Horton emulates Thorpe to snap 16-year Australian drought

Mack Horton has become the first Australian man in 16 years to claim Commonwealth Games gold in the 400m freestyle after a brilliant swim on Thursday night.

Horton, who upset Chinese reigning Olympic champion Sun Yang to snatch gold at Rio two years ago, was favourite to take the gold in the event.

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The Aussie champion didn't disappoint - touching down in three minutes 43.76s to join five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, who was the last Australian man to win the event in Manchester in 2002.

Horton hit the wall in three minutes 47.93s in his heat but he stepped it up in the final to claim gold ahead of compatriot Jack McLoughlin and Enngland's James Guy.

The Olympic champion stalked his rivals for the first three-quarters of the race before breaking clear and powering to the finish.

"I just knew what I had to do on the way home and I just swum home," an ecstatic Horton said after the race.

Showing what a true champion he is, Horton said he was thrilled for his Aussie teammate McLoughlin, whose silver was his first international medal.

The victory means a third career Commonwealth Games medal for Horton after he won the 4x200m freestyle gold and 1,500m freestyle silver in Glasgow in 2014.