Sam’s “super positive” for Games
The long wait is almost over for six athletes who will fly the flag for Moreton Bay’s when the Commonwealth Games get under way in Glasgow this week.
Ten days of action (July 23-August 2) starts on Thursday with high hopes for Sam Short, Lakeisha Patterson, Kirralee Hayes, Jye Dixon, Liam Adcock and Calab Law.
Dixon, Adcock and Law are making their Commonwealth Games debuts, Patterson is at her fourth Games, Hayes and Short their second.
Sam Short:
Swim star Sam has a heavy schedule - 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle and possibly 4x200 freestyle relay- but could bring home a swathe of medals.
In fact, the 22-year-old former Albany Creek swimmer is hot favourite to take the 400m and retain his 1500m crown in Scotland.
Short admitted after clocking 3 minutes 40.67 seconds at Trials, he is picturing taking Ian Thorpe’s Commonwealth record of 3:40.08 set in 2002.
“Yeah I'd be lying if I said I haven't (thought about Thorpe’s record),” Short said.
“When I rewatch my races, the line's right there. So it's like I'm kind of visualising him (Thorpe) being right there.
“It's definitely one of my goals and something I'm chasing. I love watching those races from back in the day. I kind of geek out on them.
“I am feeling super positive. I've had a really great season so far, just a lot of consistent work and I’ve been doing some incredible training, so hopefully I can put on a show for everyone.”
Short has an added incentive with the 800m in the Commonwealth program for the first time.
“I was thinking, if you finish first, the person gets a competition record as well,” he said.
“It would be awesome to be the first person to do that and hopefully start creating a good streak for Australian success.”
When to watch (all AEST)
Men's 400m freestyle:
Saturday July 25 - 7.30pm-10pm
Sunday July 26 - final 4am-7am
Men's 800m freestyle:
Monday July 27 - heats 7.30pm-9.15pm
Tuesday July 28 - final 4am-7am
Men’s 1500m freestyle:
Wednesday July 29 - heats 7.30pm-9.15pm
Thursday July 30 - final 4am-7.15am
Men’s 200m freestyle:
Wednesday July 29 - heats 7.30pm-9.15pm
Thursday July 30 - final 4am-7.15am
4x200m freestyle relay:
Sunday July 26 - heats 7.30pm-9.45pm
Monday July 27 - final 4am-7.15am
Lakeisha Patterson:
“Lucky” is back where her international swimming career began - and where she won her first six major medals.
The 27-year-old former Southern Cross, Lawnton and Burpengary swimmer made her Australian debut at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
She won a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle S8 and returned 12 months later to win a gold, two silver and two bronze at the 2015 World Championships!
The former Bribie and Caboolture resident, now with the paralympic hub at USC Spartans, aims to add to that haul in the 100m freestyle S9 at Glasgow.
Though not her pet 400m freestyle S9, Lucky has Paralympic silver and World bronze medals in the 100m freestyle S8 and Commonwealth 100m freestyle S9 gold.
“I was the youngest swimmer on our Australian swim team, but a lot of the other athletes were really incredibly accommodating,” she told the Commonwealth Games website.
“They helped me grow up and teach me things about how to become this Australian Dolphin swimmer. To see where I’ve come from then, to now, is pretty extraordinary for me.”
There followed two golds at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast joining seven gold, six silver and three bronze from seven Paralympics and World Championships!
When to Watch (all AEST)
Women’s 100m freestyle S9
Wednesday, July 29 - heats 7.30pm-9.15pm
Thursday July 30 - final 4am-7.15am
Kirralee Hayes:
Fifteen months ago Kirralee Hayes felt an “urge” to get back in the pool - and now she is back in the green and gold of Australia.
The 21-year-old, a founding member of Genesis Aquatics at Genesis Christian College in Bray Park, took a break from competitive swimming from 2023-2025.
“I struggled with my mental health, my identity,” she said, “for me, it meant stepping away from the sport to encourage myself to grow and find my passions again.
But, Kirralee, from Deception Bay, is back and is in the S13 (vision impaired) 50m and 100m freestyle - which she also swam at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - in Glasgow.
“I ended up getting a call from one of my former coaches, wondering if I wanted to pop in for a swim and remember thinking he must have read my mind!” she said.
“It wasn’t till around April/May 2025 I really started getting the urge, that fire and drive to make a comeback. I am glad I did.
“In the 2022 Commonwealth Games I achieved my first international medal (bronze) with a time of 28.24 and I plan to exceed this (in Scotland).”
