World record and double gold as Neyland leads Day 7 haul

Thursday, 30 July was the biggest medal haul of the Games so far for VIS-supported athletes, with Tara Neyland claiming gold and setting a world record on the Glasgow velodrome, Alyssa Polites and Alessia McCaig winning gold in the women’s team pursuit in a new Commonwealth Games record, and further medals from Jessica Gallagher and Blake Agnoletto. The Australian Diamonds also booked their place in the netball semi-finals, and VIS-supported athletes produced strong results across athletics and Para athletics. 

Neyland rewrote the record books, setting a world record of 4:49.648 in qualifying for the women’s C4-C5 4000m individual pursuit. She backed it up when it mattered most, claiming the Commonwealth title in commanding fashion in the final, with fellow VIS-supported athlete Erin Rowell finishing fourth. 

Polites and McCaig helped Australia to gold in the women’s team pursuit, setting a new Commonwealth Games record of 4:10.658 after topping qualifying. Polites also competed in the women’s team sprint, with Australia finishing fourth, both in qualifying and in the final. 

Gallagher added another Commonwealth Games medal to her collection, claiming silver in the women’s tandem B sprint after qualifying third and progressing through the semi-final. Agnoletto and the men’s team pursuit squad, alongside Oliver Bleddyn, Conor Leahy and James Moriarty, also claimed silver, backing up a qualifying-round win with a podium finish in the final. 

The Australian Diamonds put in a dominant performance to defeat Northern Ireland 88-27, sealing their place in the Commonwealth Games netball semi-finals. 

There was plenty more for VIS-supported athletes to build on across athletics and Para athletics. Abbey Caldwell and Claudia Hollingsworth both qualified through the women’s one mile, Caldwell finishing third in her heat and Hollingsworth first in hers. Thomas Reynolds qualified for the men’s 400m final after winning his semi-final, and Peter Bol advanced to the men’s 800m final after finishing second in his semi-final. Linden Hall finished seventh in the women’s 5000m final. 

• VIS that competed on Day 2: 16
• Debutants that competed on Day 1: 3
• Medals:  
  • 10 Gold
  • 5 Silver
  • 2 Bronze

The Diamonds won’t return for their netball semi-final against Jamaica, from 10pm to midnight AEST until 1 August. 

In athletics and Para athletics, Brooke Buschkuehl contests the women’s long jump qualifier and Cooper Sherman the mixed 4x400m relay, both from 7pm to 10.45pm AEST, before Declan Tingay’s men’s 10,000m race walk final and Sarah Billings’ women’s 800m final, from 3.30am to 7.15am AEST on 1 August. 

Track cycling and Para track cycling continue with Alessia McCaig in the women’s sprint qualifier and eighth-finals, and Alyssa Polites in the women’s sprint quarter-finals, from 7pm to midnight AEST. Further rounds follow from 1am to 5.15am AEST on 1 August, including the women’s sprint semi-finals and final, Polites’ women’s 10km scratch race final, and Blake Agnoletto’s men’s elimination race final. 

In judo, Tinka Easton contests the women’s minus 52kg quarter-final and semi-final from 8pm to 11pm AEST, with a further semi-final session from 1am to 3.45am AEST on 1 August. Jacob Cassar meets his semi-final opponent in the men’s 65kg from 7.30pm to 9.30pm AEST. 

• 7:00pm-10:45pm (AEST) – Women’s Long Jump featuring VIS athlete Brooke Buschkuehl  

• 7:00pm-10:45pm (AEST) – Mixed 4 x 400m Relay featuring VIS athlete Cooper Sherman  

• 3:30am-7:15am (1 Aug AEST) – Men’s 10,000m Race Walk Final featuring VIS athlete Declan Tingay  
• 3:30am-7:15am (1 Aug AEST) – Women’s 800m Final featuring VIS athlete Sarah Billings   

• 7:00pm-12:00am (AEST) – Women’s Sprint featuring VIS athlete Alessia McCaig  

• 7:00pm-12:00am (AEST) – Women’s Sprint 1/8 Finals featuring VIS athlete Alessia McCaig – TBC 

• 7:00pm-12:00am (AEST) – Women’s Sprint Quarter-Finals featuring VIS athlete Alyssa Polites – TBC 

• 1:00am-5:15am (1 Aug AEST) – Women’s Sprint Semi-Finals – TBC 

• 1:00am-5:15am (1 Aug AEST) – Women’s 10km Scratch Race Final featuring VIS athlete Alyssa Polites  

• 1:00am-5:15am (1 Aug AEST) – Women’s Sprint Finals – TBC 

• 1:00am-5:15am (1 Aug AEST) – Men’s Elimination Race Final featuring VIS athlete Blake Agnoletto  

• 7:30pm-9:30pm (AEST) – Men’s 65kg – Semi-Finals featuring VIS athlete Jacob Cassar   

• 8:00pm-11:00pm (AEST) – Women -52 kg Quarter-Finals featuring VIS athlete Tinka Easton  

• 8:00pm-11:00pm (AEST) – Women -52 kg Semi-Final potentially featuring VIS athlete Tinka Easton  

• 1:00am-3:45am (1 Aug AEST) – Women -52 kg Semi-Final potentially featuring VIS athlete Tinka Easton