Back to trends

Rose Davies wins historic Commonwealth Games gold in women's 10,000m

Australia's Rose Davies claimed the country's first-ever gold medal in the women's 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games, winning in 31:39.32. Her victory highlighted a nine-gold day for Australia in Glasgow.

Rose Davies wins historic Commonwealth Games gold in women's 10,000m

Rose Davies wins historic Commonwealth Games gold in women's 10,000m

The short answer

Rose Davies is an Australian distance runner from Newcastle who won the women's 10,000m gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Her time of 31:39.32 gave Australia its first gold medal in the event in Games history. She outpaced silver medalist Diana Wanza of Kenya and bronze medalist Florence Niyonkuru of Rwanda by more than 10 seconds. Davies took the lead in the final kilometer and held on for victory.

Why it's trending

Davies' gold is historic as Australia's first in the women's 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games, and her victory was a highlight of a dominant Day 4 for Australia, which won nine gold medals overall.

Australia’s Rose Davies won a historic gold medal in the women’s 10,000 metres at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Tuesday, becoming the first Australian to win the event at the Games. She finished in 31:39.32, beating silver medalist Diana Wanza of Kenya and bronze medalist Florence Niyonkuru of Rwanda by more than 10 seconds, according to Commonwealth Games Australia.

Davies, a Newcastle product, opened Australia’s athletics medal tally at the 2026 Games. She took the lead in the final kilometre after a patient race, reeling in the breakaway leader. “I just stayed patient and backed myself in,” Davies said in a statement. “You have to back yourself in no matter how fast other girls are.”

The victory capped a remarkable day for Australia, which won nine gold medals across sports including swimming, gymnastics, and para-athletics. The gold rush lifted Australia’s total to 26 gold medals and 59 overall, well ahead of second-placed England’s eight golds and 32 total, Nine.com.au reported.

Davies’ win was the first gold for Australia in the women’s 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games, after previous minor medals. Fellow Australian Lauren Ryan finished fifth. The 2026 Commonwealth Games are being held in Glasgow, Scotland, after the original host, Victoria, Australia, withdrew in 2023.

Timeline

  1. Women's 10,000m final

    Rose Davies wins gold in 31:39.32, Australia's first gold in the event at the Commonwealth Games.

  2. Australia's medal haul

    Australia wins nine gold medals on Day 4, including Davies' historic gold, taking total to 26 gold and 59 overall.

Questions people ask

Who is Rose Davies?

Rose Davies is an Australian long-distance runner from Newcastle. She won the women's 10,000m gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a historic first for Australia in that event.

How did Rose Davies win the 10,000m?

Davies ran a tactical race, staying patient before taking the lead in the final kilometre. She finished in 31:39.32, with a winning margin of over 10 seconds over silver medalist Diana Wanza (KEN).

Why is Rose Davies' gold medal significant?

It is Australia's first gold medal in the women's 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games. Previously, Australia had only won minor medals in the event.

Join the conversation 0

Comments are reviewed before publishing.