Andrew Jeffcoat grabs gold in the pool

New Zealand swimmer Andrew Jeffcoat has won the gold medal in the 50 metre backstroke at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Andrew Jeffcoat
Photo: AFP

Jeffcoat broke the national record to finish just ahead of South African Pieter Coetze.

The 23 year old was one of the top ranked athletes in his event heading to Birmingham and was the second fastest qualifier for the final.

Jeffcoat says winning gold at his first games makes all the early morning training sessions worth while.

“It’s something you dream of, you wake up every day for moments like that.

“There’s not I lot I can say really, can’t really put it into words… it’s a special feeling, probably the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

Jeffcoat says he was disappointed with his fourth place finish in the 100 and is therefore very proud of today’s result.

He says the feeling within the swim team is something special.

“We’ve got an awesome team environment, everyone is stepping up and PB-ing.

“We’ve won a lot more medals than I think anyone has expected us to

Jeffcoat’s gold is New Zealand’s fifth at the swimming.

Helen Gasson was seventh in the 50m butterfly and Eve Thomas is into the 800 freestyle final.

The Silver Ferns scored their second win of pool play in the netball with a 69-50 victory over Malawi.

The Africans, who beat New Zealand at the last Commonwealth Games, started strong and kept in touch in the first half, before the Ferns pulled away.

In the squash Joelle King and Paul Coll are both through to the semi-finals of the singles.

Alex Mukuka is through to the quarter-finals of the featherweight division at the boxing.

The Tall Ferns were beaten 16-11 by Canada in their 3×3 semi-final and will now play Australia for bronze.

Earlier the men’s basketballers were beaten 21-18 by Canada in their quarter-final.

The women’s lawn bowls fours were beaten in their semi-final by India and will play Fiji for bronze.

The para-men’s pair will play England for bronze.