Smile and focus on the athletes
THERE were fashion disasters, grating television hosts but nothing beats the look of wonderment and joy on every athlete’s face as they enter the stadium, writes Mike Colman.
Athletics
Amy’s plan to overcome double games heartache
SHE was forced to pull out of the Commonwealth Games with a knee injury after missing the London Olympics due to a brain tumour, but devastated high jumper Amy Pejkovic is already formulating a plan to be ready for the Tokyo Olympics.
Pearson in Paradise ahead of Games
SALLY Pearson took things easy on the Gold Coast this morning as she continues to manage her fitness ahead of her home Commonwealth Games.
Shirvington: ‘It does come up from time to time’
IT is the image of Matt Shirvington competing in lycra at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 Aussies can’t erase from their minds, and the former sprinter grudgingly admits it regularly overshadows his impressive on-track achievements.
No flag but a main Pearson role likely
COMMENT: Even if she’d been from Goulburn or Geelong, Sally Pearson would have been the best choice to lead Australia’s athletes into the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Knowles to restore pride to Australian sport
SALLY Pearson has been pipped for the honour of carrying the Australian flag at Wednesday night’s Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in favour of hockey legend Mark Knowles.
Pearson should be given the honour of carrying the flag
AUSSIE sporting greats have pleaded for hometown hero Sally Pearson to be handed the honour of carrying the nation’s flag into Wednesday’s opening ceremony.
Home town girl aiming for nation’s first gold
THERE is a familiarity surrounding Ashleigh Gentle’s push to become Australia’s first Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold medal winner.
Pearson in for long haul despite achilles issue
A WORRIED Sally Pearson says she will be able to confront whatever her Commonwealth Games fitness fate is, realising that her management of an achilles problem can only go so far.
Tortured Morgan leaves behind crying in her car
AUSTRALIA’S track and field glamour girl Morgan Mitchell reveals the hidden pain which has haunted her Commonwealth Games preparation.
A walk in the park for supermum Claire
IT’S THE little things that have helped Claire Tallent walk her way to the Commonwealth Games less than a year after becoming a first-time mum.
Our brand new Day of Games glory
RILEY Day knows she has a date with the devil. It will be sitting on her young shoulders as she steps up to the blocks in the 200m sprint in front of more than 35,000 hometown fans in her first Commonwealth Games.
Rubie doubles her strength for Comm Games gold shot
FOR Australian athlete Anneliese Rubie, switching from 400m to 800m seemed crazy enough to work.
Cathy’s pride sparked Arthur’s flag ban
CATHY Freeman and her coach Nic Bideau hatched their plan for one of the most controversial moments in Commonwealth Games history at the breakfast table.
‘We need you, Sally! Heroes are hard to find’
WITH Australia embroiled in a sporting armageddon, Hollywood superstar and Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe sees a saviour on the horizon. Enter Sally Pearson! And she’s up for the challenge.
Blake bolts clear to be next sprint king
FORMER world champion Yohan Blake said he is ready to “take over’’ world men’s sprinting after cruising to a win in Brisbane in his last race before the Commonwealth Games.
How to get your exclusive Comm Games pin
ONLY 7 days to go! Get into the Games spirit with limited edition Gold Coast 2018 Official Borobi Pin Collection, available via the token in The Courier-Mail from Wednesday, April 4. Pin your hopes on the Aussies and collect all five!
Must-watch Comm Games showdowns
THEY are here! Some of the best athletes from around the world have hit the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games. Before things officially kick off, check out some of the biggest head-to-head battles we can’t wait for.
Blake ready for lift-off
JAMAICAN sprint star Yohan Blake remembers the day he ran the second fastest 100m time in history as like being “a plane taking off’’.
Kurt Fearnley’s unforgettable Delhi debut
THE heat and craziness of Delhi in 2010 holds a special place in the heart of wheelchair champion Kurt Fearnley.
Champ gives Riley the time of Day
SELF-PROCLAIMED sprint queen and dual Olympic champion Elaine Thompson has some advice for rising Aussie star Riley Day.
Quadzilla driven by Jamaican star’s trash talk
GAMES debutant Trae Williams says he loved being trash-talked by a former world champion when Jamaica’s Yohan Blake told him publicly last week to not be “scared’’.
Cricket cheats won’t overshadow Comm Games
AUSTRALIA’S Comm Games competitors have the chance to restore the country’s pride on the back of the cricket cheating scandal that has left a disillusioned public questioning whether athletes can be considered role models.
