Kelsey Cottrell shares her gold medal joy with daughter Sienna
CHEW toys don’t come much more precious — or hard-earned — than a gold medal. WARNING: CUTE PIC ALERT.
TEETHING rings don’t come much more precious - or hard-earned - than a gold medal.
But Australian lawn bowler Kelsey Cottrell was able to share an equally precious moment with seven-month-old daughter Sienna after winning a gold medal in the womens fours event at Broadbeach.
The Aussie womens team of Cottrell, Natasha Scott, Carla Krizanic and Rebecca van Asch took out a tense match against South Africa and snapped a 12-year gold medal drought for Australian lawn bowlers in the Commonwealth Games.
Having watched in the stands with dad Andrew and grandma Marilyn, Cottrell’s baby girl was happy to see Mum outside the venue and give the gold medal a gummy examination.
“She is seven and a half months and she was in the grandstand with the rest of my family,” Cottrell said.
“It was a pretty special day and we have been capturing some special photos that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.”
There were joyous celebrations with family and friends for the Aussie fours team outside the Broadbeach bowling club, with Scott - the team skip - also telling one of her friends to get her bottom ready for some artwork.
“She promised me she’d get a tatt on her bum if we won,” Scott said.
“I am lost for words at the moment. To be able to win a gold medal with three of your best mates, in a sport that you love and with family and friends around, is unbelievable.”
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With babies, tattoos and an average age of 28, the boisterous Australian womens fours team not only won gold but smashed stereotypes of bowling being a sport for retirees and old folk.
“The Commonwealth Games is definitely the pinnacle for our sport,” Cottrell said.
“The fact we can get so much support, with the grandstand absolutely chockers today. The TV coverage that we get is fantastic for our sport and hopefully everyone watching sees that bowls is not for old people anymore.”
The Aussie foursome danced with joy on the green after seeing off the South Africans in the final, and though the 160-gram gold medals around their necks had a solid weight to them, that felt like nothing after lifting a massive hoodoo off their backs.
Despite being one of the world’s heavyweight nations in lawn bowls, Australia hadn’t won a gold medal in the sport’s biggest tournament, the Commonwealth Games, since Melbourne in 2006.
That's a shiny chew toy Mum. Lovely moment for Aussie lawn bowler Kelsey Cottrell with baby Sienna after winning a Comm Games gold medal. pic.twitter.com/DLrKoRXyPw
— Iain Payten (@iainpayten) April 9, 2018
The drought has hung heavily over Australian bowls, until the women’s fours team stepped up.
“I have been to the last two Commonwealth Games and there was definitely some talk about re-capturing what Australia did in 2006,” Cottrell said.
“So this is fantastic for myself and for Tash as well, who has been to the last two. To finally capture that gold, I have a bronze and a silver from the last two, so gold on the Gold Coast always had a good ring to it. Now I can officially say: I have gold on the Gold Coast.”
Malta, featuring Aussie mum Rosemaree Rixon and her daughters Connie and Rebecca, capped a memorable Games by winning the bronze medal.
Originally published as Kelsey Cottrell shares her gold medal joy with daughter Sienna
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