Commonwealth Youth Games 2023: Australian medal winners, swim sensation, photos, result wrap
She was tipped to make waves and that’s exactly what this young swimmer has done at the Commonwealth Youth Games as rugby, triathlon and cycling delivered more gold. Day 4 result wrap.
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She was tipped to make waves and that’s exactly what teenage swim sensation Inez Miller has done at the Commonwealth Youth Games
Miller claimed her third gold medal of the meet in the pool while a pair of cyclists rode away with their third medal each on their bikes, we claimed a gold in the mixed triathlon and our Sevens Rugby girls defended their title on another great day for the Australian team.
Miller, from Perth, added the 400m freestyle gold (4:14.97) to her wins in the 200m free and mixed 4x200m relay.
The youngster now owns five medals after a silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the mixed 4x100m relay.
“It was my first time under 4:16 for the first time in two years so that’s really, really good,” Miller.
In another standout performance Lauren Bates and Keira Will went one-two in the 60-lap Points race at the velodrome.
Bates, who won a gold and silver on the road, won with 27 points while Will picked up silver with 19 points.
At a different venue our young Rugby Sevens team continued their undefeated run to claim gold with their 50-0 defeat of Canada.
“It’s amazing, we’ve worked so hard and to finally get on the field together it’s awesome, the best feeling ever,” said Sydney’s northern beaches gun Piper Simons.
Triathletes Aspen Anderson and Jack Latham then added a Mixed Relay with Anderson, who won the women’s race, coming form behind for the victory on the shortened course.
Back in the pool Queenslander Mikayla Bird also won a gold with her 100m butterfly (1:00.15) win.
In other top results Hannah Allen (4:18.72) won silver in the 400m free and Lillie McPherson (1:00.80) bronze in the 100m.
The athletics team also continued to contribute to the medal haul with Chelsy Wayne from NSW pickling up silver (49.39) in the discus.
“It was intense out there, so close. I just wanted to throw more and more, but it’s the best that I could do,” Wayne said.
“I’m so happy and excited, I can’t wait to share the news with my friend. It’s a wild experience and I’m loving meeting new people.
NSW’s Daniel Williams was just off the podium in the 1500m final with his 3:45.91.
SWIMMERS, ATHLETES CAUSE A STIR ON DAY 3
They won Australia’s first medals on day one and now NSW’s Keira Will and the ACT's Lauren Bates have done it again with a gold and silver double in the 55km road race - holding hands.
Will, who won silver in the time trial, took gold on day 3 in Trinidad & Tobago and Bates the silver after a photo finish in a great day for Australian cycling.
Bates attacked early with Will joining her at the head of the peloton later to set up the big double for Australia.
“That was great. I was happy Lauren was able to get away and sit with the bunch until I had my chance to join her. I had to get out by myself and help her and it was good to be able to do that. From there we just went hard together until the end,” Will said.
“Lauren and I are teammates, but also great friends. To think of when we were kids racing around New South Wales to now is pretty crazy.”
The Australian athletics team opened their campaign in incredible style with a massive haul of eight medals - two gold, three silver and three bronze.
NSW’s George Wells won the discus (56.75m) ahead of South African Hencu Lamberts (53.00m) and St Lucia’s Denzel Phillips (47.77m).
“It’s been a rollercoaster. I went into this without knowing what everyone was throwing but I’ve come away with the gold and that’s the main thing,” Wells said.
“I was hoping to crack 60 metres if I’m honest but you can’t come away with everything. That’s the next target.”
Teammate Delta Amidzovski (NSW) claimed a PB and Games record with her 6.34m (w: -0.4) in the long jump to beat local Janae De Gannes (6.07m) and fellow Australian Grace Krause from Temora (6.01m).
“It was a PB and I knew I had it in the bag. My training for this has paid off,” she said.
“I can relax a bit now as I’ve my nerves out and am now really excited to see what I can do in the hurdles.
“I’ve run around the Games record back home so I hope I can do that here.”
Birmingham Commonwealth Games athletes Indi Cooper (NSW) and Akeesha Snowden (SA) won silver and bronze in the T28 100m for athletes with cerebral palsy with a 14.01 (w: +0.5) and 14.53 respectively.
“I gave it my all to honour my Pa, he passed away just before the staging camp and this is all for him,” Cooper said.
Victorian Ori Drabkin and NSW’s Jackson Love raced to a silver and bronze in 13.30 (w: +0.5) and 13.33 respectively.
“It’s so good to compete alongside the able-bodied athletes,’’ Love said.
“We don’t get this opportunity beyond the Paralympics and to be here alongside everyone is just so nice.”
NSW’s Xylavene Beale added to the medal haul with a silver in the women’s shot put behind new Games record holder Alicia Khunou (17.97m) of South Africa.
“I’m as happy as I can be. I’m proud to win a medal, but the distance wasn’t quite there. It’s what I’ve thrown on the day,” Beale said.
“I’m having fun, but I’ve been a bit homesick if I’m honest. I’m learning here about managing nerves and that’s a good thing.”
In the pool Zoe Ammundsen won the women’s 50m backstroke after taking a silver in the 100m on day two.
The mixed 4x200m relay team of Inez Miller (WA), Mikalya Bird (NSW), Harvey Larke (Vic) and Jye Bennion (Qld) won gold (7:45.74) after beating England (7:51.41) and Wales (7:53.44).
Miller also added a silver to the haul in the 100m free (55.59).
