Fredericks picks up golden mantle
GLASGOW: South Africa began yesterday as they meant to end it – by winning gold. The bowls team took a close win in the morning to make history, while Cornel Fredericks finished it off in the 400m hurdles, continuing a proud South African history.
And, almost unnoticed in the melee of Nijel Amos of Botswana beating David Rudisha in the 800m, Andre Olivier sprinted on the outside to take bronze behind the Kenyan Olympic champion and his training partner.
Olivier and Amos train together in Potchefstroom and there was a sense of some teamwork between the two in the last kick to the line as the South African gave Amos the space to chase down Rudisha.
“I think the last 50m I just closed my eyes and hoped for bronze,” said Olivier.
Fredericks led from start to finish to regain the title SA last held when LJ van Zyl won in Melbourne in 2006. Fredericks picked up his mantle, making South Africa only the second nation to win gold in this event more than twice. His 48.50 was good enough to hold off a closing Jehue Gordon in second.
“I told myself today is my day. I knew he (Gordon) is going to come back hard at the end, so I had to go out fast,” said Fredericks. “With 100m to go I remembered my late coach Bruce Longden (who died in 2012) saying, ‘I must stay tall’. That time can get you into the final of any major championship. I don’t want to be just another 400m hurdler, I want to be one of the best in the world.”
South Africa all but confirmed themselves the top bowls country of the Commonwealth yesterday with their fourth gold and second bronze of the Games to cement their position on top of the medal table.
The para open trips team of Derrick Lobban, Roger Hagerty and Dion van der Vyver beat New Zealand 13-11 to win gold, the second gold by a para team after Herman Scholtz and Gyndolene Nel had opened the competition with a win in the visually impaired category. SA broke two records yesterday: the most golds and the most medals by one country at any Games.
Later last night, the women’s trips team beat Wales to take bronze. This morning they will be hoping to take their total to seven medals for the competition as Colleen Piketh and Tracy-Lee Botha are up against England in the gold medal match.
“It’s huge hey, absolutely huge,” said Lobban. “This is the highest bowls accolade one can get but it was a really tough game. The New Zealand guys contested well and they held us, although we were well up at one stage.
“The last stages were very tight. We were 11-10 up and they were lying one shot and then I managed to remove the white which meant that we didn’t need to go into an extra end. Coming back with gold is just so important.”
Armando Hietbrink admitted he had surprised himself with his bronze medal in the 86kg freestyle wrestling, taking 43 seconds to beat Kenya’s Peter Omenda 5-0. “I didn’t expect it,” said Hietbrink. “I worked for it. You don’t want to take chances. The quicker you finish it, the better. No hesitation. Job done.”
The men’s hockey team saw their medal hopes come to an end with a 5-2 defeat to India yesterday. Gold Gwen Nel, Herman Scholtz, Geoffrey Newcombe, Johanna van Rooyen (Para lawn bowls mixed pairs) Zack Piontek (Judo, 90kg) Chad le Clos (200m butterfly – Games record 1:55.07) Susan Nel, Esme Steyn, Santjie Steyn and Tracy-Lee Botha (Lawn bowls fours) Rugby Sevens Bob Donnelley, Prince Neluonde, Pierre Breitenbach (Lawn bowls, men’s trips), Fanie van der Merwe (Para athletics 100m) Cameron van der Burgh (50m breaststroke – Games record 26.76), Chad le Clos (100m butterfly; Games record 51.29) Deon van de Vyver/ Roger Hagerty/ Lobban Derrick (Bowls, para open triples), Cornel Fredericks (400m hurdles) Silver Roland Schoeman (50m butterfly) Roland Schoeman, Chad le Clos, Caydon Muller, Leith Shankland (4x100m freestyle) Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman, Kate Roberts, Gill Sanders (triathlon mixed team medley), Ruan Snyman (Judo, 100kg), Cameron van der Burgh (100m breaststroke), Esmari van Reenen (50m prone rifle) Charl du Toit (Para athletics 100m), Zarck Visser (long jump) Wayde van Niekerk (400m) Sunette Viljoen (javelin) Bronze Richard Murray (triathlon) Siyabulela Mabulu (Judo, 66kg) Jacques van Zyl (Judo, 73kg) Sebastien Rousseau (4x100m IM), Le Clos (50m butterfly) Sebastien Rousseau (200m butterfly), Colleen Piketh (lawn bowls singles) Myles Brown, Chad le Clos, Sebastien Rousseau, Dylan Bosch (4x200m freestyle) Chad le Clos (200m individual medley), Sebastien Rousseau, Cameron van der Burgh, Chad le Clos, Leith Shankland (4x100m medley relay), Mpho Madi (wrestling 53kg freestyle), Rushwahl Samaai (long jump), Armando Hietbrink (Men’s freestyle 86kg wrestling) André Olivier (800m), Esme Steyn, Santjie Steyn, Susan Nel (lawn bowls, women’s triples)