Aussie meddles in medals
Australian swimmer Emma McKeon, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, has become the most successful Commonwealth Games athlete after another strong night in the pool for her country.
McKeon, 28, drew level with South African swimmer Chad le Clos and shooters Michael Gault and Phil Adams by winning an 18th medal with a bronze in the 100m freestyle.
She set a new mark of 19 when she claimed her fifth gold medal for the Birmingham Games as part of Australia’s mixed 4x100m medley relay team. She has won 13 gold medals over three Games.
English swimmer Adam Peaty turned a testing Games around with a resounding triumph in the 50m breaststroke final. Peaty, 27, who was beaten for the first time in eight years in the 100m breaststroke, had vowed to bounce back after a loss he described as devastating.
He did so in style, winning the goal medal by recording 26.76sec to beat Australian Sam Williamson by 0.21sec, with Scotland’s Ross Murdoch third.
Amid a dominant gymnastics display from England, there were two standout male performers. Jake Jarman became the most successful English male gymnast at a single Games when he added a fourth gold medal to his haul on yesterday, this time in the vault.
Competing in his first major senior competition, the 20-year-old Jarman also claimed golds in the all-round, floor and team events in the best performance from an Englishman in any sport in 24 years.
Jarman’s performance was arguably overshadowed by the courage shown by team-mate Joe Fraser, who managed to overcome recent injury and illness to win three gold medals.
Three years after winning a world championship on the parallel bars, the 23-year-old Fraser became the first English gymnast to win the event in the Commonwealth Games.
What makes Fraser’s success more extraordinary is that he limped into the athletes’ village before the Games wearing a moon boot after breaking a foot two weeks ago.
Just one month earlier, he ruptured his appendix. But inspired by competing in front of his home crowd, Fraser delivered world-class performances throughout the competition.
India enjoyed a successful day, which included their first-ever gold medal in lawn bowls.
The Indian quartet of Lovely Choubey, Pinki, Nayanmoni Saikia and Rupa Rani Tirkey defeated South Africa 17-10 in the women’s fours event.
Tirkey said the foursome awoke motivated by the chance to create history for their nation.
Earlier, Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, of Jamaica, confirmed she was the sprinter to beat in the Commonwealth Games with a strong 100m heat run yesterday.
Thompson-Herah is confident she can reclaim her best form in Birmingham. ‘‘Whatever time I put together, I will work my way back up to the top,’’ she said. [My plans] are to have fun, smile, breath and just run.’’