Sam Williamson likens his Commonwealth Games comeback to a horror movie turned fairytale.
Once fearing he'd never walk again, the Australian breaststroke ace has produced a blistering 50m swim to make it two gold medals from two finals in Glasgow.
Williamson touched in 26.50 seconds, beating South Africa's Michael Houlie by 0.27.
Defending 50m champion and England's two-time 100m Olympic champion Adam Ramsay-Peaty finished in 26.94 to take bronze.
After beating world record holder Ramsay-Peaty for the 100m breaststroke title, Williamson extended an emotional comeback from a gruesome knee injury he suffered in May last year.
The 28-year-old's patellar tendon in his left knee had snapped off after a routine gym warm-up.
As memories of re-learning how to walk came flooding back while images of his proud parents flashed on the screen at Tolllcross, Williamson became emotional during the medal ceremony on Tuesday morning (AEST).
"I don't think I stopped crying the entire walk around the pool," Williamson said.
"The emotions have well and truly started to sink in, and the reality of the last 14 months has hit me.
"I couldn't be prouder of myself for just getting up on the blocks, and couldn't be prouder of myself for sticking with it and not giving up.
"It's been more like a bit of a horror movie for the last 14 months, but the last four days have been a fairytale."
Asked how his knee was feeling, Williamson laughed: "I mean, I don't want to speak out of turn, but I reckon two gold medals tells you how good the injury's going at the moment."
Williamson will have a chance to add to his career-best haul after getting the nod for the mixed 4x100 medley relay and the men's 4x100 medley relay.
The Victorian's two gold medals in Glasgow are his individual first titles at the Games, after winning team gold (4x100 mixed medley), silver (50m breaststroke, 4x100 medley) and bronze (100m breaststroke) at the 2022 Birmingham Games.
"I was still riding the emotions yesterday. I was certainly still riding the emotions just stepping up behind the blocks this afternoon," Williamson said.
"I've certainly cried a lot more in the last 36 hours than I have for a little while.
"Another opportunity to swim for Australia (in the relays). That's a dream come true, that."
