Australia await Ferns in semifinals
Oh brother, Brandon finds his own throne
The Silver Ferns are confirmed to face Australia in the semifinals at the Commonwealth Games.
The Diamonds smashed Jamaica 72-51 in their pool A game late on Wednesday to secure the top spot in their group.
That result meant they play the second placed team in pool B, New Zealand, who needed Scotland not to get thrashed more than 38 goals by Uganda to stay alive in the tournament. He’s more commonly known as the brother of Mitchell Starc and ‘‘that guy from Game of Thrones‘‘. Now Brandon Starc is claiming his identity back.
On Wednesday Starc became the first Australian in 24 years to win Commonwealth Games high jump gold.
The younger brother of Australian pace bowler Mitchell emerged victorious in a three-man jump-off as the only one to clear 2.32m.
For Australia, it marked a first triumph in the event since the win by Tim Forsyth at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada.
For Starc, it was a maiden senior international medal and his first personal best since getting over 2.31m at the 2015 world championships.
And the 24-year-old said it was time to step into his own spotlight.
‘‘I’m not putting anything on Mitchell; what he’s done is incredible,’’ Starc said.
‘‘But to put my name out there now is a good feeling.’’
‘‘The crowd lifted me so much today, the whole stadium was behind me. I can’t really explain it, it was so good.’’
A Rio Olympics finalist who gained social media fame for his name’s likeness to Game of Thrones character Brandon ‘Bran’’ Stark, Starc’s PB places him equal second in the all-time Australian rankings.