Team England swimmer Alice Tai has won her first major individual gold medal by comfortably finishing clear of the pack in the women's S9 100m backstroke final at the Commonwealth Games.

The 19-year-old - who won bronze in the same event at the Rio Olympics in 2016 - never looked in danger of relinquishing her early lead as she stormed to the top of the podium on the Gold Coast.

Tai came home in 1:08.77 - almost three seconds ahead of Australian Ellie Cole, who touched the wall with a time of 1:11.51.

Indeed, Tai - who holds the world record in the event - beat three Australians to gold, with Cole being joined on the podium by compatriot Ashleigh McConnell, while Madeleine Scott narrowly missed out for the host nation.

Scotland's Toni Shaw finished in fifth, while New Zealand's Tupou Neiufi came sixth - more than 30 seconds in front of seventh-placed Kiran Tak of India.

Tai will have the chance to add another Commonwealth title to her name when she competes in the S9 100m freestyle event on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Team England's Sarah Vasey has claimed her country's first swimming gold medal of the day with victory in the women's 50m breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games.

In a tight race from start to finish, Vasey and silver medallist Alia Atkinson left the blocks at exactly the same time before the 21-year-old began to slightly pull away on her way to victory by 0.16s.

Atkinson had been bidding to make history by becoming the first Jamaican Commonwealth gold medallist in the pool, but in the end she was forced to hold off stiff competition from three other swimmers to hold on to silver.

Just 0.06s separated second from fifth, with Australia's Leiston Pickett claiming bronze ahead of South African Tatjana Schoenmaker and compatriot Jessica Hansen.

The gold is Vasey's first medal at a major international meet and follows on from her silver in the same event at the British Championships earlier this year.