Commomwealth Games: Injured superstar expected to swim full Games program

Mollie O’Callaghan is expected to complete her full Commonwealth Games schedule despite nursing a back injury in Glasgow.

Leading into the Glasgow Games, O’Callaghan revealed she was told not to compete at national trials in June because of back stress fractures.

The Australian swim star, who has medical clearance to swim in Scotland, won her sixth Commonwealth Games gold medal with victory in the 4x100 freestyle relay on day one.

On Saturday night (AEST), she qualified fourth-fastest for the 200m freestyle final.

“There hasn’t been any indication that she’s not going to be swimming the program that she needs to swim,” Australian head coach Rohan Taylor said.

“She’s just being Mollie within the team environment. What I would normally see with Mollie - she’s a competitor.”

O’Callaghan admitted to broadcaster Seven that her setback was a “big shock”.

“It’s definitely been a big challenge,” the young gun said.

“But I have a great team that’s helped me. We’ve been managing it. I trust in them and I know when to call it quits and listen to my body.”

Taylor was rapt with Australia’s day-one start at the pool - winning six of nine gold medals on offer - and singled out Jenna Forrester’s shock 200m backstroke win as “what a story”.

“When athletes see each other succeed, they want to be a part of it,” Taylor said

“They’re going to be inspired by that.”

Lani Pallister, who won Australia’s first gold medal at these Games when she took out the 400m freestyle, qualified fastest for the 200m and Inez Miller was second-quickest.

Australian Games debutant Sienna Toohey, 17, had one of the biggest cheers of the morning session after winning her 100m breaststroke heat.

One of her swim caps came off mid-race and the crowd cheered her on as she dove into the pool after the heat to retrieve it.

“That was nice, it felt good,” Toohey said of the crowd support.

“I felt it starting to slip and then I did the turn ... it was right in front of my face.”

On another solid morning for Australia, with all their swimmers progressing as expected, world record holder Cam McEvoy was second-fastest heading into the 50m freestyle semi-finals.

Likewise, Sam Short won his 400m freestyle heat.

But the main interest in the men’s 400m freestyle was around Scottish swimmer Sean McCann, at 21 making his Games debut.

McCann and his twin sister were two years old when their older sister Madeleine, then aged three, went missing during a 2007 family holiday in Portugal.

Her disappearance remains one of the world’s most high-profile missing person cases.

McCann’s parents and twin were in the crowd to cheer him on as he finished fourth in his heat and made the final.

Media were told to only ask him swimming-related questions after the heat.

“I’m buzzing. There wasn’t really an expectation of anything special, especially with how strong the field was,” he said.

“But I was delighted to make it.

“It was amazing, they (his family) just spurred me on to really give it my all in that last 100.”