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Lewis Clareburt celebrates in the pool after the race. Photo: Reuters <\/p>\nSwimmer Lewis Clareburt has won New Zealand’s first gold medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, successfully defending his 200m butterfly title.<\/p>\n
The Australian-based Kiwi sat midfield for the majority of the race, but powered home over the final 50 minutes to snatch victory from Australian Harrison Turner. Australian Matthew Temple was third.<\/p>\n
“I thought I was out of that race the whole time,” Clareburt told RNZ afterwards.<\/p>\n
“I came to the second-to-last lap and was still feeling amazing, so I was like, ‘I better start swimming faster.’<\/p>\n
“I knew from four years ago the last 50m is anyone’s race, so had the energy at the right time, and to turn around and see the number one next to your name on the board is a pretty special feeling.”<\/p>\n
Clareburt said physically he felt great afterwards.<\/p>\n
“I felt like I could run through a brick wall. I didn’t expect to win that race – I thought it was going to be a lot harder than previously, and the talent in the field showed that.”<\/p>\n
Lewis Clareburt celebrates in the pool after the race. Photo: Reuters <\/p>\n
Clareburt won silver in the 200m individual medley earlier in the programme.<\/p>\n
He will also attempt to defend his 400m medley title on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
A New Zealand team with a strong southern flavour added another medal on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Dunedin swimmer Caitlin Deans and former Moana Pool regular Erika Fairweather joined Eve Thomas and Milana Tapper to win bronze in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.<\/p>\n
It was Fairweather’s fourth medal in Glasgow.<\/p>\n
‘Silver is better than bronze’ <\/p>\n
Para swimmer Josh Willmer took the silver medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 final.<\/p>\n
Willmer touched third, but was promoted to second after Fernando Lu of Canada was disqualified. Willmer’s time of 1m 11.44s was also a games record for his classification.<\/p>\n
Beau Matthews of Australia won the gold.<\/p>\n
Willmer was shocked when he found out his medal had been upgraded.<\/p>\n
“Unreal, yeah, I had no idea,” Willmer told RNZ. “Bummer for the guy that got [disqualified] but what an upgrade – silver is better than bronze.”<\/p>\n
Hazel Ouwehand finished eighth in the women’s 100m butterfly final.<\/p>\n
Carter Swift finished fifth in his semi-final of the men’s 100m freestyle to sneak into the final eighth-fastest. Australian Kyle Chalmers was the top qualifier, with a time almost a second faster than Swift.<\/p>\n
Savanah-Eve Martin and Amber George qualified sixth- and seventh-fastest for the final of the women’s 50m backstroke, with Canadian Kylie Masse quickest.<\/p>\n
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