AP Race Ambassador Filip Nowacki Makes Commonwealth Games History for Jersey

Filip Nowacki: Commonwealth Gold and Straight Into Paris

Filip Nowacki left Glasgow with a silver and a gold medal. Now, less than two weeks later, he's back in the water in Paris for the European Aquatics Championships.

The 18-year-old from Jersey took silver in the 100m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games, finishing in 59.34 and beating his own mentor, Adam Ramsay-Peaty, into bronze. Four days later, he went one better.

In the 200m breaststroke, Filip touched in 2:07.87 to take gold ahead of Canada's Oliver Dawson and Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook. It was Jersey's first Commonwealth gold medal since 1990, and its first ever in swimming.

It's been quite a few weeks for an 18-year-old.

Rio 2016 to Glasgow 2026

Filip was eight years old when Adam won Olympic gold in Rio. It wasn't just a win. Adam broke his own world record in the semi-final, then broke it again in the final to touch in 57.13, becoming the first British man to win an Olympic swimming gold in almost 30 years, and it was Team GB's first medal of the entire Games. Filip watched the replay over and over that night, the way you do when something changes what you think is possible.

This year, he found himself racing him.

At the Aquatics GB Championships in April, Adam finished ahead of Filip in both the 100m and 50m breaststroke. The 100m was particularly close, with Adam touching in 58.97 and Filip just behind in 59.39.

Then came Glasgow.

Filip finished ahead of Adam in the 100m, taking silver in 59.34 while Adam took bronze in 59.65. Four days later, Filip won the 200m and stood on top of a Commonwealth podium for the first time.

For the eight-year-old who couldn't stop rewinding that tape, it's a pretty special part of the story.

Why we work with him

We started representing and managing Filip in February.

But the partnership was never just about putting a logo on a cap.

Adam wanted to be involved properly and give Filip the kind of support and guidance that helped shape his own career. Filip has spoken openly about how much Adam has influenced him, both in the pool and outside it.

That's what makes the partnership so meaningful to us.

And Filip is already starting to give something back. He's been involved in AP Race clinics and sessions with younger swimmers, sharing some of the starts, drills and technical work that have become part of his own development.

He was already making history before Glasgow

It's easy to forget what happened earlier this year with everything that came after it.

In April, Filip won his first senior British title in the 200m breaststroke, taking gold in 2:08.52.

Then, at our own AP Race London International in May, he became the first British swimmer to break one minute in all four strokes over 100m, setting a personal best of 58.90 in the 100m backstroke.

And then came Glasgow.

Silver in the 100m.
Gold in the 200m.
A Commonwealth title for Jersey.

Not a bad few months.

Straight into Paris

There wasn't much time to celebrate Glasgow before the next competition arrived.

The European Aquatics Championships are now under way in Paris, and Filip is racing across three events this week: the 100m, 200m and 50m breaststroke, with Adam lining up alongside him again in the 100m and 50m.

He's already spoken about the bigger goal too: Los Angeles 2028, where he hopes to race for Team GB alongside Adam as teammates rather than rivals.

Three years ago, Filip was competing at the Commonwealth Youth Games. Now he's a Commonwealth champion.

For now, though, there's another race to swim. We'll be watching and cheering him on.

Come on, Filip!