest the -60kg, and debutant Vas Middleton fights in the -66kg.

In the boxing, Friday is semi-finals day across all 14 divisions, and with no bronze medal bout on the programme, every boxer who reaches a semi-final is assured of at least bronze. Australia’s eight-strong line-up is made up entirely of Commonwealth Games debutants. Emma-Sue Greentree , ranked number one in the Commonwealth, contests the women’s middleweight (75kg) and World Championships silver medallist Lekeisha Pergoliti the light middleweight (70kg).

Nina Kennedy soars to gold in women’s pole vault | Paris 2024 highlights

Nina Kennedy won Australia’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the women’s pole vault with a jump of 4.90 meters.

Australia’s schedule on Friday 31 July

All times listed in local time (BST), then Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). Evening sessions in Glasgow fall in the early hours of Saturday 1 August in Australia.

19:00 Morning session: women’s long jump qualifying, mixed 4x400m relay heats, decathlon day two, Para athletics round one heats

03:30 (Sat) Finals: women’s pole vault, men’s and women’s 200m, men’s and women’s 400m hurdles, women’s 800m, men’s javelin, men’s 10,000m race walk, women’s long jump T38, decathlon conclusion

19:00 Qualifying: women’s sprint, women’s and men’s individual pursuit, women’s scratch race, men’s elimination race

01:00 (Sat) Finals: women’s sprint, women’s individual pursuit, women’s scratch race, men’s individual pursuit, men’s keirin, men’s elimination race, men’s C1-3 1000m time trial

20:00 Preliminary rounds: women’s -48kg, -52kg, -57kg; men’s -60kg, -66kg

01:00 (Sat) Medal contests and ceremonies

04:00 (Sat) Semi-finals, with Australian involvement subject to quarter-final results

00:00 (Sat) Sectional play: men’s pairs, women’s singles, Para men’s and women’s pairs B6-B8

How to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live

Coverage of Glasgow 2026 is available through broadcasters and streaming platforms around the world. These include but are not limited to:

United Kingdom – TNT Sports (HBO Max), Channel 5

New Zealand – Sky, TV3

India – Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV, DD National

Find your local broadcaster or streaming platform via the official Glasgow 2026 website .

23 July - 2 August

Commonwealth Games 2026 | Glasgow | United Kingdom