Third Commonwealth Games medal for Erika Fairweather – but no time to stop

Erika Fairweather barely had time for a celebratory hug with her family, before shifting focus to the next race.

The New Zealand swimming star claimed her third medal of the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Monday (NZT), winning silver in the women’s 1500m freestyle, but admitted there was little opportunity to savour the achievement, with a packed programme still ahead.

“I guess we celebrate in the moment and, obviously, when we get the medal,” Fairweather said, following the medal ceremony.

“I know my family’s there, so I get to hug them on the way past, which is pretty special, but apart from that, it’s pretty much head down, business as usual.”

The 22-year-old has now collected two silver medals and a bronze in Glasgow, also finishing runner-up in the 400m freestyle and third in the 200m freestyle.

After a well-earned day away from competition, Fairweather will return to the pool on Tuesday night (NZT) as part of New Zealand’s women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team, before chasing another medal in the 800m freestyle later in the week.

Racing the 1500m distance for the first time at a major event, Fairweather said she was “super pleased” to come away with the silver.

Australia’s Lani Pallister once again proved the class of the distance field, leading from the opening metres to comfortably win the inaugural Commonwealth Games 1500m freestyle title in 15m 41.03s.

Pallister was under world-record pace through the opening 400 metres, before fading slightly across the second half of the race, but still finished more than 17 seconds clear of Fairweather, with fellow Australian Molly Walker taking bronze.

Fairweather said sticking to her race plan was the priority, rather than trying to match Pallister’s early pace.

“We were kind of just watching, staying consistent with the splits,” she said. “I was really lucky I had [my teammates] on the side of the pool, waving along the whole time, and that really makes a difference in a race like that.”

The team’s signals from poolside helped keep her focused over the gruelling 30-lap race.

“Cam [Gray’s] quite a tall human, so it makes them really easy to spot. They’re just little signals that help me throughout the race.”

Pallister has now beaten Fairweather to gold in both the 400m and 1500m freestyle finals at these Games, but the Kiwi was realistic about the challenge of matching one of the world’s premier distance swimmers.

“In a race like that, it’s her territory completely. I would have loved to hang on, but I just wasn’t able to today and that’s all right.”

Fellow New Zealanders Caitlin Deans and Eve Thomas also contested the final, with Deans finishing fifth in a personal-best time and Thomas placing eighth.

“It’s super cool,” Fairweather said. “We had it in the 400 on the first night and now for the 1500, and looking forward, we’re going to have it in the 800 as well. It just shows the depth of distance swimming in New Zealand.”

Fairweather’s silver takes New Zealand’s medal tally at the Glasgow Games to five - all won in the pool - following Lewis Clareburt’s silver in the men’s 400m individual medley on the opening day and Hazel Ouwehand’s hard-fought bronze in the 50m butterfly.

In other results on day three in the pool, Ouwehand snuck into the women’s 100m butterfly final, after finishing fourth in Monday’s semifinal.

Zoe Pedersen missed out on a place in the women’s 100m freestyle final, after finishing seventh in her semifinal.