Bethany Firth won Northern Ireland’s first medal of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, taking bronze in the women’s S14 200m freestyle. The six-time Paralympic champion had won gold in the event in Birmingham four years earlier, but was narrowly beaten in the final by England’s Georgia Sheffield and Poppy Maskill.

Firth, 30, recorded 2:07.63 after winning her heat and making a strong start to the final. Maskill claimed silver in 2:07.44, while Sheffield took gold in a Commonwealth Games record of 2:06.07 after pulling clear over the final 50 metres; the race was Firth’s fourth Commonwealth Games appearance.