Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Triathlete Yee wins the Games’ first gold medal
ALEX Yee grabbed England’s first gold medal of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with victory in the men’s triathlon at Sutton Park.
Yee chased down New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde to clinch victory in 50 minutes 34 seconds, finishing 13 seconds clear, with Australia’s Matthew Hauser three seconds further back.
Yee described his win as “my greatest achievement ever”, adding to BBC Sport: “It’s the first time I’ve been able to race in front of my parents for a long time at a major Games.
“I’m just happy. It’s bizarre it’s me that’s doing this and I can feel extremely grateful to be in this situation.
“I feel proud to be a triathlete today, to see so many different nations who I’ve never raced before and who are doing triathlon for the first time.”
In the women’s triathlon, Georgia Taylor-Brown finished second to Bermuda’s Flora Duffy who cruised home to retain her Commonwealth Games triathlon title.
Duffy came home in 55 minutes and 25 seconds and a convincing 41 seconds in front of TaylorBrown who was competing in her first Commonwealth Games and saluted the winner with a bow as she crossed the finishing line.
There was also a place for Scotland on the podium as Beth Potter ran home in third and a further 40 seconds behind Taylor-Brown.
Elsewhere, England began the defence of their Commonwealth Games netball title by cruising to a 74-22 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Birmingham.
Jess Thirlby was able to give court time to all 12 players as her side built on a 37-9 half-time advantage to ensure a winning start in Group B.
England are swiftly back in action against Malawi today and face sterner tests to come, not least against world champions New Zealand in preliminary phase.
At the London’s Olympic legacy Lee Valley VeloPark, where the cyclng is taking place, there was another gold medal - a fifth Commonwealth Games gold - for Neil Fachie in the Men’s tandem B 1000m time trial. It means he is now level with Alex Marshall as Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete - with five golds.
Fachie talking to BBC Sport afterwards, said: “It’s something I’ve spoken about for a while, as you can here my voice has gone. I’ve been quite ill and that made that all the more tough.
“But I was determined to win for Scotland, for my family, my wife and my baby to come. I’m just so, so proud.
“I came into this knowing it would take something superhuman. I’m not getting any younger and I am having to get quicker, quicker - so kudos to the Welsh, and to our English counterparts.”
Also in the velodrome, the England team featuring Laura Kenny won bronze in women’s 4,000 m team pursuit.
England had pipped Wales to the bronze medal, while New Zealand and Australia scrapped it out for the gold.
Australia won in four minutes
12.234 seconds, a full 5.75 seconds ahead of their Antipodean rivals.
Kenny told the BBC afterwards: “It’s been brilliant. I don’t think I have ever felt so much pressure to win a bronze medal in my life with a younger team. I was a whole bag of nerves to help them win and get a taste of medals I’ve had in the past.”
In the men’s 4000m team pursuit, Wales’ men were also piped to bronze, this time Australia won the race in three minutes 50.403 seconds, finishing 3.122 seconds ahead of the Welsh.