Eilidh Doyle wins her third consecutive Commonwealth Games silver medal as Scotland record their second highest medal tally at any Games.
Eilidh Doyle wins her third consecutive Commonwealth Games silver medal as Scotland record their second highest medal tally at any Games. There is also a second gold in as many days for diver Jack Laugher. It’s the latest from day eight of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Scotland captain Eilidh Doyle admitted this silver was the toughest of the lot to win after turning an impressive race to win silver in the 400m hurdles.
In front of Usain Bolt watching on from the stands, 31-year-old Doyle picked up her third consecutive Commonwealth Games silver behind favourite Janieve Russell of Jamaica, who won gold in 54.33 seconds.
Scottish flagbearer Doyle clocked 54.80 and conceded the podium finish would live long in the memory.
"I knew it was going to be really hard to come out here and win a medal,” she said.
"I knew I could execute the race really well and along that home straight I knew I had to get that last hurdle right, and I did, and I'm absolutely delighted.
"This has been, in terms of trying to win a medal, the hardest Games I've had to come out in, but I am just glad I can take something home.”
Dina Asher-Smith was at least smiling after her bronze in the women’s 200m, edging Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson, who won the sprint double at the Rio Olympics, off the podium. Shaunae Miller-Uibo, of Bahamas, won in a Games record 22.09 seconds while Jamaican Shericka Jackson took silver.
“It feels nice to be one of the names that made it one of the best fields of the Championships, it's a real confidence boost,” said Asher-Smith.
"It feels amazing to have medalled in that because it's a great platform into hopefully the world stage and the world medals from here.
"I'm honestly really, really happy. I had to play to my strengths, I know my raw speed is really good, which bodes well for 100m later this year."
Kyle Langford produced a trademark finish in the 800m to take silver and come within five hundredths of a surprise gold medal.
Just as he had in London at last year’s World Championships, Langford turned on the afterburners on the home straight, finishing in a personal best time of 1:45.16, just behind Kenya’s Wycliffe Kinyamal.
But he readily admitted he could and should have taken gold.
He said: “With 200m to go I felt absolutely awesome, I felt so good and I got stuck in a little bit of traffic but they started to die a lot of them and when I got around the bend I just had too much. I didn't feel I got my legs moving quick enough.
"It's really gutting being so close. I know I should have been winning that, I've envisaged winning this in every training session and every run and to come away short is gutting but these are the sort of things as an athlete that they make you stronger.”
Elsewhere, Katarina Johnson-Thompson is well-placed to take gold in the women’s heptathlon after day one, with a lead of 126 points despite struggling in the shot put.
There were two bronze medals for England with Luke Cutts jumping 5.45m in the men’s pole vault, while Shara Proctor 6.75m in the women’s long jump, just ahead of compatriot Lorraine Ugen.
Jack Laugher kept his cool as the rain poured down to move within one win of a gold medal hat-trick at the Commonwealth Games.
Just 24 hours after winning the 1m springboard, the 23-year old dominated his rivals to win the 3m springboard event.
He was so far ahead going into the sixth and final dive that a medal had been secured.
And he’s not done yet - he competes with Chris Mears in Friday’s 3m synchro event as they look to add the Commonwealth title to their Olympic success in Rio.
Injury has sidelined Laugher for much of this year and this was his first major competition in his signature event.
Canada’s Philippe Gagne took silver, 67 points behind, while Australia’s James Connor completed the podium, edging Ross Haslam into fourth for the second straight day while Scotland’s James Heatly was fifth, England’s Jack Haslam eighth and Wales’ Aiden Heslop 12th.
“With my injuries I’m still behind where I need to be, so that score is brilliant and there’s still more in there,” he said.
“I had a pretty dreadful fifth dive in qualifying so to go from that to leading from start to finish and getting that score, it means so much.”
And Laugher’s performance certainly inspired girlfriend Lois Toulson, who won a surprise bronze in the women’s 10m platform event.
“I wasn't expecting a medal at all,” she admitted.
“Obviously the Olympics is the main aim, but I’m taking it a step at a time. That was a really tough field out there, so I'm really pleased.
“I’m also so pleased for Jack, it meant a lot for him to come over and give me a hug.”
Alex Danson’s 300th international appearance wasn’t able to get the England’s women’s hockey side lost in the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games.
Danson returned to the team having missed the last pool game - a 3-0 win over Malaysia - and looked to have added some impetus to the side that, despite the scoreline, lacked a killer instinct in front of goal against Malaysia
But in the end it was a similar story and in the end it came down to a shootout after 60 minutes of normal time failed to yield a goal by either side.
