Nowacki secures Commonwealth Games 200m breaststroke final berth

Jersey swimmer Filip Nowacki has qualified for the 200m breaststroke final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, recording the second-fastest time in the morning heats. The 18-year-old world junior champion clocked 2:10.46, finishing 0.27 seconds ahead of England’s Gregory Butler, whom he overtook after the 50m mark of their race.

Canada’s Oliver Dawson secured the fastest qualifying time in 2:10.05, while Australian Zac Stubblety-Cook, a two-time Olympic medallist, finished as the fourth-best qualifier. Nowacki enters the evening final as the top-ranked swimmer in the Commonwealth, building on his recent silver medal in the 100m breaststroke where he defeated world record-holder Adam Peaty.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the race, Nowacki acknowledged the physical demands of competing on day five of the Games. He stated that while he felt pressure, he was pleased with his performance and intends to perform at his best in the evening session. The swimmer, who also finished fifth in the 50m breaststroke earlier in the week, is now targeting a podium finish that would cement his status among Jersey’s most decorated athletes.

A medal in the final would make Nowacki only the second Jersey sportsperson to win multiple Commonwealth Games medals. He would join shooter Colin Mallett, who secured individual fullbore shooting gold and pairs bronze at the 1990 Games in Auckland. Mallett’s achievements remain the benchmark for multi-medal success for the island’s representatives on the Commonwealth stage.

Elsewhere in the swimming programme, Jersey’s Sam Sterry finished 10th overall in the men’s 400m individual medley with a heat time of 4:30.74. Megan Hansford competed in the women’s 50m freestyle, recording a time of 27.79 to finish 44th overall. The results underscore the depth of Jersey’s swimming contingent as the Games progress into their later stages.