Silver for record-breaking swimmer Richards
Matt Richards is a double Olympic relay champion and won the 2023 world 200m freestyle individual title
- Published
Matt Richards has created Wales swimming history by winning a fourth Commonwealth medal at one Games.
Richards, 23, claimed silver in the 200m freestyle alongside James Guy after the Englishman recorded the same time with Australian Kai Taylor taking the gold.
Only Valerie Davies in the first Games in 1930 and Michael Richards and Martyn Woodroffe 40 years later had previously managed three swimming medals in one Games.
Matt Richards has now surpassed them with his tally of two silver and two bronze with the swimmer having not won a Commonwealth Games medal before Glasgow.
He was part of two bronze relay squads before claiming his first individual podium position with silver in the 100m freestyle on Tuesday night.
Theodora Taylor, 17, continued her breakthrough meeting with a fourth-place finish in the women's 50m freestyle.
Wales have won six medals in the pool with three silver and three bronze, which is an improvement on the two third place finishes in Birmingham in 2022.
Disappointed with missing out on gold
Matt Richards will be preparing for the European Championships next month
Richards had stated he was going for gold and was disappointed with not winning.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more," said Richards.
"I wanted a gold there but Kai was the better man tonight and that is sport.
"It's frustrating but it gives me something to target again in four years time."
Richards took some solace in becoming a Welsh record breaker.
"That's pretty special in itself," said Richards.
"To walk away with two bronzes, two silvers from this game is incredible.
"As much as that one stings tonight, there's a lot of positives to take away this week.
"It's tough not to beat yourself up when you feel like you are capable of more.
"But it's been a phenomenal week and one that I've thoroughly enjoyed."
Richards and Guy top local battle
Matt Richards and James Guy both stood on the silver medal step of the podium for the ceremony after finishing joint second
Richards was part of the two Great Britain squads that won the 4x200m relay Olympic relay golds in 2021 and 2024.
He was the world 200m individual champion in 2023 and the Olympic silver medallist a year later.
Richards, England's Guy, Northern Ireland's Jack McMillan and Scotland's Duncan Scott are the current 4x200m relay world champions from 2025 and were all involved individually in this Commonwealth contest.
Three of them qualified for the final but 2022 Commonwealth champion and home favourite Scott missed out.
McMillan finished sixth in the final, while double Olympic relay champion Tom Dean was eighth.
