Van Niekerk's tears turn to gold after years of heartbreak
Photo: New Straits Times
GLASGOW: South African swimmer Lara van Niekerk proved resilience triumphs over adversity after successfully defending her women's 50m breaststroke gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, completing a remarkable comeback following years of setbacks that almost forced her into retirement.
From the original report
The 23-year-old retained her title with (30.43s) after edging a fiercely contested final by the slimmest of margins on Tuesday.
"I'm just so relieved. The preparation for this competition wasn't easy, so when I touched the wall and heard my teammates cheering, it meant everything to me," she said.
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- New Straits Times
- Originally published
- Jul 29, 2026
- Updated here
- Aug 15, 2026
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- Malaysia Times desk (brief) — reporting by the source
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