In Rugby Sevens, Australia beat Wales 26-7 and Kenya 45-0.
DAY TWO MEDALS IN AND OUT OF POOL
Australia has emerges from two races with two medals in an early success story on day two of the Commonwealth Youth Games while a host of Aussies hit the field and pool for the first time for morel success.
Young triathlete Aspen Andersen raced off with Australia’s second gold medal of the Commonwealth Youth Games with a teammate collecting a bronze in the men’s race.
Later, our swimmers hit the pool to collect more medals – including another gold.
Anderson’s gold in the super sprint race and Tasmanian Jack Latham’s bronze followed on from our cyclists winning a gold, silver and bronze on day one. See Day 1 wrap below.
Anderson covered the 375m swim, 10km cycle and 2.5km run course in 32:53 to finish 24 seconds clear of Scotland’s Jessica Heaps.
“It was such a great race, it was so fun, and I’ve never raced anything like that before,” Anderson said.
“I really enjoyed it all. We came from the Australian winter to this weather today and it was a bit of a shock to the system but I think I pulled it off today.”
Latham made up significant ground in the run to pick up a bronze in 30:38 behind Jersey’s Luke Holmes and Scotland’s Alex Robin.
“I put a lot into this sport, and it’s all paying off. I’ve got the job done, the medal’s coming back to Australia – what else can you ask for,” he said.
Victorian Oscar Wootton finished fifth in 31:02.
Later Australia’s swimmers hit the pool for their first finals and made an instant impact.
Western Australian Inez Miller from the St Hilda’s club had the honour of being the swim teams first gold medallist, winning the 200m freestyle (2:00.36) in which Queenslander Mikayla Bird finished third.
“The swim tonight probably wasn’t as strong as my effort this morning, nerves played a part, but with more races to come I will learn from that and hopefully start in the coming days a bit more confident,” Miller said.
Bird also won a bronze with a great swim in the 50m butterfly.
Zoe Ammundsen, from the Iona club, then added a silver medal in the 100m backstroke (1:01.98) with Australian age champion Tommy Lane from Victoria winning bronze in the 1500 freestyle (15:31.38).
“There were a lot of nerves going in and I knew I had to go sub-1:02 to win and it’s something I’ve been chasing since December,” Ammundsen said.
Harvey Larke from Victoria produced a great swim from lane eight for his bronze in the 200m freestyle (1:51.64) won by local Nikoli Blackman (1:49.94).
“This is a confidence boost. I’ve got the 400m later on, and I’m looking forward to it. I reckon it’s my pet event, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Larke said.
In other day two news Australian made its first appearance in the Rugby Sevens competition and made a big impression. The young Australian team recorded a massive 71-0 victory over the host nation with Ava Wereta one of the stars.
They backed up in their second match with a 33-0 win.
In the beach volleyball both our men’s and women;'s teams have advanced into the quarter-finals.
DAY 1: AMAZING, INSANE. MEDAL CHASE BEGINS
Amazing, insane, cool. That was the reaction as Australian athletes made a sensational start to the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad & Tobago for the rising stars of world sport.
Our young cyclists raced to a spectacular double to deliver Australia its first medals of the Commonwealth Youth Games and the first handed out by officials.
By day end an additional bronze had been collected with Australia sitting on top of the medal board in a fantastic start to the event.
Canberra’s Lauren Bates was the star of the show, opening Australia’s medal campaign with a gold in the time trial with an impressive time of 14:09.31.
Keira Will, from the Lidcombe Auburn club in NSW, won the silver with her ride of 14:31.89.
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“It’s amazing. It’s insane. I’m so stoked to come away with a medal and seeing all the other nations here as well, it’s so cool,’’ said Bates, a Canberra Cycling Club member, after her 10km race which was hosted at the famous Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
“To win Australia’s first gold is awesome. I’m sure there will be plenty more in the days ahead, but to stand on the podium will be pretty special. It will give me goosebumps. My parents are here, too, and they’re excited.”
Both are now on course for more success on the track before Bates heads to Cali in Columbia straight from Trinidad and Tobago to compete at the world junior cycling championships.
“I really enjoyed that. There were a lot of strong girls out there, but I gave it everything in the hope that I could then bring it home,” Will said.
A cycling bronze medal later on the first day was delivered by Balmoral cyclist Will Heath in the boy’s time trial.
“It was so hot and sweaty out there. My heart rate was through the roof, but it was rewarding to come away with a medal after the pain you put yourself through,” said Heath, 16, who covered his 15km course in 19:35.24 and is the reigning U19 Oceania Continental road champion.
“We’ve had so much fun. The Opening Ceremony was great, experiencing high performance alongside other countries. I’m keen to keep going from here.”
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South African Miles Bailey Liebenberg pipped Scotland’s Elliot Rowe to the men’s title in 19:17.62.
Tasmanian Sam McKee also race the time trial but crashed and was unable to finish.
His focus is now on the upcoming road race.
In other day one performances, Victorian Mitch Croft and Jett Rocker-Graham from Sydney’s northern beaches came up with a win in the first of their beach volleyball matches against South Africa 21-13, 21-15.
“We’re feeling confident after today’s match and looking to further improve our game as that was our first ever match together, so it’s only up from here,” Rocker-Graham said.
Teammates Jasmine Rayner from Queensland and Adelaide’s Cameron Zajer downed England 21-18, 21-8 in their opener.
“It took a while to get our get our feet and were a bit nervous at the start but it was good to get the win today,” Zajer said.
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