The first four penalty shuffles were all missed, leaving Hannah Martin to open the scoring with England’s third.
But Samantha Harrison equalised straight away for New Zealand and when England’s next two efforts were also wayward, it was left to Kiwi captain Stacey Michelsen to chip an onrushing Maddie Hinch and clinch her side’s place in the gold medal match - leaving England to take on India for bronze.
“It's devastating but congratulations to New Zealand, it was a very nicely taken last shuffle,” said Danson.
“I'm very, very proud of the team, we stuck to our gameplan and worked incredibly hard and there was a real fight about how we played today.
“There's nothing we can do but congratulate New Zealand and look forward to the bronze medal game because we don't want to come away with nothing.”
It was a first ever women’s triples medal for Scotland although they had to settle for silver after being overpowered by world champions Australia.
Kay Moran, Stacey McDougall and Caroline Brown put in a valiant performance before losing 21-12, although they could still hold their heads high.
"I'm over the moon. Even more so, I've enjoyed playing with these girls,” said Brown. “There's never been a team that I've enjoyed playing with as much as these two. It's just been a pleasure."
England’s lawn bowlers had to keep their nerve but just as it seemed they might let a medal slip through their fingers, they dug deep to see off Canada and secure bronze.
A day which had started with tears for Katherine Rednall, Ellen Falkner and Sian Honnor, was transformed in the evening as the women’s triples team put semi-final defeat to Australia behind them on their way to a 20-12 success over Canada.
First day of the wrestling and two medals already secured for the home nations courtesy of England’s Georgina Nelthorpe and Wales’ Curtis Dodge.
The former defeated Sierra Leone’s Hajaratu Kamara in her 76kg bronze medal clash while Dodge overcame Nigeria’s Ebimienfaghe Assizecourt in the men’s 74kg.
"It was absolutely incredible,” said Nelthorpe. “I couldn't ask for a better experience. I've been training for two years for this and it's worth every minute."
Meanwhile English 57kg wrestler George Ramm missed out on a medal after losing to Pakistan’s Muhammad Bilal.
Annie Last and Evie Richards secure an England one-two in the women’s cross country mountain biking
Seonaid McIntosh keeps it in the family with bronze in the women’s 50m rifle prone
Jake Sheaf and Chris Gregory come up short in their bid for a medal in the beach volleyball
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Laura Halford is the highest placing Brit in the women’s rhythmic gymnastics all-around final, finishing fifth for Wales. England’s Hannah Martin and Stephani Sherlock are seventh and 14th respectively.
In badminton, Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour reaches the quarter-finals of the women’s singles, a feat also managed by England’s Rajiv Ouseph in the men’s draw. In the men’s doubles, Olympic bronze medallist Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge and Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall progress into the quarters, as do women’s doubles pairings Chloe Birch and Jess Pugh and Lauren Smith and Sarah Walker, both of England. Likewise, Chris and Gabby Adcock as well as Ellis and Lauren Smith march on.
The quarter-final doubles line ups in squash are also decided with English, Welsh and Scottish representation while in the table tennis, England’s Kelly Sibley falls at the quarter-final stage of the women’s singles although Liam Pitchford marches on after beating Scotland’s Gavin Rumgay 4-1.
England’s Maria Tsaptsinos and Tin-Tin Ho lose their women’s doubles quarter-final but the English duos of Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford and David McBeath and Samuel Walker are both through to the men’s doubles last four. Pitchford, Samuel, Ho and Denise Payet all reach the last four of the mixed doubles too.
Tom Daley was just 16 when securing double Commonwealth gold in Delhi and the two-time Olympic medallist is back for another slice of the action, lining up with Dan Goodfellow in the men’s synchronised 10m platform, which is at 02:42. Katherine Torrance follows in the 1m springboard at 10:07.
Meanwhile, 2018 has already provided a breakthrough for world indoor champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, with the heptathlete back on duty at 11:13, looking to build on the lead she holds from day one.
And midday will see Jack Laugher and Chris Mears in men’s synchronised 3m platform action, once again with their own title to defend having considered retirement post their Rio Olympic success.
Twenty home nations boxers will step into the ring for their semi-finals while England men will look to go one step further than their female counters and win their hockey semi-final against Australia.
There is also a home nations showdown in the lawn bowls with England taking on Wales in the men’s fours bronze medal match while the women’s rugby sevens also gets underway. Sportsbeat 2018