Comm Games: Henry Frayne flies for Games record in longjump, Deng delivers for selectors

INJURY-prone long jumper Henry Frayne has produced the performance of his life in qualifying, breaking the Commonwealth Games record. We wrap the morning athletics here...

INJURY-prone long jumper Henry Frayne has produced the performance of his life in qualifying, breaking the Commonwealth Games record.

The Queenslander stunned the morning crowd at Carrara Stadium, leaping 8.34 metres which was a 7cm improvement on his previous career best set back in 2012.

He also takes the Commonwealth record off his teammate Fabrice Lapierre who jumped 8.30m to win the gold medal in Delhi in 2010.

Frayne, who turns 28 on Saturday, has battled injury all his career and once again had a limited preparation leading into the Gold Coast.

But his talent has never been questioned and today’s qualification bomb moved him to No. 4 on Australia’s all-time list.

Frayne is a two-time Olympic finalist and a world indoor championships silver medallist. He failed to land a jump in the 2014 Commonwealth Games final in Glasgow.

Wow! @henryfrayne with a Games record in the long jump qualification. Action continues LIVE across the screens of Seven and 7CommGames app now #FrayneTrain #GC2018 pic.twitter.com/tw4pIxYpAE

— Channel 7 (@Channel7) April 10, 2018

DENG DELIVERS FOR SELECTORS

IT was a hunch based on potential and it’s now an inspired selection with teenager Joseph Deng through to the 800m final.

Deng was at the centre of a selection controversy when he was picked as Australia’s discretionary third runner ahead of three-time Olympian Jeff Riseley.

The 19-year-old delivered by running an inspired heat to make it through to the final as one of the two fastest qualifiers.

National champion Luke Mathews looked very impressive, finishing second behind defending champion Nigel Amos to automatically go through to the final.

Joeseph Deng waves to the crowd after the Men's 800m Heats.

Luke Mathews of Australia celebrates after qualifying in the Men's 800m Heats.

Deng ran an excellent tactical race and was only grabbed over the last couple of metres, finishing third in 1min45.72sec — which was just .01 sec outside his personal best.

It was easily the fastest heat of the morning which meant the rising star of Australia’s track and field team was through to his first major championship final.

“I was happy with that and it was only .01 sec off my PB,” Deng said. “I hope (the final) is fast because I like fast races.”

Deng was born in a refugee camp in Kenya after his mother left South Sudan to get away from a war.

He was aged six when his family moved to Australia, settling in Toowoomba.

A move to Melbourne in January last year to be coached by Justin Rinaldi has accelerated his development.

He was born in a refugee camp in #Kenya after his mother fled the war, then moved to 🇦🇺 when he was 6.

Today, 19 year old @j0sephdeng has qualified for the Commonwealth Games Men's 800m Final, running just 0.01 off his PB.

All with a huge smile on his face.#ShareTheDream pic.twitter.com/dgHiM1QsGD

— 7CommGames (@7CommGames) April 10, 2018

Deng was controversially selected after failing to make the final of the selection trials in February. Instead, he ran in the B-race and produced the fastest time of the weekend.

Mathews, 22, showed his class and eased down over the final 50 metres to run 1:46.53 sec, finishing the race with a shotgun salute to the crowd.

“I knew it was going to be pretty quick,” he said. “I just sat on him (Amos) and I heard the crowd on that top bend and I thought ‘Holy crap’.

“Then down the straight I saw I was five metres clear so I just enjoyed the last 50 metres and finished in lane three or four, lapping it up with the crowd.”

The three-time national champion declared he was in the medal mix for Thursday night’s final.

“I think everyone in the final is beatable,” Mathews said. “Nigel Amos didn’t make it out of the semis in Rio (Olympics) and was fifth in London (world championships).

“This is a perfect time for us because it’s April and I’m in the shape of my life right now so I’m prepared to do whatever I can.

“I’m excited for the final whereas in the past I would have been sh.tting myself.”

Sydney’s Joshua Ralph failed to progress after finishing third in his heat in 1:47.76 sec.

In the men’s 400m hurdles Ian Dewhurst missed the final by one spot, running 49.84 sec.

DAY ON THE RIGHT TRACK

QUEENSLAND’S national sprint double champion Riley Day learnt on the job today, racing behind outstanding Bahamas sprinter Shaunae Miller-Uibo into the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games women’s 200m.

Day, who turned 18 last month, ran a comfortable first 100m and held it together to place third in 23.71 sec behind Miller-Uibo (22.75), walking off track deep in thought after her first individual international race for Australia in open competition.

The top four women in each of the five 200m heats went through to the semi-finals on Wednesday night, with the final on Thursday night.

Day, from Beaudesert, said she aimed to make the 200m final, and expects she will have to break her 22.93 personal best to do so.

“I have to run it like a final try to make into the final,’’ Day said.

Ola Buwaro of Gambia, Riley Day of Australia and Irene Bell Bonong of Cameroon compete in the Women's 200 metres heats.

“My legs were shaking. It was really good though, one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

“I came here to do what I can to get in the next round.’’

All three Australian women made the semi-finals, with the Queenslander slower than both NSW teammates Maddie Coates (23.51) and Larissa Pasternatsky (23.55).

Day drew one of the tougher heats, with two women having a faster season-best time than her _ Miller-Uibo (21.88) and Ghana’s Janet Amponsah (22.90).

Rio Olympics 100m and 200m champion Elaine Thompson switched off earlier than Miller-Uibo did in winning her heat in 23.07.

Coates, runner-up at the national titles, finished third in 23.51 in a heat won by Englishwoman Dina Asher-Smith (23.28).

The third Australian, Larissa Pasternatsky, placed fifth in her heat in 23.55 but qualified on the basis of her time.

DUBLER DROPS DOWN DECATHLON STANDINGS

CANADIAN leader Damian Warner has sensationally crashed out of the decathlon gold medal chase, failing to make a pole vault clearance.

Australian champion Cedric Dubler moved himself back into the medal positions, with a 5m clearance, the best in the pole vault competition which he had entered in fourth position.

Warner, the defending Commonwealth champion, missed all three attempts in the eighth of the 10-event decathlon and was distressed as he walked away from the event.

Cedric Dubler has a bit of ground to make up in the decathlon.

Canada’s Rio Olympics bronze medallist had a 223-point lead after seven events with a 6297-point tally, but pole vault lived up to its reputation as one of the unpredictable events of the decathlon.

Dubler’s 6749 progressive total leaves him on the trail of Canada’s Pierce Lepage, who has 6889 points after a 4.90m pole vault result.

Grenada’s Lindon Victor is now second with 6864 and Dubler is third.

The last two events will be contested tonight and the 23-year-old from Brisbane will test the fitness of his right elbow in the javelin, which he has not thrown in practice for seven weeks.

Originally published as Comm Games: Henry Frayne flies for Games record in longjump, Deng delivers for selectors