Commonwealth Games: Leah Schlosshan happy to embrace pool challenge in Glasgow

The 21-year-old finished sixth in the women’s 200m freestyle in a race stacked with elite talent and won by Australia’s five-time Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan.

Schlosshan is an up-and-coming name in the pool and has her eyes firmly set on the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

The former European junior champion competed at the World Championships in Singapore last year but this marked her first senior international individual final.

She finished as the second of three English athletes, beating Olympic relay champion Freya Anderson, and behind Freya Colbert.

“I learned a lot from my first World Championships. That was a big stage and I found the crowd quite daunting, but I really enjoyed it,” she said.

“This time I actually embraced it. I even waved to the crowd, which is something I've never done before.

“Normally I walk out with my head down because I'm not that confident, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere this time.

“It bodes really well for me going forwards for the next couple of years because I know I can perform at this level.”

Schlosshan was supported by her parents, who have had to stock up on both England and Scotland kit this week.

Leah’s sister Ciara is representing Scotland after moving north of the border to study politics, philosophy, and economics at Edinburgh University four years ago.

Ciara was poolside, alongside Leah’s boyfriend Evan Jones, who also swims for Scotland.

She touched the wall in 1:58.11, almost three-and-a-half seconds off O’Callaghan.

Schlosshan’s main event is the 200m individual medley, while she is hoping to win a medal with the relay team in the 4x200m freestyle on Monday.

“It was a really special experience. I'd like to think I handled my nerves quite well. It's always good to have a few nerves and I think I managed them,” she added.

“It was also great having both Freyas with me in the final.

“They're my teammates and I race against them regularly at championships, so it was really nice to have them alongside me.

“As for the swim itself, it was a little bit off my best. I'd have liked a bit more, but sometimes you have to look at the field you're racing against.

“To be competing with the world record holder and the Australians was an amazing experience.”

Max Litchfield insists his fifth-place finish in his Commonwealth Games opener is only a warm-up for bigger things to come.

The Pontefract swimming star, 31, missed out on a medal in his 200m individual medley event as home favourite Duncan Scott claimed a stirring Glasgow gold.

Scott – Team GB’s most decorated Olympic swimmer in history – sent the Tolcross International Swimming Centre into raptures to claim Team Scotland’s first gold of the Games ahead of British teammate Tom Dean, who bagged bronze.

Australian Lewis Clareburt scooped silver as Litchfield, who specialises in the longer-distance event over 400m, touched the wall 1.4s short of a place on the podium.

Litchfield kicks off his campaign in his favoured event on Tuesday and hopes to use Friday’s run-out as a platform for a maiden Commonwealth medal.

“Medals were a long shot today but they are always the goal,” he said.

“I wanted to be a little bit faster after the heats and move on, but it’s the start of the week and I’ll move onto the main event.

“It’s good to hear and a really good race to kick things off.

“It’s great to compete against Duncan – I was waiting before and I could hear all the cheers for him, so as ever, the crowd have been great in Glasgow.”

Glasgow 2026 caps a full circle moment for Litchfield after missing the previous two Games in the Gold Coast and Birmingham.

The Yorkshire native made his Commonwealth debut in the Scottish city back in 2014, where he finished 12th in both the 400m individual medley and 1500m freestyle.

Litchfield is now a world silver medallist in his preferred event over both long course and short courses – and is hoping to emulate those exploits this week.

“This is just good for building confidence,” he added.

“I’m not reading a lot into the 200m and it’s just there as an event to help the 400m for the last few years, so to have some good speed there was good.”

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