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Lewis Clareburt’s incredible Commonwealth Games continued with a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley.
New Zealand swimming star Lewis Clareburt claimed his third medal as he starred in a scintillating men’s 200m individual medley race at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on Thursday.
Clareburt was right on the pace but eventually had to settle for bronze as he finished behind winner Duncan Scott of Scotland and England’s Tom Dean.
Scott led from start to finish to win in a Games record time of 1:56:88. Dean was only 0.13s behind while Clareburt was just outside his New Zealand record with a time of 1:57:59.
Clareburt’s latest medal added to his two Birmingham golds in the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley.
It took his haul of major international medals to five following his bronze efforts in the 400m individual medley at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2019 World Championships.
It confirmed the 23-year-old Clareburt as a major force in the pool heading into the 2025 Paris Olympics.
Clareburt had qualified sixth in the 200m individual medley and had a tough assignment in lane seven on the final night of the swimming program at these Games.
He was a close second to Scott over the first three legs of butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke.
Scott crept out to a handy lead in the final freestyle leg. Clareburt rallied strongly, but in the end it was Dean who came charging through in the middle lane next to Scott to pip the Kiwi for silver.
Clareburt had mixed emotions after the final.
”It was sort of a blur,” he said of the fast-paced race.
”I was on the wrong side of the pool … I didn’t help myself this morning (in qualifying).
”But it’s been a big week … a bronze medal, I can’t complain. Duncan Scott took the silver in this event in Tokyo last year, he is a force to be reckoned with.”
Scott has now won 13 Commonwealth Games medals to go with his six Olympic medals and five World Championship medals.