Riley puts 18th birthday plans on hold
RILEY Day will delay her 18th birthday celebrations this week to focus on a Commonwealth Games preparation which now includes a 200m race against Jamaica’s Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson.
Champ yet to confirm if she’ll chase double
DUAL Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson is yet to confirm whether she will attempt the sprint double on the Gold Coast.
Jamaican sprint star Powell out of Games
SPRINT kings Jamaica are out to dominate the track at the Commonwealth Games but they will have to do it without former 100m world record-holder Asafa Powell.
African team warned not to do runner
RWANDAN athletes have been issued a stern warning that they face being charged with treason and thrown in jail if they try to flee life under their authoritarian government while at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Denny ready to test true medal in hammer
DARLING Downs athlete Matthew Denny will measure his Commonwealth Games medal claims against Scotland’s hammer thrower Chris Bennett when they compete in Brisbane on Thursday night.
Captain Pearson to skip final Games warm-up
IT’S two weeks until the Commonwealth Games gets started on the Gold Coast, and Sally Perason has withdrawn form the final warm-up event, opting instead to focus on her training.
Sprinter accidentally let slip Bolt news
COMMONWEALTH Games officials were trying to keep Usain Bolt’s appearance under wraps but a fellow sprinter let the cat out of the bag during a media sleepover at the athletes village.
If you don’t win there will be a problem: Bolt
JAMAICA’S former world champion Yohan Blake is the biggest star yet to arrive for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast – and he says the only man in the world to run a faster 100m had some choice words of advice before he left home.
Change of plans for Pearson
SALLY Pearson has altered her Commonwealth Games lead-up plans and intends to race twice in Brisbane this month.
Mottram’s perfect MCG race spoiled by an ‘unknown kid’
CRAIG Mottram says his kids don’t believe him when he tells them he owned the MCG for a night at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, but he did.
How Rocky steered Boyle to ‘82 victory
IT was the event which made her a Commonwealth Games legend but Raelene Boyle cannot hide the truth … she hated it, writes Robert Craddock.
Rising 800m star to face his biggest test yet
THE next lesson of Queenslander Joseph Deng’s athletics education will be to race two top Englishmen in Brisbane before his Commonwealth Games debut.
The ‘Miracle Mile’ that almost killed a runner
IT was dubbed “the Miracle Mile”. But by the end of the marathon, a world record holder had wilted in the extreme heat and collapsed — within sight of the finish line — after covering a gruelling 27 miles.
How an unknown Aussie knocked off a giant of athletics
WITH a 50m lead heading into the final lap, reigning Olympic 5000m champion John Ngugi looked home for all money, but then Andrew Lloyd dug deep and something special happened. WATCH THE VIDEO.
Olympic champ to race in Brisbane
OLYMPIC 1500m champion Matt Centrowitz is a left-field entry for Brisbane’s two international athletics meets this month.
How Michelle Jenneke handled the haters
AUSTRALIA’S famous dancing hurdler Michelle Jenneke is getting the jump on the hype and the haters ahead of April’s Commonwealth Games.
Athletics legend Sir Roger Bannister dead
RECORD-BREAKING British athlete Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, has died aged 88, his family announced on Sunday.
Pearson bombs ahead of Comm Games
AUSTRALIA endured a day to forget on day three of the world indoor athletics championships as main medal hopes Sally Pearson and Ryan Gregson crashed out in their semi-finals.
Glasgow golden girl’s shock Games snub
DEFENDING Commonwealth high jump champion, Eleanor Patterson, has been sensationally overlooked for selection in Australia’s 109-member team for next month’s Games.
Just seven to show up against Sally
A THIN entry of only seven other Commonwealth athletes have their names down alongside that of Sally Pearson in the 60m hurdles at the world indoor titles in Birmingham, England.
‘Multiple banned substances’: ASADA on Peris
JESSICA Peris was caught with evidence of three prohibited substances in her system when ASADA conducted an out-of-competition test in October last year.
Hale storm: Sprint star appeals Games snub
HIGH profile teen sprinter Jack Hale has appealed his non-inclusion in the Commonwealth Games 100m event.
Riseley contests squad omission
ONE of Australia’s most consistent middle-distance performers, Jeff Riseley, has been surprisingly overlooked for the Commonwealth Games track and field team.
Quadzilla versus the stars
AUSTRALIA’S sprint king Trae Williams will top-off his Commonwealth Games preparation by measuring himself against visiting stars, including Olympic silver medallist Andre De Grasse.
