Nowacki hopes to end Jersey's 36-year medal wait

Swimmer Filip Nowacki hopes he can be the Jersey competitor to win a first Commonwealth Games medal for the island in 36 years.

The world junior 100m and 200m breaststroke champion goes into the games as the fastest swimmer in the longer event.

The 18-year-old will race at his first major international championships as he aims to end a medal drought that has gone on since 1990 for the Channel Island.

"I'm going to be confident," he told BBC Jersey when asked if he could get a place on the podium.

"I said before that my training has been progressing really well and I've been really pleased, so hopefully I get my hand on the wall at some point and hopefully bring some silverware back.

"We'll see, I'll just do my best."

• Nowacki breaks 60-second mark in all four strokes
• Nowacki, 18, on giving Peaty 'a proper race'

Jersey's last medals came in Auckland when shooter Colin Mallett won gold in individual fullbore shooting before teaming up with his father Cliff to win pairs bronze.

Since then Jersey have had a number of fourth-placed finishes.

In 2006 badminton player Elizabeth Cann lost a bronze-medal play-off as did the island's women's pairs and triples bowlers.

Nowacki goes into the games having won the British 200m breaststroke title and losing out to former Olympic champion Adam Ramsay-Peaty over 50m and 100m.

In May he became the first-ever British swimmer to break the one-minute barrier in all four strokes.

"I think the most important thing for me is gaining experience going forward, so just treating it like a professional meet and another senior international competition," Nowacki added.

"So hopefully just gain experience and see what I can do.

"I'm in good form and my training has been progressing really well."

Nowacki has his sights set on a place at the 2028 Olympic Games with Team GB.

But as he trains alongside swimmers including Ramsay-Peaty after leaving Millfield School, the Commonwealth Games gives him a chance to reconnect with the people he first found the love of swimming with.

"I'm racing with all my mates that I've trained with since I was 11, 12 years old so that's really special to me," Nowacki said.

"I went to the Island Games last year and that was special for me as well, just because it was almost our first reunion together since training together as I moved to Millfield, so I haven't had the chance to properly train with them and spend time with them.

"It's been great, the atmosphere has been great and the team environment has been amazing as well."