Willmott unable to hold on after Miley is driven towards gold by home backing

Miley pipped Middlesbrough’s Aimee Willmott to the wall in a Games-record time of four minutes and 31.76 seconds.

It meant the 24-year-old Scot successfully retained the title she won in Delhi in 2010, while for Willmott a silver medal represents a best career return.

Willmott led from the 150m mark but Miley clawed her back going into the final turn and then raced on, with the partisan crowd at her back.

Willmott’s silver was followed by an English bronze in the men’s 400m freestyle courtesy of world finalist James Guy.

He touched in a time of 3:44.58, behind Canadian winner Ryan Cochrane and the silver-taking Australian David McKeon.

England’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor looked all set for a gold in the women’s 200m freestyle having led from the off but, as she approached the penultimate turn, she was caught by Australian Emma McKeon. The former Youth Olympic champion would not be pegged back after that and took gold in a Games-record time of 1:55.57, with O’Connor taking silver and Australia’s Bronte Barratt third.

Rotherham’s Becky Turner won a silver medal as part of the England 4x100m relay team which finished second to Australia and ahead of Canada.

Siobhan-Marie O’Connor O’Connor, Fran Halsall, Amy Smith and Turner had no answer to the Australians, who posted a world record mark of 3:30.98.