It was a golden double for England’s 4x100m relay teams on the penultimate day of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
It was a golden double for England’s 4x100m relay teams on the penultimate day of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
On the last day of competition on the track, the home nations picked up five medals, four for England and one for Scotland.
The men’s 4x100m relay team kicked off the gold rush as Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Reuben Arthur, Zharnel Hughes and Richard Kilty took gold ahead of South Africa and Jamaica in a season’s best 38.13s.
Long jumper Lorraine Ugen then resisted the charge of Jamaica’s double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson on the anchor leg to take gold alongside teammates Asha Philip, Dina Asher-Smith and Bianca Williams.
Aikines-Aryeetey said: “What can I say? We're so proud to represent our nation. This is what we're about, we've been cheering for our teammates and our teammates have been cheering for us. We came out here to do our very best today.
"I ran like a (scared) rabbit! I knew I had the second fastest man of all time behind me, Yohan Blake, and the 100m Commonwealth champion Akani Simbine behind me. I stayed focused and aimed for the line.”
For England, Morgan Lake picked up silver in the women’s high jump, missing out on gold by 2cm after clearing 1.93m, while Laura Weightman finished third in the women’s 5000m with the women’s 4x400m relay squad fourth.
Meanwhile a brilliant last lap from Scotland’s Jake Wightman saw him surge through to take bronze in the men’s 1500m.
Galal may be the youngest of the three Yafai boxing brothers but he believes he’s now surpassed his siblings after securing Commonwealth gold on Saturday.
Yafai’s two older brothers – Khalid and Gamal – both won medals at the 2010 European Amateur Boxing Championships before turning pro in subsequent years and Khalid is now WBA super-flyweight champion.
However, neither of them tasted Commonwealth success in their amateur days, which means Galal got one up on them by earning a split decision victory over India’s Amit Panghal in the men’s 46-49kg final.
Yafai said: “I think this puts me at the top [of the family pecking order] – they haven't won the Commonwealths so it's something I've got over them!
“I should have been European champion as well, but I can rectify that in the future. We're not really that competitive as brothers, I just do my own thing really.”
Yafai wasn’t the only English success in the ring as Lisa Whiteside took gold after a unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s Carly McNaul in the women’s 51kg final.
McNaul was one of three Northern Irish silvers claimed at Oxenford Studios as Kristina O’Hara (women’s 45-48kg) and Brendan Irvine (men’s 52kg) also suffered defeat in their respective finals, as did England’s Paige Murney in the women’s 60kg category – losing to home favourite Anja Stridsman.
Jon Mould’s Commonwealth Games looked to have been a bust when he left the velodrome without a medal but he admits he will now leave the Gold Coast absolutely chuffed after winning a surprise silver in the men’s road race.
And Mould made it a double Welsh celebration after compatriot Dani Rowe claimed bronze in the women’s race.
Rowe crossed the line third in a bunch sprint as Australia’s Chloe Hosking and New Zealand’s Georgia Williams took the one-two, while Mould led with 50 metres remaining before another home rider, Steele von Hoff, nipped past him to win gold.
But the 27-year-old was ecstatic – if slightly surprised – to salvage his Games on the road.
“Coming to the Commonwealth Games this year, it was all about the track for me, but sometimes when you want it, it doesn't work out,” mused Mould.
“But it can work out when you least expect it, and that's what happened today.
“I'm absolutely chuffed. This has been really mega for my career and for my whole life really. To finish it for myself and for my team was the greatest feeling."
Rowe rode for Team England in Glasgow four years ago but after switching her allegiances to Wales – having lived in Cardiff with her now-husband Matt – she felt vindicated.
“It feels amazing. It was my aim for a long, long time, the Commonwealth Games. So I’m really happy that the hard work has paid off,” said the 27-year-old.
“My family are also here so it’s just so nice to be able to share that with them. My family and husband have to put up with a lot. Athletes aren’t the easiest to deal with so it’s a victory for them as well.
“I always love competing and now I’m representing Wales as well, it’s really good.”
David Luckman is now a four-time Commonwealth champion after retaining his individual full-bore rifle Queen’s Prize title in style.
The 41-year-old had already retained his Queen’s Prize pairs title earlier this week alongside Parag Patel and the Englishmen were both on the podium again in the Gold Coast as Patel took bronze.
