Medal blitz on a night to savour
Time, it goes so fast when you’re having fun. On Monday night, New Zealand’s lumpy sofa slouchers grew ever more rapidly short of breath as our finely-tuned Commonwealth Games athletes delivered healthy returns.
As Principal McGee astutely said in Grease, ‘‘if you can’t be an athlete, be an athletic supporter.’’
And that’s what Kiwis did as their sporting representatives won four gold and two silver medals overall on an evening of entertaining excellence.
It was a hectic few hours of highlights and heroics.
David Liti became our new favourite ‘‘fat guy’’.
He usurped Tom Walsh in that role around the same time the titanic Timaruvian was also winning gold. Walsh couldn’t reproduce his best but it was enough to grab the gold he missed in Glasgow.
The 166kg Liti blew a kiss to the judges and stole our hearts as he won the leviathan class in men’s weightlifting - and then finished the night by guiding injured silver medalist Lauititi Lui of Samoa off the stage from behind his wheelchair.
Joelle King squashed SarahJane Perry, finally ensuring her English rival stayed quiet while Paul Coll took silver in the men’s final.
Sophie Pascoe remained NZ’s Queen of the Pool as she collected her second gold from as many events. Pascoe’s efforts have taken their toll, but such are her towering expectations that she’s the only one unhappy with two golds.
It wasn’t all frothy beer though, as Laurel Hubbard got skittled in the women’s +90kg weightlifting.
This country’s trailblazing transgender athlete seemed set to win gold but injured her elbow during an unsuccessful lift. A supportive crowd collective groaned as she winced in pain, and then felt her pain again when it was announced she couldn’t continue.
Then it was a case of where has your gold gone, Miss Robinson, as a nation turned its sympathetic eyes to her.
Para-athlete Holly Robinson set a new world record with her first throw in the women’s F46 javelin and that held until fierce rival Hollie Arnold of Wales set a new mark and snatched gold with her last hurl.