Barry McClements produced a lifetime best performance to win silver for Team Northern Ireland in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S9 at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Competing at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre on Sunday evening, McClements touched the wall in 1:03.68 to secure the second Commonwealth Games medal of his career.
The Newtownards swimmer progressed from the morning heats in 1:07.30 before delivering a significantly faster performance in the final. He opened the race with a 50m split of 30.93 and completed the second length in 32.75 to lower his lifetime best.
Speaking after the race, McClements explained that he had deliberately controlled his effort during the morning heat and was confident that he could produce more in the final.
“I knew there was plenty in the tank for tonight,” he said.
Australia’s Timothy Hodge successfully defended his Commonwealth title, winning gold in 1:03.00. McClements finished just 0.68 seconds behind the Australian, with Harrison Vig claiming bronze in 1:04.87.
The silver medal builds on McClements’ historic achievement at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. On that occasion, he finished third in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S9 in 1:05.09, behind Hodge and New Zealand’s Jesse Reynolds. The result made McClements the first swimmer representing Northern Ireland to win a Commonwealth Games medal.
McClements has now improved from bronze in Birmingham to silver in Glasgow, bringing his Commonwealth Games medal tally to two.
