South Africa’s women opened their Glasgow 2026 medal account in style as Aimee Canny, Rebecca Meder, Erin Gallagher and Olivia Nel claimed bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay in an African record of 3:38.67 at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, 24 July 2026..
Georgia Nel, Jessica Thompson and Caitlin de Lange had done the morning’s work alongside Meder, finishing third in their heat in 3:43.87 to book the lane, and share in the first medal for South Africa’s women at these Games and the country’s first women’s relay medal at the Commonwealth Games since 2002.
In the final, Canny led off in 54.40, Meder moved the team to third in 54.46 and Gallagher held the fight in 55.52, before Olivia Nel anchored in 54.29 to lift South Africa from fourth onto the podium, holding off Scotland by 0.36, with her twin sister Georgia among the heat swimmers sharing the medal.
There is every chance of more to come on Saturday night after all three South Africans powered into the women’s 50m butterfly final. Gallagher won her heat in 25.70 and went quicker still in the semi-finals, her 25.69 leading home De Lange in 26.28 in a South African one-two, while Thompson took third in the other semi-final in 26.02. Gallagher qualified second fastest for the final, with Thompson fourth and De Lange fifth.
There was heartbreak for Hannah Pearse, who was third in her 200m backstroke heat in 2:12.37 and missed the final by 0.01 seconds in ninth overall, while Duné Coetzee (4:14.93) and Hannah Robertson (4:19.58) missed out on the 400m freestyle final.
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On the greens, Jackie Janse van Rensburg and Thabelo Muvhango went down 2-0 (6-4, 7-5) to India in the second round of the women’s pairs, and in the para mixed pairs B2-B3, Princess Schroeder and Keith Orwell lost 2-0 (8-3, 6-1) to Scotland. On the court, South Africa’s women’s wheelchair 3×3 side of Aviwe Ngoni, Michelle Moganedi, Ongezwa Hagu and Asive Gilifile fell 19-3 to Canada in pool play.
The netball opener headlines upcoming action on Saturday, 25 July, with Team South Africa facing Malawi in Pool A at 22h00. At 19h20, Caitlin Rooskrantz, Naveen Daries, Zelme Daries, Karma Visagie and Buhle Nhleko contest the women’s artistic gymnastics team final and individual qualification.
On the greens, Janse van Rensburg and Muvhango meet Namibia in the women’s pairs at 13h45, while Schroeder and Orwell face England at 13h45 and Wales at 21h40 in the para mixed pairs.
In the pool, the morning session from 11h30 brings the women’s 200m freestyle heats for Coetzee, Georgia Nel and Robertson, the 100m backstroke heats for Pearse, Thompson and Olivia Nel at 12h09, and the 100m breaststroke heats for Rebecca Meder, Aimee Canny and Kaylene Corbett at 12h36, with South Africa having withdrawn from the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay.
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The evening session holds the 100m backstroke semi-finals at 20h16, the women’s 200m freestyle final at 20h41, the women’s 50m butterfly final at 20h55 with Gallagher, Thompson and De Lange all in the hunt, and the 100m breaststroke semi-finals at 21h55, progression permitting.
Correction: This article was updated on 25 July 2026 to correct the relay final line-up.
Original Copy: Team SA, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Olivia Nel, Erin Gallagher, Rebecca Meder and Aimee Canny claimed bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, 24 July 2026. Photo: Team SA
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