New Zealand swimmer Erika Fairweather won her third medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Monday, claiming silver in the women’s 1500m freestyle in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 22-year-old finished behind Australia’s Lani Pallister, who set a blistering pace to win gold in 15 minutes and 41.03 seconds. Fellow Australian Molly Walker took the bronze medal.
It was the first time Fairweather had raced the 1500m distance at a major event, and she said she was thrilled with the result. She explained that her teammates had helped her stay on track by waving signals from the side of the pool throughout the gruelling 30-lap race. Two other Kiwi swimmers, Caitlin Deans and Eve Thomas, also competed in the final, with Deans setting a personal best to finish fifth.
Fairweather already had two silver medals and a bronze from earlier in the Games, after strong swims in the 400m and 200m freestyle events. She said there was little time to celebrate, with a busy schedule still ahead. She was due to swim in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay on Tuesday night, before competing in the 800m freestyle later in the week.
Her latest medal brought New Zealand’s total tally at the Glasgow Games to five, with every medal so far won in the pool. Fairweather said the strong results showed just how much talent New Zealand had in distance swimming.
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