Kai Taylor, the son of Australian swimming great Hayley Lewis, has executed a perfect plan to blow away his rivals in Commonwealth Games 200m freestyle final.

The 22-year-old’s victory was a huge surprise, leading from the lane 1 (almost unnoticed by his rivals) and prevailing in 1:45.22.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Kai Taylor claims stunning freestyle gold in Glasgow

While the rivals may not have realised he was out in front — and, at one stage, under world-record pace — mum and his famous coach Dean Boxall certainly did.

“Mum is losing her mind in the airs and understandably,” star Channel 7 commentator Giaan Rooney said.

“That is an extraordinary swim, led from start to finish. Out hard, held on.”

Taylor finished handily ahead of England’s Olympic star James Guy and Welsh former world champ Matt Richards, who shared the silver exactly half-a-second behind.

Commentator Annie Williams said on Seven: “That was one of the gutsiest performances. To stand up at the blocks and say I’m going to take this one out that hard and see what I’ve got takes real grit.”

Taylor’s gold was Australia’s 29th of the swimming program — a new record — which later would rise to a whopping 35.

“Honestly I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, I’m just over the moon,” Taylor said.

Swimming legend Ariarne Titmus asked: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone take it out from lane 1 and be so incredibly gutsy. What was going through your mind before the final tonight?”

Taylor said it was a strategy planned with Boxall knowing no one in the middle of the pool would see him.

“I just went out and look I really paid the price on that last 50, I was digging so deep,” he said.

“I’m really happy. I’m so stoked for Harry (Turner) as well. He did amazing.”

Taylor said his first individual gold was “amazing”.

“I’ve worked extremely hard this year and I’ve improved a lot. I’m really happy with this swim,” he said.

Later, Seven presenters Johanna Griggs and Matt White said it was a perfect plan and expertly executed.

“Well that really was one of the absolute highlights of what has been a week full of them. (It) really was something exceptional, wasn’t it?” Griggs said on Seven.

White said: “I reckon the story will come out about that, about what they planned ... It was absolutely planned and Dean Boxall doesn’t give much away, but when you watch enough of Dean Boxall in the stands and see how he operates, when he came down and he gave the arm up and pointed towards Kai Taylor, you knew that they had a plan, it was put in place, it was activated and executed.”

Griggs: “And it absolutely worked.”

Lewis, 52, is a swimming legend for Australia, who also made her mark in the Commonwealth Games back in the early 1990s.

In fact, Kai’s triumph has come 36 years since Hayley had her extraordinary breakthrough at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990 when she scooped five golds and a bronze at the age of just 15.

“She’s just all so happy for me,” beamed Taylor. “She sees all the sacrifices I put in, all the hard work. To see me finally achieve that exactly like her, she’s just so proud of me and couldn’t be happier.

“Growing up, I was still trying to make a name for myself, and was always super proud to be the son of Hayley Lewis - and I still am. Now I’m super stoked to be making a name for myself.

“I never felt any pressure because of the name. Mum and dad have always just said to me, just do whatever makes you happy. Never felt any pressure from them, it’s always just been full support and full love.”

Lewis, who went on to be the successful host of a reality TV show, got wildly excited in the stadium, her reaction going viral, leaving Taylor to smile: “She knows how cut-throat the sport is, and how devastating it can be.

“The highs are super high, and the lows super low. When she sees me just achieve my dreams and have a smile on my face, that just makes her extremely happy.”

Alas for the family, dad Greg wasn’t able to be at the stadium as he had injured his knee.

“I’m pretty devastated, to be honest. It’s a little bit upsetting. I know he was supporting from back home at the hotel watching me, with the biggest smile on his face,” said Taylor.

What Greg will have seen was Taylor enjoying the race of his life from the most unpromising situation.

“If you’ve got a lane, you’ve got a chance,” he smiled. “I think I crept under the radar. It’s extremely hard for people to see you out there, and that was obviously the tactic going into it.

“That’s just what you’ve got to do when you’re in those outside lanes - just go for it. In all honesty, I backed myself. You’ve got to go into every race believing that you can win it.”

Lewis won another two golds and two silvers in the 1994 Comm Games and also won a silver medal in the 800-metre freestyle in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, as well as an Olympic bronze in the 400m freestyle that year. 

- With AAP