Olympic legend’s daughter in doping scandal
SIX weeks out from the Commonwealth Games, a drugs scandal has rocked Athletics Australia, with Jessica Peris — daughter of Olympic gold medallist Nova Peris — testing positive.
Marschall gets holler for Games
SA POLE vaulter Kurtis Marschall is ready to soar for gold after securing his second-straight national title and confirming his place on the Australian team for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Relay run no certainty for 400m guns
THE Queenslanders who swept to a trifecta in the national 400m final will not know until later this week if there will be an Australian 4×400 team at their home Commonwealth Games.
McGowan: Hockey, to journalism, to Comm Games
THE swings and roundabouts of life mean Brittany McGowan will race for Australia at the Commonwealth Games, possibly against the controversial Caster Semenya.
Games selectors’ tough call on young gun
THE dilemma of Joseph Deng is the biggest issue confronting Australian selectors ahead of the naming of the Commonwealth Games track and field team.
Youngster sets example for Games squad
SHE’S just 17, but has already set an example for the Australian Commonwealth Games athletes with her resilience.
‘When I’m 100 per cent I’m hard to beat’
A RESURGENT Ryan Gregson showed why his name needs to be added to the Commonwealth Games medal chances after a barnstorming victory in the national 1500m final.
17-year-old emerges as Australia’s next sprint star
RILEY Day will go to the Commonwealth Games reminding herself she is “only 17’’ after racing to automatic selection in the 200m which clinched the sprint double at the national championships.
Rising star nursing hopes of Games inclusion
EMERGENCY patients at a Gold Coast hospital could have the most prompt attention possible in a few years from one of Australia’s fastest women – rising star Riley Day.
Dream team: New sprint star indebted to dad
FATHERS coaching children in sport is the source of perennial dinner table arguments but it has worked spectacularly well for Australia’s fastest man, Trae Williams.
Time disappointing but Sally still in class of her own
THE dress rehearsal for the Commonwealth Games didn’t go completely to plan but Sally Pearson is confident come April things will be a lot smoother on the Gold Coast.
Family ties: Mathews wins with mum in corner
IT was billed as one of the races of the championships but instead Luke Mathews made the men’s 800m a one-act affair, putting the rest of the field to the sword in an impressive Commonwealth Games trial.
Dubler drives to decathlon victory
CEDRIC Dubler has scored a big win in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games trials and says he has plenty in the bank for the main event.
‘Quadzilla’ wows in stunning 100m win
HE’D just booked a spot in the blue-riband 100m at the Commonwealth Games. But all eyes were focused on Trae Williams’ thighs after his stunning effort.
Hooker’s ‘eerie’ feeling over Aussie vaulter
OLYMPIC gold medallist Steve Hooker has been there and done that. And after watching the trajectory of another young Aussie, he’s hopeful Kurtis Marschall can follow in his footsteps.
Denny hammers home his Games ambition
TWO national titles and two automatic berths for the Commonwealth Games – not a bad day’s work for Darling Downs thrower Matthew Denny.
Fabrice LaPierre jumps all over Wanderers
FABRICE Lapierre may be in the final stages of Commonwealth Games preparations but when the former world champ returned home this week all he wanted was to watch his beloved Wanderers train.
Mathews back on track after dark year
THEY say you learn a lot about yourself in the darkest times.Luke Mathews is now a believer in that theory after a tumultuous 2017 that he describes as a “rollercoaster”.
Pearson happy running her own race
AUSTRALIA’S athletics head coach Craig Hilliard says self-coached Sally Pearson is in a “happy place’’ heading towards her Gold Coast Commonwealth Games career highlight.
Sally open to any role in Games opening
GOLD Coast Commonwealth Games poster girl Sally Pearson says she is willing to do whatever job opening ceremony organisers want her to do as the city’s highest-profile current athlete.
Sally content to be boring
BORING is good for Sally Pearson.That’s how she’s describing her Commonwealth Games preparation which in Sally-speak means everything is progressing exactly the way she wants.
Pearson eyeing off extra event at Games
SALLY Pearson will throw her hat into the ring for the chance to race a second event at the Commonwealth Games if Australia opts to field a relay team on the Gold Coast.
Pearson still building towards peak form
SALLY Pearson is an athlete who is hard to satisfy but even she has to concede things are ticking over nicely after she made predictably short work of the 100m hurdles Queensland titles.
Fast track to Games
COMMONWEALTH Games sprint hopeful Alex Hartmann insists his best is yet to come as he prepares for his date with destiny on the Gold Coast this month.
Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/athletics/page/4