Aussies make waves in pool

Gold Coast, April 5: Australia smashed world records in swimming on day one of the Commonwealth Games as they rebounded quickly from hurdler Sally Pearson’s shock pull-out on Thursday.

Poster-girl Pearson’s withdrawal with an Achilles tendon problem made for a gloomy start to competition but it gave way to a triumphant evening for the hosts.

It was a fruitful night for the Aussies in the pool, where they won two golds including a new world mark in the 4x100m women’s freestyle relay.

Olympic champion Mack Horton won the men’s 400m freestyle although Canada’s Taylor Ruck pipped two Aussies — fellow 17-yearold Ariarne Titmus, and Emma McKeon — in the women’s 200m free.

Australia’s Pearson, the 100m hurdles world champion and a Gold Coast resident, earlier said she was in tears when she realised she had to withdraw, but added: “My health comes first.”

The former Olympic champion, 31, is the face of the Games but she said a long-standing Achilles’ problem flared up two days ago and left her unable to clear hurdles in training.

Flora Duffy won the opening gold medal in the women’s triathlon, becoming Bermuda’s first female medallist. In the men’s race, Olympic gold and sil- ver medallists Alistair and Jonny Brownlee of England trailed home 10th and seventh as the 2016 bronze-winner Henri Schoeman accelerated for gold. Muhammad Azroy Hazalwa won the first of two gold medals for Malaysia in weightlifting.

— AFP