Commonwealth Games 2022 LIVE: Laura Muir storms to 1500m gold after England win women’s hockey title

Barry McClements admitted he had a brief word with himself to cast off any uncertainty before going on to become Northern Ireland’s first ever swimming medallist at the Commonwealth Games.

The Ards para-swimmer collected bronze in the men’s S9 100 metres backstroke after a time of one minute 5.09 seconds, with Australia’s Timothy Hodge capturing gold and New Zealand’s Jesse Reynolds silver.

McClements’ thoughts before walking out at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham were drifting towards the recent times he had set but the 20-year-old shook off any doubts in a terrific display from lane two.

“I feel amazing,” he said. “I didn’t get a PB so when I looked up and saw my time, I was a bit worried but then saw third beside my name so it’s an amazing feeling.

“I came here knowing my time this year was ranked third but then in the heat sheets I was ranked fifth.

“I was just thinking a bit too much about the rankings but when I got in the call room I just said to myself ‘I’m just going to rip stuff up’.

“This is the first time my family’s seen me race in about four years because of Covid. I’m very happy to get my first international medal in front of them.

“You do overthink about the times but at the end of the day as long as you do your best you’re going to be happy.”

Adam Peaty will star at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre on Saturday as he begins the defence of his Commonwealth Games 100 metres breaststroke title.

Here’s a look at the best of the action to watch on day two in Birmingham.

Joe Fraser should, by all norms of medical advice, be sat in front on the sofa with his feet up.

It’s just five weeks since he ruptured his appendix and three since he fractured his foot.

He surely shouldn’t really be driving a car, let alone flinging himself in gravity-defying dizzying spins.

However, it was going to need more than a second opinion to keep this local lad from appearing in front of his home crowd in Birmingham.

Fraser became a world champion in 2019 and was due to be one of the faces of these Games, limping into the athletes’ village in a protective air boot was not part of that best-laid plan.

But Fraser put aside excruciating pain to help England defend their team gymnastics title, as Canada and a shell-shocked Cyprus completed the podium.

And his performances booked his place in four individual apparatus finals, where he’ll be favourite to add a couple more golds to his against the odds haul.

By James Toney in Birmingham

We will sign off with a look at the day one medal table, and it’s clear who the early winners have been! A huge opening day for Australia, who have continued their form from the Gold Coast.

1) Australia | 15 medals - 7 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze

2) New Zealand | 7 medals - 3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze

3) England | 8 medals - 2 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze

4) Canada | 3 medals - 1 gold, 2 silver, 0 bronze

5) Scotland | 6 medals - 1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze

6) Bermuda | 1 medal - 1 gold, 0 silver, 0 bronze

7) Wales | 2 medals - 0 gold , 1 silver, 1 bronze

8) Cyprus | 1 medal - 0 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze

8) Northern Ireland | 1 medal - 0 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze

Joe Fraser defied a ruptured appendix and a fractured foot to inspire England to gold in the men’s team gymnastics at Arena Birmingham, and keep his dream of winning multiple medals at his home city Commonwealth Games alive.

The 23-year-old battled through the pain barrier to also secure his place in four apparatus finals, just five weeks after being rushed to hospital for an emergency operation, and two after he suffered his second setback in a training accident.

Having hobbled through his final days of preparations wearing a protective air boot, Fraser, the 2019 parallel bars world champion, was forced to make the decision to withdraw from the vault and floor apparatus, a decision that ruled him out of contention for the all-around title.

Fraser posted his decision on social media earlier on Friday, explaining: “I’m truly devastated about not doing all around and I’m sorry to everyone. I believed I could get back and I dedicated everything to get myself ready for it but it just wasn’t to be.”

But despite the evident pain of some of his landings, Fraser concluded his evening’s work with a top-scoring routine on the high bar, before letting his emotions flow as he punched the air and whipped up the capacity crowd before being engulfed by his delighted team-mates.

“I can’t describe what it means to me to get on the podium,” says Ross Murdoch, who retired from the sport last year without telling anyone, the idea of hitting the heights of his Glasgow 2014 gold impossible to even imagine. “It was a hard race, it’s been a hard season, this one more than normal. It’s just an unbelievable moment.”

Just look what it means!

A big statement of intent from Australia, as they take five of the seven swimming medals on offer on day one in Birmingham - including two clean sweeps of the podium!

That doesn’t take away from some excellent medals from British hopefuls. Barry McClements delivered bronze for Northern Ireland in the men’s backstroke S9 while Katie Shanahan and Toni Shaw won bronze for Scotland.

James Wilby pushed Zac Stubblety-Cook close in the 200m breaststroke where Ross Murdoch took a stunning comeback bronze. There was also an English silver in the mixed 4x100m, on what was definitely Australia’s night in the pool.

But Australia respond in style! It’s gold for the world record holders and they put quite the distance between themselves and England, who take second.

Canada are third despite a huge effort from Wales, who fell away towards the end.

Now this should be good. Can England take Australia down in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay? A team including Tom Dean and Anna Hopkin will face the world record holders Australia, with Scotland, Canada and Wales in the mix too.

Dean gets England to the 200m ahead of Australia! Long way to go...

What a brilliant race in the men’s 200m breaststroke final! Australia’s Olympic champion and world record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook takes gold after a huge kick down the stretch, but he was put under significant pressure by England’s James Wilby who takes a brilliant silver!

And what about the winner of the bronze! Eight years after winning gold in Glasgow, Ross Murdoch has come back from nowhere to get on the podium again! He can’t believe it.