Jersey's Nowacki reaches 200m breaststroke final
Filip Nowacki is through to the final of his favoured event
- Published
Jersey's Filip Nowacki qualified second-fastest for the 200m breaststroke final as he aims for a second medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The 18-year-old world junior champion, who won 100m breaststroke silver on Saturday, came into the event as the top-ranked swimmer in the Commonwealth.
He won his heat in a time of 2:10.46, 0.27 seconds ahead of England's Gregory Butler, who he overtook after 50m of their race.
Canada's Oliver Dawson qualified fastest in 2:10.05, with Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook, who has won gold and silver at the past two Olympic Games, the fourth-best qualifier.
"It felt really good," Nowacki told TNT Sports after the race.
"It's almost hard to make it back, day five in the morning, so I'm just really pleased to put 2:10 down and see what I've got tonight.
"There's still pressure on me and I put a lot of pressure on myself, so I'm trying to perform as best as I can."
Nowacki beat world record-holder Adam Peaty to win 100m breaststroke silver on Saturday before finishing fifth in the 50m breaststroke on Monday night.
Should he reach the podium in Tuesday evening's final he would become just the second Jersey sportsperson to win multiple Commonwealth Games medals.
Shooter Colin Mallett won individual fullbore shooting gold at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland before teaming up with his father Cliff to win bronze in the pairs that year.
Elsewhere Jersey's Issac Thompson made the semi-finals of the men's 100m backstroke.
The 18-year-old, who qualified for Sunday's 200m backstroke final, was 16th-fastest as he swam 58.02 as he finished sixth in his heat.
Teammate Oscar Dodds ended 19th fastest after finishing sixth in his heat.
Hannah Sterry was sixth in her women's 800m heat in 9:15.37, just over five seconds clear of fellow islander Clara Ginnis who was seventh.
Sam Sterry was 10th overall in the men's 400m individual medley.
The 18-year-old was fifth in his heat in a time of 4:30.74, while Megan Hansford swam 27.79 in the women's 50m freestyle, finishing 44th overall.
Hansford, Oscar and Isaac Dodds and Hannah Sterry came together in the 4x100m mixed medley relay, finishing seventh in their heat on 4:15.14 and 14th overall.
