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Commonwealth Games 2018 Day 5 live coverage: Bronte Campbell beats sister Cate Campbell in women’s 100m freestyle

In a massive boilover, Bronte Campbell powers over the top of her sister and hot favourite Cate to win 100m freestyle gold.

42 min read
11:01PMApril 09, 2018
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Bronte Campbell (right) of Australia celebrates as her sister Cate offers congratulations on her 100m freestyle victory. Photo: AAP
Bronte Campbell (right) of Australia celebrates as her sister Cate offers congratulations on her 100m freestyle victory. Photo: AAP

Welcome to live coverage of Day 5 of the 2018 Commonwealth Games from the Gold Coast.

Paul Johnson 10.58pm: Hockeyroos held by NZ

The Hockeyroos have been held to a 0-0 draw by a spirited NZ side in the women’s hoockey.

Despite having the better of the attacking chances the home side just couldn’t find their way past some resolute Kiwi defence and the team in black got to hold their heads high by keeping the favourites to a draw.

Paul Johnson 10.47pm: Boomers rout Nigeria

The Boomers have completed a perfect preliminary stage at the Commonwealth Games, thrashing Nigeria 97-55 in Cairns.

Angus Brandt led the scoring for the team with 16 points, while Brad Newley, Jason Cadee and Daniel Kickert had 12 each.

Daniel Sankey 10.17pm: Blake settles for bronze in 100m

A huge upset in the men’s 100m, with red-hot favourite Yohan Blake forced to settle for bronze behind the South African pair of Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies.

Blake, whose PB of 9.69 seconds was two-tenths faster than Simbine’s, had a poor start and had no answer to the South African who pulled clear at the 50m mark and dashed home to win in 10.03 seconds.

Bruintjies took silver in 10.17 seconds, while Blake was third in a disappointing 10.19 seconds. The Jamaican never really recovered from a poor start and was battling to stay in touch a long way from home.

Daniel Sankey 10.03pm: Another bronzed Aussie

South Africa’s Chad le Clos became the first man to claim a butterfly clean sweep at a Commonwealth Games, adding 100m gold to his 50m and 200m titles with a new Games record of 50.65 seconds.

England’s James Guy (51.31) took silver from Australia’s Grant Irvine (51.50), with his Aussie teammate David Morgan (51.94) just missing a medal in fourth.

le Clos’ dominant victory was not just a Commonwealth Games record, it was an Australian all-comers record, beating the previous mark held by the great Michael Phelps.

9.55pm: Ahye powers to 100m win

Michelle-Lee Ahye has won a first-ever women’s Commonwealth Games track and field title for Trinidad and Tobago with a convincing triumph in the women’s 100m.

Ahye led throughout and crossed the line first in 11.14 seconds. The minor medals went to Jamaicans Christania Williams (11.21) and Gayon Evans (11.22) in a final where six of the eight competitors came from the two Caribbean nations.

— AAP

Daniel Sankey 9.50pm: GOLD! Bronte stuns sister Cate

Bronte Campbell has stunned her sister and hot favourite Cate to win the women’s 100m freestyle in a new Commonwealth Games record time of 52.27 seconds.

Cate appeared to have the race in her keeping as she surged to a half bodylength lead shortly after turning for home.

But Bronte refused to be denied, coming home over the top of her big sister who wilted in the final 25m, taking silver in 52.69 seconds — 0.05 seconds slower than the time she swam to win her semi-final earlier in the day.

Canada’s Kayla Sanchez won the bronze in 54.18 seconds.

“That was incredibly surprising — I don’t know how it happened but I’m glad it did,” Bronte said.

Cate was gracious in defeat.

“I’m so thrilled for Bronte to get a massive win in front of her home crowd. It’s never easy being the second Campbell and she’s number one now,” she said.

Daniel Sankey 9.33pm: McKeon wins fifth medal of meet

Wales’ Alys Thomas won her first Commonwealth Games medal at her third games with an all-the-way win from Australians Laura Taylor and Emma McKeon.

