Scottish-blooded Anderson thrilled to win gold in Glasgow instead of Victoria

Australian swimmer Iona Anderson secured her first individual senior gold medal in the 100m backstroke at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, a venue she openly prefers over the originally planned location in regional Victoria. Anderson, who emerged as Australia's top backstroke talent in the absence of Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown, touched the wall just ahead of Canadian veteran Kylie Masse, a nine-time Commonwealth medallist.

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Personally, for me, I think Glasgow's better than Victoria. Sorry.

Anderson, 20, expressed her delight at winning in Glasgow, the home of her ancestors. "Personally, for me, I think Glasgow's better than Victoria. Sorry," she laughed, explaining her strong connection to Scotland through her family. Her maternal family hails from Grangemouth, and her paternal side from Dumfries and Galloway. She was even named after the small island of Iona off the country's west coast. Seeing her grandmother Pam in the stands after the race, who had passionately supported her, was a particularly emotional moment.

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She was pretty emotional, there wasn't many words. She's just really happy and stoked for me. She's always messaging me and always giving me good luck wishes, so that was really special to see her after the race.

Her victory was the closest of the night for any Australian swimmer, decided by a mere 0.06 seconds. This contrasted sharply with teammate Lani Pallister's dominant win in the 1,500m freestyle by almost 18 seconds. While Anderson finished sixth in the 200m backstroke, more than two seconds slower than her performance at the Australian trials, her focus remained on her achievements. "I kept my blinders on so I'm really happy I got my hand on the wall," Anderson said, admitting she closed her eyes at the finish line. She acknowledged the high standard set by Kaylee McKeown but remains optimistic about her own potential, stating, "I know I'm capable of more in the 200m but I've got to take away the positive that that's my third best swim ever."

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I kept my blinders on so I'm really happy I got my hand on the wall.