Colac star our golden oldie
AUSTRALIA’S oldest Commonwealth Games athlete, Colac lawn bowler Ken Hanson, has lived up to his Bandit nickname, dramatically stealing a gold medal in the triples with a disability.
Down by one deep in the 15th end of the B6/B7/B8 event yesterday, Hanson produced the bowls of his life with his last two deliveries of the final to pinch a 14-13 win over New Zealand.
Having come back from 10-3 down to take the lead at the final change, the Kiwis were on track to claim the title before Hanson’s heroics.
The 68-year-old then blasted two New Zealand balls away from the jack and sealed the win with the perfect draw shot to send the Broadbeach Lawn Bowls club into raptures.
“There wasn’t no draw shot or anything like that. It was just to let it go as hard as I could and hope I hit the right bowl, which it did,” Hanson said of his first bowl.
“It went on to the other one, that was a bonus, which left us with (one more).”
Hanson, who is easily the most senior member of Australia’s Games team, said he had never dreamt of wearing gold on the podium.
“If you had of told me 18 months ago that I’d be standing here about to get a gold medal, I would’ve said you’re kidding yourself,” he said.
“I never would’ve even entertained the idea of playing in the Commonwealth Games of the disability but we’ve been through a lot together us guys and we’re not a bad combination.”
Lead bowler Josh Thornton had every confidence in Hanson, describing his final two bowls as the stuff of lawn bowls legend.
“I may not have played the last end like I wanted to,” Thornton said. “But when you get to know your teammates as well as we have known each other, I had every faith Kenny was going to play a couple of rippers, which he did.
“That first one of his, taking both balls out clean to give us two, it’s something of legends.”