Soggy socks & a slathering of deep heat – rain causes chaos in Glasgow
Heavy rain caused disruption at the Commonwealth Games athletics events in Glasgow, with officials struggling to clear standing water from the track while competitors dealt with sodden conditions across multiple events. The downpour contrasted sharply with a UK-wide heatwave elsewhere, forcing athletes to improvise with tactics such as applying deep heat cream, wearing scarves and battling for grip on slippery surfaces, while some events, including the hammer throw and high jump, were briefly paused.
Despite the conditions, several notable performances stood out: Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme won the men's 100m in a Commonwealth Games record time of 9.83 seconds, while Canada's Camryn Rogers set a new Games record of 74.91m in the hammer throw. England's Amy Hunt took 100m silver, and Isle of Man's David Mullarkey claimed a historic bronze in the men's 10,000m, where Uganda's Samuel Simba Cherop finished the race with a soggy sock after losing his shoe. Other athletes, including England's Morgan Lake in the high jump and Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor in the heptathlon shot put, struggled with the wet conditions, though O'Connor recovered with a strong 200m run to reclaim the heptathlon lead.
- Torrential rain disrupted Commonwealth Games athletics in Glasgow
- Eseme and Rogers set Games records despite the conditions
- Uganda's Cherop finished 10,000m after losing a shoe
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The Commonwealth Games is a major international sporting competition held every four years, bringing together athletes from countries across the Commonwealth to compete in various sports. Athletics events are among the flagship competitions at the Games, with competitions ranging from sprints to distance running and field events like jumping and throwing.
Heavy rain hit Glasgow during the athletics programme, creating challenging conditions with standing water accumulating on the track and wet surfaces making it difficult for athletes to maintain grip and run at their best. Officials spent time trying to clear the water so events could proceed safely, and some competitions had to be paused temporarily.
The wet conditions stood out because much of the rest of the UK was experiencing a heatwave at the same time, forcing athletes to adapt in unusual ways. Competitors resorted to improvised tactics such as applying deep heat cream to stay warm and dealing with sodden kit as they tried to perform at the highest level despite the difficulties caused by the weather.