The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scotland land record medal haul
Shooter secures seventh gold as Team Scotland pass Games target
Team Scotland are now guaranteed a record medals haul for an overseas Commonwealth Games after boosting the tally to 32 yesterday on the Gold Coast.
Shooter David McMath won Scotland’s seventh gold of these Games with Linda Pearson taking bronze in the women’s event.
Sprinter Maria Lyle won silver in the women’s T35 100m final and diver James Heatly collected bronze on the 1m springboard to take the haul past the previous best of 29 medals at Melbourne 2006.
Shooter David McMath claimed Team Scotland’s seventh gold yesterday as the pre-Games target of 29 medals was passed on day seven of the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.
The Scottish team, who took the tally to 32 yesterday, enjoyed its best Games in Glasgow four years ago when it secured 53 medals, eclipsing the previous high of 33 in Edinburgh in 1986. However, the team’s previous best performance at an overseas Games was at Melbourne in 2006 when 29 medals were won.
McMath won the men’s double trap, setting a new Games record in the final, while team-mate Linda Pearson picked up bronze in the women’s event.
Also on the podium were Paralympic 100m bronze medallist Maria Lyle who finished second this time for a silver medal, while diver James Heatly followed in his late grandfather’s footsteps to collect the bronze on the 1m springboard.
Scotland are also guaranteed at least two more medals in the boxing ring with Montrose middleweight John Docherty and Reece McFadden through to tomorrow’s semi-finals.
McMath, competing in his first Games, qualified in first position with a score of 137+6 following a shoot-off with India’s Ashab Mohd before setting a new Games mark of 74 in the final.
The 21-year-old said: “I’m absolutely loving it, I couldn’t have asked for more.
“After the first few pairs, I was a bit on the back foot, but started to pull it back.
“I took a time off uni to train, so the last couple of months have been pretty focused. The experience here has been absolutely incredible.
“I’ve never been in a final as big as that before and it’s a totally new experience. I shot very well today and to get here in the end is so fantastic.”
Pearson won a bronze in the women’s double trap with a score of 87.
She said: “I can’t believe it. It’s a massive achievement at my age, 54, I’m so pleased. It means the world to me. The range is brilliant, it’s been fabulous.”
Ian Shaw and Sandy Walker competed in the Queen’s Prize individual finals day one, finishing 13th and 17th.
Lyle won Scotland’s first track medal in the women’s T35 100m with her time of 15.14 seconds, with only home favourite and world record holder, Isis Holt, ahead of her.
Already a double Paralympic and World bronze medallist over 100m and 200m, the 18-year-old from Dunbar said: “I’m really pleased to win the silver albeit a little bit disappointed with the time, but it’s my first Commonwealth Games and to experience a crowd like that was incredible.
“I don’t get many opportunities to wear the Scotland vest so I’m really pleased to win a medal for Scotland.”
Heatly became the first Scottish diver in 60 years to win a Commonwealth Games medal – the last being Heatly’s granddad, Sir Peter.
Heatly progressed to the final in third place after the morning prelims and improved on each of his six dives in the final for a personal best of 399.25. England’s Jack Laugher won gold with 438 and James Connor of Australia picked up silver with 412.45.
The Scot said: “I can’t quite believe it, I’m a bit overwhelmed right now.
“The guys here are so good, so to come third in this event is amazing.
“I’ve never hit my round four dive so well in a competition. In fact it’s the one I’ve been struggling with the most in training, so I’m over the moon.”
In the boxing ring, Docherty once again faced Englishman Benjamin Whittaker in a repeat of the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games middleweight final.
Docherty, 20, won a split decision and now takes on Camerron’s Wilfried Ntsengue.
“I’m very happy to secure the bronze, but all that’s on my mind is the gold. That’s what I’ve come here for,” he said.
Reece, a bronze medallist in Glasgow, guaranteed another medal with a unanimous points victory against Pakistan fighter Syed Muhammad Asif.
He said: “I just love boxing. This is a big stage, and it’s so important to me.
“I got bronze in Glasgow and the reception was unbelievable. Even here it’s outstanding and it takes me back.
“I am desperate for that gold medal. I’m delighted with that performance and I’m going to keep progressing to take that gold medal home for Scotland.”
Reece will face Norther Ireland boxer Brendan Irvine in the semis.
Lightweight Nathaniel Collins fought well throughout his quarter-final with home favourite Harry Garside, but came out on the wrong side of the judges’ decision.
Badminton player Kirsty Gilmour made light work of her first game in the women’s singles, beating Aurelie Marie Elisa Allet of Mauritius 21-3 21-4 in just 17 minutes.
There was an equally impressive showing from Alex Dunn and Eleanor O’Donnell to win their mixed doubles second round against Sri Lanka in straight games.
Kieran Merrilees bowed out of the men’s singles after a narrow defeat in three games to Singapore’s Kean Yew Loh while Julie MacPherson and Martin Campbell lost to England’s third seeds Lauren Smith and Marcus Ellis.
Lisa Aitken and Alison Thomson beat Cayman Islands 2-0 in their first women’s doubles squash match of the day, but then went down 2-1 to English pair Laura Massaro and singles silver medallist Sarah-Jane Perry.
Aitken then returned to the court for her third match of the day alongside Kevin Moran in the mixed doubles.
They lost 2-0 to India, but had already done enough to progress to the last 16.
In the men’s doubles, Alan Clyne and Greg Lobban continued their strong start with a 2-0 win over Guyana.
Arbroath bowler Darren Burnett is back in action today when he takes on Malaysia’s Muhammad Soufi Rusli in the quarter-finals. Burnett beat Rusli 21-19 on Tuesday in a group contest.
In the women’s pairs Fife’s Lesley Doig and partner Claire Johnston beat Cook Islands 36-10, but then lost 11-8 to Malaysia, to qualify for a quarter-final match today against Australia.
The men’s fours beat England 12-8 to remain at the top of their pool and book a quarter-final place.
The women’s triples eased past Malaysia 17-15 to progress to the semifinal against Canada.
Gavin Rumgay had a successful day in the table tennis events.
He partnered Craig Howieson to a 3-0
win over Northern Irish duo of Owen Cathcart and Zak Wilson and returned to beat Sri Lanka 4-0.
Howieson lost 4-0 to his Singapore rival in the singles.
Rumgay said: “I felt pretty sharp, and I surprised myself to be honest.”
On the netball court Scotland were beaten 57-37 by Uganda and play Barbados in their classification game. l Eight Commonwealth Games gold medallists have been selected in Great Britain’s 43-strong team for August’s European Championships in Glasgow.
Duncan Scott, who won six medals in the pool for Scotland, is joined in the team by Adam Peaty, James Wilby and Sarah Vasey.
Ben Proud, Aimee Willmott, Alys Thomas and Siobhan O’Connor also won on the Gold Coast and will race in Glasgow from August 3 to 9.