England's long wait for a women's 100m Commonwealth Games champion will continue after Amy Hunt secured silver, narrowly beaten by New Zealand's Zoe Hobbs in a thrilling final at a sodden Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow.
The 24-year-old had carried significant hopes, aiming to end a 40-year drought in the Games' blue riband event, last won by Heather Oakes in Edinburgh in 1986.
Despite a slow start, Hunt surged powerfully through the middle lanes, outpacing rivals to clock 10.98 seconds.
Yet, she was outmanoeuvred by Hobbs, who stormed from lane seven to clinch gold in a blistering 10.93 seconds.
Zoe Hobbs wins GOLD in the women's 100m! 🥇
A national record for New Zealand with 10.93 - and just look what it means! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/cleVKNmzru
Australia's Torrie Lewis completed the podium with 10.99, just ahead of Hunt's England teammate Imani Lansiquot, who recorded a season's best of 11.02 for fourth place.
Hunt had been favourite for victory, following the late withdrawal of St Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred and multiple world champion Shericka Jackson’s decision to contest only relays.
She was also one of the few significant home nation medal hopes still standing across the track and field programme after a slew of late pull-outs including Katarina Johnson-Thompson and her sprint team-mate Dina Asher-Smith.
And despite a series of low-key health issues this season, Hunt certainly arrived in Glasgow on a high after recording a 200m season’s best despite finishing fifth at the Diamond League meting in London earlier this month.
Hunt, who beat Jackson to win world silver over 200m in Tokyo last year, had cruised through her semi-final earlier on Tuesday, shrugging off the teeming rain to qualify third fastest in 11.02 seconds – just ahead of Hobbs.
Welshman Jeremiah Azu finished fifth in the men’s 100m in a race won by Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme in a Games-record time of 9.83 seconds.
Emmanuel Eseme takes the gold in the men's 100m! 🥇
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) July 28, 2026
A Commonwealth Games record time of 9.83 seconds 🔥 pic.twitter.com/glqhqATjc8
Eseme, the fastest qualifier from the semi-finals, started slowly but surged past silver medallist Lachlan Kennedy of Australia, who finished in 9.85 seconds.
Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi took bronze in 9.90 with Azu, the world and European indoor champion over 60m, having to settle for fifth in a time of 10.03.
David Mullarkey claimed a bronze medal for the Isle of Man in the men’s 10,000 metres after he came in third behind winner Ky Robinson of Australia, with India’s Gulveer Singh taking silver.
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