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Mark Swan left stunned after dramatic Commonwealth gold

Mark Swan admitted he thought he had won bronze before discovering he had actually claimed Team England's first gold medal of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The para powerlifter edged Nigeria's Roland Ezuruike by the narrowest of margins in a dramatic lightweight final.

[Team England Athlete Mark Swan from Sunderland wins the Gold Medal in Men's Lightweight (Up to and including 72kg) Para Powerlifting, at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.]

Team England Athlete Mark Swan from Sunderland wins the Gold Medal in Men's Lightweight (Up to and including 72kg) Para Powerlifting, at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Para powerlifter Mark Swan was left beaming after claiming the first gold of the 2026 Commonwealth Games but admits he is not quite sure why he won.

Swan, 25, upgraded his silver from four years ago after edging out Nigerias Roland Ezuruike in the mens lightweight competition. The Seaham lifter thought he had won bronze in a tight competition that saw defending champion Bonnie Bunyau Gustin finish third, only to be told by his coaches he had won gold.

Swan and Ezuruike both finished on 153.9 points and even the Englishman was left bemused as to why he came out on top. In the end, Swans score was superior to two decimal places which was not shown on screen in the venue.

I'm not exactly sure why I won, he admitted. I think it's because I lifted it last, maybe, but I'm not sure. On the actual score, I think it was the exact same decimal point.

I found out in the back room. I'd come back off my third lift and thought I'd got bronze. My coach said, Good job on gold and it didn't make any sense. Then we were lined up and he told me again.

I thought they were winding me up, but I'd actually won, and it still hasn't quite sunk in.

Swan now insists the sky is the limit for him, both on the para powerlifting stage and the TV screen.

The 25-year-old revealed he has been exploring dipping his toe into the acting world and hopes his gold medal will get the offers flooding in - but not before he becomes Paralympic champion at LA 2028.

This is just the start, he said. I've been training my heart out and doing everything I possibly can.

My ambition is to become a Paralympic gold medallist and a world record holder and go from there.

I've thought about [TV] after lifting. I'm ready to explore other opportunities and I'd be more than happy to give them a go. Hopefully there'll be a lot of offers.

Swan clinched his first gold by lifting 222kg on his second attempt, over three times his bodyweight.

It is a milestone medal for the County Durham native, who won silver at both the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Paris 2024 Paralympics.

He now makes the step up to the top of the podium and was thrilled to pull off the feat in front of friends and family.

Its absolutely incredible, he added. A massive sense of achievement and a lot of relief as well.

Being the first gold medal for Team England is massive. It's a big achievement. Hopefully this brings everybody on now from Team England and they're pushing on the same.

I've got pretty much all my family here. I've got my in-laws over from America as well. It's the first time they've watched me compete and I've won a gold medal, so it doesn't get much better than that. It means absolutely everything to do it in front of them. I'm excited to see them after this. I'm really thankful and really grateful.

One friend in particular stood out, with team-mate Liam McGarrys constant encouragement ringing around the SEC Armadillo as Swan competed. McGarry was forced to miss the Games due to injury and Swan was quick to dedicate his medal to his friend.

He's a really good friend. He makes himself heard wherever he is, he added. I'm incredibly proud of him. He's come through all kinds of challenges. I'm over the moon that he was here, and this one was for him.

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than 33million is raised every week for good causes. Its because of you sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.

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