Thomas smashed Jessica Schipper’s Commonwealth Games record, set back in Melbourne 2006, by more than half a second as she touched the wall in 2:05.45 from Games debutant Taylor (2:07.39), with 100m gold medallist McKeon (2:08.05) in third. It was McKeon’s fifth medal of the meet, following her 100m butterfly success and golds in the women’s 4x100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relays, as well as bronze in the individual 200m freestyle.

Daniel Sankey 9.16pm: Bohl wins bronze in 100m breaststroke

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker clinched a 100m-200m breaststroke double, powering home to win the 100m breaststroke in 1:06.41.

Just moments after countryman Cameron van der Burgh upset world record holder Adam Peaty to win the men’s 50m breaststroke, Schoenmaker proved too strong in winning gold from Canada’s Kierra Smith (1:07.05), with Australia’s Georgia Bohl taking bronze in 1:07.22.

Bohl was thrilled not only with winning bronze — her first medal in international competition — but in securing a place in Australia’s 4x100m medley relay team which is a strong chance for gold tomorrow night.

Daniel Sankey 9.15pm: Brave Sullohern fights all the way

Australia’s Celia Sullohern didn’t win a medal, but she won the hearts of a packed home crowd with her fighting performance to place sixth in a hot field in the final of the women’s 10,000m.

Sullohern battled it out with the world class Africans for the entire race, just being outsprinted in the final 100m as Uganda’s Stella Chesang (31:45.30) won gold from Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa (31:46.36) and another Ugandan, Mercyline Chelangat (31:48.41).

Sullohern set a new PB of 31:50.75 for sixth, with fellow Aussie Madeline Hills (32:01.04) in eighth and Eloise Wellings (32:51.47) in 16th.

Daniel Sankey 9.04pm: Seebohm powers in 50m

Australia’s Emily Seebohm is perfectly placed to add a 50m backstroke gold medal to her silver and bronze in the event from previous Commonwealth Games after qualifying second for tomorrow night’s final.

Seebohm will swim from lane five after winning her semi in 27.89 seconds ... just 0.03 seconds behind Wales’ Commonwealth Games record-holder Georgia Davies, who won the first semi-final.

Seebohm will be joined in the final by fellow Aussie Holly Barratt, who earned lane six in the final after finishing second in Davies’ semi-final in 28.12. Canada’s Kylie Masse, the 100m and 200m backstroke gold medallist, qualified third fastest after finishing second in Seebohm’s semi in 28.00 seconds.

Daniel Sankey 8.45pm: Aussie trio into 50m free final

Australians Cameron McEvoy, James Roberts and James Magnussen have qualified for what’s shaping as one of the races of the Commonwealth Games — the men’s 50m freestyle final.

England’s Ben Proud, who was disqualified for moving on the blocks when a hot favourite for the 50m butterfly — broke the Commonwealth record he set in winning his heat this morning with a blistering 21.30 second semi-final victory, comfortably ahead of McEvoy who was second in 22.00 seconds.

In the first semi-final, South Africa’s Brad Tandy (21.97) edged out Roberts (22.11) and Magnussen (22.20).

England's Benjamin Proud (right) is congratulated by Australia's Cameron McEvoy after winning his men's 50m freestyle semi-final. Photo: AFP
England's Benjamin Proud (right) is congratulated by Australia's Cameron McEvoy after winning his men's 50m freestyle semi-final. Photo: AFP

Brent Read 8.30pm: Solomon ‘to run his heart out’

Steve Solomon has vowed to leave everything on the track as he pushes for a medal in tomorrow night’s final of the 400 metres at the Commonwealth Games.

Solomon finished third in his heat at Carrara Stadium on Queensland’s Gold Coast but his time was good enough to secure a berth in the final.

“I am happy,” Solomon said. “I stumbled a bit out of the blocks. I was impressed that I was able to stay on my feet and keep going. I will look to re-group and head towards the final with a lot of confidence. I am going to be running my heart out.

“It is going to be a race and I am going to race to win. I am going to give it everything I have got. If it works, it works. I am going to leave everything on the track.”

