Toronto’s Joshua Liendo wins 100m butterfly gold at Commonwealth Games
Toronto swimmer Joshua Liendo successfully defended his Commonwealth Games title in the men’s 100-metre butterfly event on Sunday. Liendo claimed the gold medal with a new meet record time of 50.42 seconds at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, Scotland.
The victory saw Liendo narrowly defeat Australia‘s Matthew Temple, who finished just one hundredth of a second behind with a time of 50.43. Another Australian, Ben Armbruster, secured the bronze medal with a time of 50.58. This performance marked a significant achievement for Liendo, who previously won gold in the event in 2022 and earned an Olympic silver medal at the 2024 Paris Games.
Liendo’s Record-Setting Performance
Liendo’s gold medal swim established a new Commonwealth Games Record, surpassing the previous mark of 50.63 set by Matt Temple in the semifinals of the same competition. While Liendo’s time of 50.42 was a new Games record, it was slightly off his personal Commonwealth Record of 49.99, which he set in 2024.
The race was highly competitive, with both Liendo and Armbruster touching the wall tied at the turn with a split of 23.48. Temple then surged in the second half of the race, out-splitting Armbruster by nearly half a second on the return leg. Despite the strong challenge from the Australian swimmers, Liendo managed to get his hand on the wall first, securing the gold.
Armbruster’s bronze medal performance was also a personal best, as he dropped more than three tenths of a second from his previous best time of 50.91, which he achieved at the TYR Summer Championships in June of 2025.
Canadian Success at the Games
Liendo’s gold medal contributed to Canada‘s growing medal count at the Commonwealth Games. As of Sunday, Canada had accumulated six medals in total: two gold, two silver, and two bronze. In addition to Liendo’s swimming success, Canada also saw achievements in gymnastics and other events.
Earlier on Sunday, Félix Dolci of Laval, Que., earned a silver medal in the men’s gymnastics all-around final. Dolci scored 79.450, coming within two tenths of the gold medalist, Reuben Ward of host Scotland, at the Glasgow International Arena. Australia’s Jesse Moore took the bronze with a score of 79.000. This marked Dolci’s second medal of the competition, following his contribution to Canada‘s gold medal win in the men’s team event on Friday, where he topped the individual standings with a score of 81.650. Canada also secured a silver medal in the women’s gymnastics team event on Saturday.
Other Canadian Performances
Beyond swimming and gymnastics, Canadian teams were also in action in wheelchair basketball. Both the Canadian men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams faced losses to England on Sunday, bringing their play records to 1-1. The Canadian women’s team lost 15-12, despite flag-bearer Kady Dandeneau scoring 11 points. Dandeneau noted that nerves affected the team’s execution. The Canadian men’s team subsequently lost with a score of 20-10. Both teams are scheduled to return to the court on Monday for matches against Australia.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games, which are being held in Glasgow after Victoria, Australia, withdrew as host in 2023 due to rising costs, feature 3,000 athletes from 74 countries and territories. The competition is set to continue through August 2.
Source: theglobeandmail.com
