Golden glory
IT’S A RECORD MEDAL HAUL FOR SCOTLAND
THEY may have gone their separate ways for Glasgow 2014 but the individual Team GB nations were united in celebration after a stunning Saturday.
There were 29 gold medals up for grabs over an action- packed day, the Games busiest so far.
And the home nations didn’t disappoint, landing golds in cycling, gymnastics, weightlifting, judo and triathlon.
There were further podium finishes for the British countries in the shooting, bowls and other judo events – a sport Britain now dominates.
Organisers had promised a day of events that would herald a “super Saturday” of sport and they weren’t wrong.
While temperatures didn’t reach the heights of earlier in the the week there was still hot stuff inside Glasgow’s packed venues.
The first medals for Britain went to Wales at the Hydro for rhythmic gymnastics.
After Frankie Jones won silvers in the individual hoop final, clubs event and individual ball final, she landed her country’s first gold of the Games in the individual ribbon rhythmic gymnastics discipline.
The 23-year-old, who retires at the end of the competition, burst into tears as the reality of winning gold sunk in. “I have had the most amazing few
days, I can’t believe we have the Welsh flag flying - it is phenomenal, I am so proud of myself,” she said.
By lunch- time there was more to celebrate when Mick G a u l t landed bronze, an incredible, and record-equalling, 18th Commonwealth Games medal.
The 60- year- old from Norfolk retired through illness after Delhi 2010 but came back to try and match Australian shooter Phillip Adams.
It wasn’t just medals at stake however – at Ibrox during the Rugby Sevens a brave Scot used the occasion to ask his girlfriend to marry him in the middle of the pitch. Fortunately she said yes. Then it was the turn of England’s mixed triathlon team at Strathclyde Park.
It’s become a home from home for the Brownlee brothers, who again destroyed the field, strolling to gold.
By this stage England were
edging ahead of their mighty rivals, Australia in the medal table. It was then the Scottish team announced their arrival in the day’s medal haul when they won a silver when Robert Conway and Irene Edgar finished runners up in the mixed pairs.
The breathless action had by now turned to the SECC and an epic battle of wills between Wales and England.
Two- time Commonwealth champion Michaela Breeze from Wales took on the young pretender, England’s European medallist Zoe Smith, in the 58kg division.
Breeze had retired after Delhi 2010, but announced her return to the sport last year.
Z oe Sm i t h ev e n t u a l l y outgunned – and outthought – Breeze in a clean and jerk finale.
By now, eyes were turning to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Scotland’s hope of another gold in front of a packed crowd.
Before that though there was time for Elinor Barker of Wales to collect bronze in the women’s 10km scratch in the cycling earlier in the day.
Scotland’s wait for gold was over by tea- time – and signalled by the Proclaimers ringing out around the velodrome.
It was Team Scotland’s first taste of gold in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome after para-cyclist Neil Fachie and pilot Craig MacLean won the 1,000 metres time trial B2 tandem.
Last night, in front of his wife Gemma Gibbons, w h o’d narrowly missed gold in the judo just an hour before, Euan Burton landed the medal in the judo.