Medal for Kirralee - Commonwealth Games Day 2

Kirralee Hayes, a founding member of Genesis Aquatics at Bray Park, has won a superb bronze medal at the Commonwealth games this morning.

The 18-year-old, picture courtesy Commonwealth Games Australia, touched third in the Women’s S13 50m freestyle final in Birmingham, stopping the clock at 28.24 seconds.

Hayes was always in the mix for a medal in the fast race, won by her Australia team-mate and close friend Katje Dedekind in a world record 26.56 seconds. England’s Hannah Russell won silver in 27.67 seconds.

However, Hayes and Dedekind were unaware of their medals or times and times until after the race which is for vision impaired swimmers.

It took Channel 7’s poolside interviewer and Australian swimming legend Cate Campbell to break the news.

When told she had won bronze Hayes, making her Commonwealth Games debut, said: “Honestly, I didn’t know where this thing would take me.

“I’m so happy I actually can’t believe it … to be on the podium with Katje …. everything”.

Hayes missed the world title trials earlier this year through illness but said before leaving for the UK her goal was “to do everything better and give it 110 per cent all the time.”

Kaylee McKeown, who trained at Australian Crawl in Burpengary before joining USC Spartans, will be chasing her first gold of the Games tomorrow morning.

The Redcliffe-born 100m backstroke world record holder was second in her heat clocking 59.58 seconds and won this morning’s semi-final in 59.08 seconds.

Her main rival will be Canada’s Kylie masse, the fastest qualifier who was second behind McKeown in the Olympic final in Tokyo last year.

Former Brendale resident Steph Wood helped Australia to an 83-30 victory over Scotland last night in Pool A of the netball competition.

It was Australia’s second successive victory of the competition.

Tonight, Taylor McKeown, sister of Kaylee and who also trained at Burpengary begins her bid for gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke.

Schedule local competitors

Sunday July 31

Swimming:

Taylor McKeown:

Women’s 200m breaststroke

Heat 2 7.46pm Sunday July 31

Monday August 1

Blake Cochrane:

Men’s SB8 100 breaststroke

Final 4.42am Monday August 1

Taylor McKeown:

Women’s 200m breaststroke

Final 5.22am Monday August 1

Kaylee McKeown:

Women’s 100m backstroke

Final 5.45am Monday August 1

Women’s 200m backstroke

Heat 2 7.34pm Monday Aug 1

Women’s 200m Individual medley

Heat 2 8.31pm Monday August 1

Wheelchair basketball:

Lachlin Dalton

Pool B - Australia v Northern Ireland Monday August 1 5.20am

Netball:

Stephanie Wood 

Pool A – Australia v South Africa Monday August 1 9pm