They were split by Australia’s Jim Bailey and after Luckman was carried by his opponents from the range to the medal ceremony in a Sedan chair – as is tradition for the Queen’s Prize champion – he admitted he enjoyed the ride.
“It [the chair ride] is such a great experience,” he said. “It's such a nice tradition and a great celebration.
“It's also your fellow competitors who have been battling it out over the week, who are carrying it. So it seems like a great celebration.
"I am so pleased with today. The last couple of days since the pairs, I've been having to fight it a bit and having to work very hard to get the points. Today felt like it should have felt."
There was further home nations success in the shooting as Wales’ Michael Wixey and England’s Aaron Heading claimed a one-two in the men’s trap finals and another Englishman, Dean Bale, took bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions.
Sophie Bray grabbed herself a hat-trick as England’s women’s hockey team ruthlessly exacted revenge over India and ensured they will leave Australia with a bronze medal.
India had defeated England 2-1 during the group stages at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre but goals from Alex Danson, Hollie Pearne-Webb and Laura Unsworth – in addition to Bray’s treble – avoided a repeat in the bronze-medal match, sealing a 6-0 win.
Coming off a heart-breaking shoot-out defeat to New Zealand in their semi-final, England could have crumbled but instead came out firing and captain Danson was proud of her troops.
“It was a resilient performance,” she said, after England continued their record of winning a medal at every Commonwealth Games since hockey’s introduction in 1998.
“We've got a very big, very talented squad. It's a relief when you've done the work at home, and you've got the tactics and the ability as individuals in the team to play.
“This performance shows the grit that we're about. Sport is challenging, sport is tough. The best athletes are the most resilient, that’s why I am so proud of this team.”
With just one second left on the clock, Jo Harten stared into the face of incredible pressure, refused to blink and overcame the weight of history to dramatically send England’s netball team into the gold medal match.
England had battled back from six goals down at half-time in their semi-final against Jamaica to level proceedings at 55-55.
And with just a single tick left, Harten held her nerve to net the winner, secure a 56-55 triumph and send her country into their first ever Commonwealth Games netball final.
The clash against Australia or New Zealand tomorrow will be England’s first global final since 1975 and a chance to secure a maiden major title.
Four English pairs fought their way into badminton doubles finals following a night of semi-final success at the Carrara Sports Arena.
The mixed doubles final will be an all-English affair for the second Games in a row after reigning champions Chris and Gabby Adcock beat Malaysian duo Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying 21-19 21-17, while Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith battled from a game down to overcome India’s Satwik Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa 20-22 21-18 21-16.
Olympic bronze medallists Ellis and Chris Langridge will go for gold in the men’s doubles after dispatching Goh V Shem Goh and Tan Wee Kiong 15-21 21-16 21-15 in their semi-final, while Smith also teamed with Sarah Walker to book a place in the women’s doubles final by defeating home favourites Gronya Somerville and Setyana Mapasa 21-15 21-15.
Gabby Adcock said of the English success: "We are all coming into our peak. We have all been youngsters growing up together, we train very well together and push each other every day.
“We have really stepped it up here and played very well."
There was heartbreak for the home nations badminton stars in the singles however, as Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour lost her semi-final to India’s Saina Nehwal 21-14 18-21 21-17 and England’s Raj Ouseph did likewise to Srikanth Kidambi in the men’s – going down 21-10 21-17.
Both will go for bronze this afternoon however, as Gilmour takes on Canada’s Michelle Li and Ouseph does battle with H.S Prannoy.
Scotland’s men’s basketball team will face a battle for bronze against New Zealand on Sunday after suffering a heavy defeat against hosts Australia in their semi-final.
The Scots lost 103-46 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre but have a shot at redemption when they take on a New Zealand side that went down to a buzzer-beating three-pointer in their semi-final against Canada.
Daryl Selby and Adrian Waller won the all-English men’s doubles squash semi-final by beating singles champion James Willstrop and his partner Declan James 11-9 9-11 11-10 but Scotland’s Greg Lobban and Alan Clyne lost in the other semi-final, as did England’s Sarah-Jane Perry and Laura Massaro in the women’s doubles.
And in the table tennis, Liam Pitchford and Tin-Tin Ho guaranteed themselves a medal by fighting their way into Sunday’s mixed doubles final – initially blowing a two-game lead in their semi-final against India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra before prevailing in a thriller 11-8 12-10 5-11 8-11 15-13. Sportsbeat 2018