Scroll down to see the medal tally after day one of the Commonwealth Games.
Glasgow: Jenna Forrester wasn’t meant to swim in the women’s 200-metre backstroke at these Commonwealth Games.
She originally missed out on a spot in the event after placing fourth at the Australian trials last month, and was given the late call-up when reigning champion Kaylee McKeown had to withdraw with glandular fever.
And yet, on Saturday morning (AEST) she found herself with a gold medal around her neck after stunning the field with a 2:08.17 swim – her second medal of the night after claiming bronze in the 400m freestyle just 50 minutes earlier.
“I did not expect that to happen tonight. I’m so over the moon,” Forrester said.
“I didn’t really have much expectation going into the 400m free or the 200m backstroke, so I’m really happy with how that went ... I really just went into tonight with a positive attitude, and I felt like I had nothing to lose.”
McKeown has dominated the event at every major meet since the Tokyo Olympics. The only time Forrester had raced internationally in the 200m backstroke was at the world championships in 2023, when she finished 10th.
After tossing up whether she should start at all, given she thought she had a better chance in the 400m earlier in the night, she was ecstatic she had decided to go for it.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to do the 200m backstroke because I thought I had a better shot at the 400m freestyle. But I spoke to my coach, and we just thought it’s a great opportunity,” Forrester said.
“And I felt like I couldn’t turn down a swim at the Commonwealth Games because that’s pretty awesome. So yeah, I decided to do it, and I’m over the moon.”
It was a sensational finish from Forrester, who was all the way back in fifth at the halfway point of the race – a position that had only improved to fourth by time she made the turn for the final 50m.
“I spoke to my coach [Dean Boxall], and he said I had a very even split, and a lot of people said ‘you were really far behind at the 100m turn’,” Forrester said.
“I wasn’t really sure where I was in the field, but at the 100m mark I did have a sneaky look, and I was like ‘wow, I am really far behind’. But, I know the back end, especially in the 200m backstroke, is my strength as I am a 400m medley swimmer.
“So that endurance work really comes in handy. It’s more seeing if I can catch up. I don’t always, but tonight I managed to.”
Forrester is also now $30,000 richer because of Hancock Prospecting’s medal bonuses for Australian swimmers – $20,000 for winning gold and $10,000 for bronze.
Her mother Louisa, who fought cancer two years ago, wasn’t poolside on Friday night. She was racing an ultra-marathon in Kyrgyzstan, but Forrester said that was who she got her fighting spirit from.
“She’s definitely the toughest person I know, and she’s probably my No.1 inspiration,” Forrester said.
“To have a mother like that, even though she’s really tough herself, she is only ever supportive towards me, and I always know that no matter what my result is, she’ll always be proud of me.”
Forrester still has the 200m and 400m individual medley to come, and said she’s setting her sights high after her results on day one.
“I think I just need to approach the rest of my swims with the same mentality,” she said.
“Just keeping a positive attitude and not putting too much pressure on myself because I think that’s when I get the best out of myself.”
Get around our Commonwealth Games coverage
- As it happened: The action from Glasgow on day one
- Get lost, Nigel: Watson pushes through pain to claim bronze
- Revealed after four years: The story behind swimmer being sent home from Games
- Avoiding the crunch: Why netball survived the Games’ big shrink
Follow our coverage of the Commonwealth Games with live blogs covering every moment of the action from 6pm AEST daily, beginning Friday, July 24.