Shooter Taylor takes fifth
in 2014 and has moved up to the heavyweight ranks since.
The 22-year-old won his opening bout on the Gold Coast by emphati- cally defeating Antigua’s Yakita Aska in the round of 16 via unanimous decision when he was bitten during the fight.
The Hamilton heavyweight was due to face Cameroon’s Christian Ndzie Tsoye yesterday in the last eight but the Cameroonian was withdrawn yesterday morning for failing the medical and weigh-in procedure, Games officials said.
Nyika therefore advanced to Friday’s semifinals after being told his opponent wasn’t showing up for the weigh-in or fighting. He was not told why.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Alexis Pritchard also guaranteed herself a boxing medal after beating Sri Lanka’s Keshani Hansika by unanimous decision in women’s 57kg quarterfinals.
Reaching the last four of boxing tournaments at the Commonwealth Games guarantees fighters at least a bronze medal.
The contest between losing semifinalists for bronze has been scrapped and both are awarded a medal. the Veteran rifle shooter Ryan Taylor finished fifth in the 50m rifle prone at the Commonwealth Games.
Taylor went through to yesterday afternoon’s final in the 50m rifle prone event after qualifying in second spot, scoring 619.4, but couldn’t replicate that accuracy in the final.
The 38-year-old made a sluggish start to the elimination final, sitting eighth after the first five shots on 50.6. He bounced back before the eliminations started, sitting in a tie for fourth after stage one.
While he watched as Scotsman Leonard Thomson, Indian Gagan Narang, and Australia’s top qualifier James Daly came and went, he was the next to fall in fifth spot.
Taylor was impressive in qualification during the morning session, finishing with a total of 619.4, narrowly behind Australian James Daly, who was best with 620.5.
India’s Gagan Narang was the third top qualifier with 617. The top eight shooters from the starting list of 30 progressed through to the final.
Taylor, who resides in Levin, finished in sixth place at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He qualified place for that final.
His score in the final was 184.1, 1.4 behind India’s Chain Singh who finished fourth.
Welshman David Phelps won gold, scoring 248.8 in the final, in sixth ahead of Scotland’s Neil Stirton (247.7) in second, and England’s Kenneth Parr (226.6) in third.
Taylor previously competed at the 2004, 2012 and 2016 Olympics, as well as the 2006, 2010, 2014 Commonwealth Games.