Nigeria stole the spotlight on Day Four of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, producing a stunning display in weightlifting by winning all three gold medals on offer while also making a flying start in athletics. Meanwhile, Australia continued its dominance in the pool and strengthened its grip at the top of the medal table after another memorable day of competition.
Joseph Umoafia led Nigeria’s golden charge with a dramatic victory in the men’s 71kg weightlifting event. The Nigerian lifter upgraded the bronze medal he won at Birmingham 2022 to Commonwealth Games gold after setting a new Games record with a combined lift of 319kg. Umoafia faced fierce competition from Samoa’s John Lautafi Tafi and Nauru’s Ezekiel Moses, who both broke Commonwealth Games records in the clean and jerk during a thrilling contest. However, the Nigerian held his nerve before collapsing to the platform in celebration as teammates rushed over to congratulate him.
“It was not easy for me, but I had to try my hardest after the last Commonwealth Games,” Umoafia said. “After I won bronze in Birmingham, I went back and trained hard, every day, every chance, every minute, and I tried to use my time well. I used all my thinking for this moment, for this day.” He also revealed he hopes to use any financial reward from his success to buy new training equipment and a car to support his career.
Nigeria’s dominance continued in the women’s 58kg competition as reigning champion Rafiatu Folashade Lawal successfully defended her title in emphatic style. Lawal smashed the Commonwealth Games record in the snatch with 103kg before setting another Games record with a 126kg clean and jerk lift to seal another commanding gold medal. Canada’s Ann-Sophie Taschereau claimed silver, while India’s Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam settled for bronze as Nigeria completed a remarkable clean sweep of the day’s weightlifting events.
Nigeria also impressed on the track as Favour Oghene Tejiri Ashe became the first winner of the athletics programme after cruising to victory in the opening men’s 100m heat. Ashe clocked 10.10 seconds despite easing off before the finish to comfortably book his place in the semifinals.
“I’m happy,” he said. “My coach told me to execute and I did that. I want to do more in the semis and final. The track looks fast and I love Glasgow.”
Australia continued to dominate the swimming events with another outstanding evening at Tollcross. Jenna Forrester won the women’s 400m individual medley, Meg Harris led an Australian clean sweep in the women’s 100m freestyle, while Beau Matthews captured gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9. Alex Perkins added the women’s 100m butterfly title to the 50m crown she claimed earlier in the Games, celebrating her birthday in perfect fashion as Scotland’s Keanna Macinnes took silver.
Sam Williamson confirmed his status as the men’s breaststroke star of the Games by claiming another gold in the 50m event ahead of South Africa’s Michael Houlie, while Olympic great Adam Ramsay-Peaty settled for a second bronze medal of the competition. Sam Short also completed the distance freestyle double after adding the men’s 800m title to his earlier 400m victory, leading an Australian podium sweep with Benjamin Goedemans and Matthew Galea finishing second and third respectively.
Australia also celebrated victory in the women’s 10,000m as Rose Davies produced a powerful finish to overhaul Kenya’s Diana Wanza on the final lap and win gold in 31:39.32, while Wanza earned silver and Rwanda’s Florence Niyonkuru claimed bronze.
Kenya enjoyed a memorable evening on the track by sweeping the podium in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase. Teenage sensation Edmund Serem won gold despite slipping over the final barrier, with Simon Kiprop Koech taking silver and Leonard Kipkemoi Bett completing an all-Kenyan podium finish.
England’s Sophie Hahn claimed the first athletics gold medal of the Games by winning the women’s T38 100m ahead of Wales’ Olivia Breen, while teammate Brock Whiston captured the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8 title. Uganda also celebrated a historic moment as Husnah Kukundakwe became the country’s first Commonwealth Games medallist outside athletics and boxing after taking silver.
Whiston later revealed the emotional significance of her victory.
“This one means more. I had my dad in the crowd for the first time in 17 years, he’s never been to a major champs. I’m really happy to win a gold in front of my dad,” she said.
“He doesn’t like swimming, he doesn’t understand it. He really struggles with the concept of sports. So to have him here meant more than anything.
“He looked a bit emotional and didn’t say much, I think he’s a bit shocked about what happens in an arena with crowds like this. He just went ‘love you’ and that was it.”
In artistic gymnastics, England’s Luke Whitehouse won the men’s floor title, Canada’s Lia-Monica Fontaine claimed women’s vault gold, and Jordan Carroll produced a superb 15.000 score to win the pommel horse. Scotland celebrated a historic achievement as Reuben Ward and Cameron Lynn became the first Scottish pair to share a Commonwealth Games artistic gymnastics podium after winning silver and bronze respectively. Australia’s Kate McDonald later secured gold on the uneven bars, while Canada’s Ellie Black added another medal to her remarkable collection with silver.
There were more memorable performances across the athletics programme as Scotland’s Ben Sandilands won the men’s T20 1500m title, New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt upset the Australians to win the men’s 200m butterfly, England’s Thomas Young stormed to victory in the men’s T38 100m, Jamaica celebrated two gold medals through Romaine Beckford in the high jump and Demario Prince in the men’s 110m hurdles, while India claimed gold in the women’s F57 shot put through Sharmilla.
The weightlifting programme ended with more drama as Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad produced a stunning final clean and jerk lift of 184kg, setting a Commonwealth Games record to snatch gold in the men’s 79kg competition ahead of India’s Valluri Ajaya Babu. England’s Chris Murray battled through injury to secure bronze.
Away from the medals, one of the most inspiring stories of the day came from Scotland’s Archie Goodburn. Two years after being diagnosed with brain cancer, he competed in the men’s 50m breaststroke final and finished seventh before using his platform to raise awareness of the disease, reminding everyone of the spirit that defines the Commonwealth Games.
As Day Four concluded, Nigeria’s perfect weightlifting display stood out among the highlights, while Australia maintained its remarkable momentum across multiple sports to remain firmly in control of the medal standings heading into another packed day of competition in Glasgow.
