Tough break on a day Aussies shone brightly

JIM TUCKER steady on the track in her starting pose.

The tears flowed when she raced a heat and semi-final on pure heart and a distorted arm action.

She missed out by just .02 sec on joining Day in the final.

“Mia’s a fighter. She did incredible to run two races like that when I know a lot of people who wouldn’t have run at all,” Day said.

St Lucia’s gold medallist Julien Alfred fell to her knees to kiss the track after a stirring duel over the final 10m with Day was split by just .03 sec.

“I tried to come back at her at the finish and I’m happy I did but I was so hoping to get that gold,” Day said. “I’m still happy because a silver medal is bloody good at this event.”

The pride of Beaudesert High had never raced three 100m in five hours before and there was such a poise and maturity to the way she handled silver that she is a great investment in the relay squad group for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.

Australia look to have a gold coming on the track in the girls’ 400m, but just who is the big question, with Queensland’s Ella Connolly (53.92) and Ethiopia-born Bendere Oboya (53.77), from Sydney’s Pendle Hill, leading qualifiers from the heats.