When to watch (all AEST)
Women’s 50m freestyle S13:
Tuesday July 28 - heats 7.30pm-10.15pm
Wednesday July 29 - final 4am-7.15am
Women’s 100m freestyle S13:
Friday July 24 - heats 7.30pm-10pm
Saturday July 25 - final 4am-7am
Liam Adcock:
Former Redcliffe State High School student Liam Adcock was one of the first athletes named in Australia’s track and field squad for Glasgow.
He won a third national long jump title in Sydney with 8.26m (still his season’s best) and goes to Glasgow as number 11 in the world.
While his Diamond League results - one fourth and two eighth places - have been down on last year, rankings suggest a medal is well within his grasp.
The biggest threat may be Jamaican Tajay Gayle, ranked fifth in the world and who jumped 8.08m in Hungary last week.
After a series of injuries (broken foot, torn glute and abductor muscles) possibly through pushing too hard for domestic meets, Adcock’s aim is to peak at the right time.
“The changes I’ve made have been beneficial and I’m excited about the gains I can make when I get back on a training block,” the former Scarborough State School pupil said.
“I want to be in a position where I can win the Commonwealth Games and Ultimates at the end of the year.”
When to watch (all AEST)
Men’s Long Jump
Monday July 27 - qualifying round 7pm-10.30pm
Wednesday July 29 - final 3.30am-7am
Jye Dixon:
Boxer Jye Dixon’s journey to Glasgow started seven weeks ago and has taken him across three continents.
But, the 21-year-old from All Star Boxing Academy in Lawnton will step into the ring this week slightly older, wiser and more experienced.
Dixon had two fights at the World Boxing Cup in China, last month, beating Georgia’s Gar Ayrazyan, before losing to Japan’s Rui Yamaguchi.
But it was good preparation for Glasgow, where the 55kg bantamweight division is tipped to be one of the toughest.
Caboolture-born, Brendale resident Dixon told Harvey Norman, an Australian team partner: “I’m just focused on the Commonwealth Games and doing my best.
“It means everything to represent my country. It’s pretty surreal.”
Dixon enters the Games with 57 wins and 17 defeats from 74 amateur fights becoming an eight-time Queensland champion and seven-time Australian champion.
He also finished fifth at the Youth World Championships and made the quarter-finals of the Elite World Championships.
When to watch (all AEST)
Men’s 55kgs bantamweight
Friday July 24 - Round of 32 held 10pm-11.30pm and Saturday July 25 3am-6.45am
Sunday July 26 - Round of 16 held 8pm-midnight and Monday July 27 3am-6.45am
Tuesday July 28 - Quarter-finals held 9pm-12.15am and Wednesday July 29 3am-6.15am Friday July 31 - semi-finals 11.30pm-2am
Saturday August 1 - final 8pm-11.30pm
Calab Law:
Former Caboolture resident Calab Law may be making his Commonwealth Games debut this week - but he’s no stranger to major championships.
The 23-year-old, who is in the 200m and 4x100m relay in Glasgow, has already raced at World, Olympic, Pacific, Oceania and Australian Championships.
In 2022, aged 18, he became the fifth youngest male to make the World Championships, in Oregon, running a personal best 20.50 seconds to reach the 200m semi-finals.
One month later he took bronze at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Colombia with another personal best of 20.42 seconds.
Law has won sprint golds at the Pacific Games and Oceania Championships and was in the 200m heats at the Paris Olympics.
This year the ex-Morayfield State High School student ran another pb 20.21 seconds when third in the Australian Championships 200m and helped Australia’s mixed 4x100m relay squad to third and first in heats at the World Athletics relays.
The Mayne Harriers sprinter went to Tokyo clocking 20.85 for sixth over 200m and then joined Australia’s mixed relay squad for events in Paris and London, finishing third and second.
When to watch (All AEST)
Men’s 200m
Thursday July 30 - round 1 7pm-10pm
Friday July 31 - semi-finals 3.30-7am
Saturday August 1 - final 3.30-7am AEST
4x100m relay:
Saturday August 1 - round 1 7pm-10.45pm
Sunday August 2 - final 3.30am-7.30am
Kayle McKeown:
Superstar Kaylee McKeown, the multiple world and Olympic champion, has had to withdraw due to glandular fever.
McKeown, 25, who was born in Redcliffe, lived and went to school in Caboolture, has struggled with fatigue, loss of breath and loss of appetite for several months.
“What I thought a few months ago was the flu has turned out to be my body fighting glandular fever, ’’ she said.
“I was sick going into Trials. I just have not got better and I am worried about pushing myself so hard that I end up with chronic fatigue.”