Stephen Clegg's Unlikely Gold Medal Swims Past Expectations in Record-Breaking Performance
Stephen Clegg's 50m freestyle S14 victory in the Commonwealth Games has sent shockwaves through the Scottish swimming community. The 30-year-old, who had thought his career might be done earlier this season due to surgery, stormed to the gold medal with a time of 24.73 seconds, half a second quicker than he has gone all year.
Clegg, who has stargardt macular dystrophy like his sister Libby and older brother James, required surgery to address a growth inside his shoulder. This has left a lasting impact on the athlete, who admitted that he was prepared to not win gold in the event.
The victory was a significant upgrade on the silver he won in Birmingham over the distance, achieved when he was four years younger and in much better shape physically. Clegg's coach, who he affectionately refers to as "Mariah Cleggy," said that the athlete has the ability to step up for big moments, much like footballer Lionel Messi only shows up for the World Cup.
Clegg's emotional response to the win was palpable as he stood on the podium, lip trembling and trying hard to keep his shape. "I was really struggling to keep it together," he said. "Once the anthem started playing, I just started shaking and started to tear up a little bit."
The victory takes the host nation's tally to seven golds and a total of 14 medals on day five of the 11-day competition. Clegg's teammate, Duncan Scott, has added to the silver he won in the 100m version of the event, and the pair will look to continue their medal-winning streak in the final session of the competition.
Meanwhile, in the mixed medley relay, Scotland's quartet of Matthew Ward, Angharad Evans, Keanna MacInnes, and Duncan Scott edged out Canada in a closely contested final. The event is a complex and fast-paced affair, with eight teams of four competing in four separate strokes, and two lengths per swimmer.
Ward started the Scots off strongly on his backstroke, before Evans plunged in next and maintained the hosts' second position. MacInnes was on the butterfly, but was left behind by two of the fastest male fly swimmers in the world. However, Scott was able to make up more than four seconds to touch the wall fractionally ahead of Canada's Ella Jansen and win his first relay medal of the week in his third attempt.
The win has added to Scott's tally of 15 medals across four Commonwealths, and he will look to add to this in the final session of the competition. As for Clegg, he has set his sights on the final, where he will look to continue his medal-winning streak.
Source: Yahoo Sports
