Commonwealth Games Day 6: Swimmers push Australia to huge medal tally

Australia has already surpassed its gold medal tally from the Glasgow Games four years ago after another successful day in the pool.

Ariarne Titmus of Australia smiles following victory in the Women's 400m Freestyle Final on day six of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Source: Getty Images

Advance Australia Fair was on a loop on another hectic final night at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre on Tuesday on which the host nation picked up eight gold medals.

Swimming

Ariarne Titmus collected her third gold medal, Mitch Larkin his fifth and Australia its 50th as the swimmers and the country have overwhelmed all competitors at the Commonwealth Games.

With five days of competition still to come, Australia has already surpassed its tally of 49 gold medals from Glasgow four years ago.

Mitch Larkin, Jake Packard and Grant Irvine of Australia celebrate victory in the Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Source: Getty Images AsiaPac

The swimmers have made the most of a home pool advantage, accounting for 28 of Australia's gold, including seven medal cleansweeps.

Together with cycling's 12 gold so far, the two sports make up 80 per cent of the team's total haul.

Australia sits well clear on top of the medal table with England second on 24.

Cycling

The New Zealand cycling team has continued to add to the national treasure chest at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, picking up silver and bronze in the individual time trials.

Olympic rower-turned-pedaller Hamish Bond won the first medal of the day on Tuesday, riding his way to bronze over the Currumbin beachfront course in the men's individual time trial.

Glasgow gold-medallist Linda Villumsen followed suit with silver in the women's time trial, lifting New Zealand's medal tally to 25, including eight gold, 10 silver and seven bronze.

The track and road cyclists have contributed 14 of those medals.

The 32-year-old Bond, who switched to cycling after the Rio Olympics, said the bronze demonstrates his improvement in his new sport.

Athletics

South Africa's flag bearer Caster Semenya made it look easy as she romped to victory in the first leg of her bid for the 1500m-800m double at the Commonwealth Games.

Silver medalist Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya, gold medalist Caster Semenya of South Africa and bronze medalist Melissa Courtney of Wales celebrate. Source: Getty Images

Semenya sat comfortably with the pack until she swept past the field on the final bend at Carrara Stadium to win the 1500m gold in a Games record of four minutes and 0.72 seconds, more than three seconds ahead of Kenya's silver medallist Beatrice Chepkoech.

The dual Olympic 800m champion continued South Africa's golden run at the track after Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjie upset Jamaica's Yohan Blake to take gold and silver in the men's 100m on Monday.

Countrymen Clarence Munyai and Anaso Jobodwana are a good chance of repeating the double for South Africa in the 200m as they cruised into Wednesday's semi finals.

On Wednesday, Olympic champion Elaine Thomspn and Shaunae Miller-Uibo are shaping up for an epic showdown of the 200m.