Simon Burnett got one over his South African training partner Roland Schoeman on a glorious night for England with two more gold medals in the pool at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Englishman, who studies business and trains at the University of Arizona in the United States with Schoeman, beat a crack sprint field to win the 100m freestyle in a new Games record time of 48,57 seconds.
Rebecca Cooke rounded off a rousing night for the English when she successfully defended the 800m freestyle title she won in Manchester four years ago.
England has now won six gold medals, four silver and two bronze in four nights’ competition.
Scotland were ecstatic after David Carry won his second gold medal and his country’s fourth in the pool in the 400m individual medley in a Tartan one-two finish.
Jessicah Schipper laid claim to becoming Australia’s new Madam Butterfly with a record-breaking win in the 100m butterfly final for Australia’s eighth gold medal of the Games meet.
Burnett set a personal best time following his three national records at England’s Games trials last year.
Burnett downed South African world bronze medallist Ryk Neethling and silver medallist Schoeman for his greatest swimming triumph, but he gave much of the credit to Schoeman.
”Roland has been great, he’s helped me so much in the last year,” Burnett said.
”I train with him back in Arizona and he’s really been almost instrumental in my change, he’s helped tweak my stroke and I owe a lot to him.”
Burnett said after his 4x200m freestyle relay success with England over Scotland and Australia on Saturday, he was determined to come away with an individual gold medal at the Melbourne meet.
Schoeman was the favourite after taking the silver medal at last year’s Montreal world championships and clocked , while Neethling took the bronze.
An ailing Neethling took the silver medal behind Burnett in 49,20 with Schoeman third in 49,24.
”I’m not feeling great but you’ve got to dig deep,” Neethling said. ”I’m not happy with my time, but I’m happy with the medal.
”If I knew how I was going to perform, I wouldn’t have trained so hard.
Carry, who claimed gold in the 400m freestyle final on Thursday’s opening night, led a Scottish one-two finish with Euan Dale taking the silver medal.
Carry posted a Games record time of 4:15,98 as he hit the front after the second leg and pulled away in the final freestyle leg for a strong victory.
”I knew I had to be out quick for the first 300m because there was no way I could rely on that freestyle leg,” Carry said.
”So I really did push it, I’ve never been that fast before and my goodness it hurt.”
Cooke said defending her Commonwealth title was a dream come true.
”This has to be more satisfying than my first win because I’ve had a tough couple of years and to do that is just an amazing feeling, it’s so satisfying to know I am the Commonwealth champion for another four years,” Cooke said.
World champion Schipper clocked a Games record in beating teammate Libby Lenton for the women’s 100m butterfly gold medal.
Schipper clocked 57,48 in beating Lenton by 0,32 for her first gold medal of the Games.
Schipper bettered her previous Games record time of 58,21 set in the heats.
”I always wanted to be one of the Madam Butterflies [in Australia], so I think I’m doing all right at claiming that title,” Schipper said as she has been compared to butterfly greats Susie O’Neill and Petria Thomas. – Sapa-AFP