Giving it everything ... Australia’s Steve Solomon after qualifying for the final of the men’s 400m. Photo: AAP
Giving it everything ... Australia’s Steve Solomon after qualifying for the final of the men’s 400m. Photo: AAP

8.20pm: Aussies victorious in beach vollleyball

Australia remain undefeated in men’s beach volleyball at the Commonwealth Games after an easy 21-13 21-16 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

Chris McHugh and Damien Schumann will head into Tuesday’s quarter-final with all the momentum after topping Pool A.

They needed to beat Daneil Williams and Daynte Stewart to do it though, who were also undefeated coming into the clash on Coolangatta Beach.

But the Australians were too classy for them and never really got out of second gear.

The first set was completed in just 19 minutes and the second was even shorter as the Australians came off a match against St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday that lasted a total of just 32 minutes.

Trinidad and Tobago made a few spectacular dives for dipping balls but more often than not couldn’t get there thanks to Australia’s clinical efficiency. Both McHugh and Schumann and the Australian women’s team of Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar will play their quarter-finals tomorrow.

— AAP

8.20pm: Aussie Leonhardt wins silver

Australian para-swimmer Paige Leonhardt has won the silver medal in the women’s SB9 100m breaststroke at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Leonhardt’s fellow Australian Madeleine Scott took the bronze in tonight’s final, won by New Zealand’s Sophie Pascoe.

Another Australian, Jasmine Greenwood, finished fifth.

— AAP

Daniel Sankey 8.15pm: Solomon into 400m final

Australia’s Steve Solomon is safely through to tomorrow night’s 400m final, a third placed 45.55 seconds in his heat enough to advance as one of two non-automatic qualifiers.

Solomon fought hard in the straight as Botswana’s Isaac Makwala (45.00) comfortably won the heat from Jamaica’s Javon Francis (45.38).

He was then forced to nervously watch the next two heats to see if his time would be fast enough to grab one of the final two places in the final.

Solomon need not have been nervous ... his time stood up comfortably and he’ll run for a medal tomorrow night.

8.14pm: GOLD! Levy wins S7 50m freestyle

Australian para-swimmer Matthew Levy has won the gold medal in the men’s 50m S7 freestyle at the Commonwealth Games.

The 31-year-old veteran, a dual Paralympic champion, triumphed in tonight’s final at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

Compatriots Rohan Bright (fifth) and Matthew Haanappel (sixth) missed the medals.

— AAP

Daniel Sankey 8pm: GOLD! A distance superstar is born

Aussie 17-year-old Ariarne Titmus has announced herself on the world stage with a dominant women’s 800m gold medal in a new personal best time.

Affectionately known as ‘Arnie’ or the ‘Terminator’, Titmus did to her opposition exactly what her Hollywood namesake was known for, destroying a strong field in 8:20.02 swim to lead home Australia’s fourth consecutive 1-2-3 finish. Jessica Ashwood was second in 8:27.60, with Kiah Melverton (8:28.59) in third.

“It’s amazing, after seeing the boys do 1-2-3 in the backstroke I thought there might have been a chance for us,” Titmus said, saying she had hoped to go a touch faster in the final, despite her PB.

Daniel Sankey 7.45pm: Hall joins Griffith in 1500m final

Australia’s Linden Hall has finished third in the second and final heat of the women’s 1500m to join countrywoman Georgia Griffith in tomorrow night’s final.

Hall (4:08.64) finished on the heels of Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech (4:08.29) and Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo (4:08.64) to advance.

Australia’s third hope in the event, veteran Zoe Buckman, was eliminated after finishing eighth in the second heat in 4:11.78.

Australia’s Linden Hall (centre) and Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech (right) compete in the heats of the women’s 1500m. Photo: AFP
Australia’s Linden Hall (centre) and Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech (right) compete in the heats of the women’s 1500m. Photo: AFP

Daniel Sankey 7.42pm: Larkin wins backstroke treble

Mitch Larkin has secured a historic backstroke treble, winning the men’s 200m in an Australian clean sweep from Brad Woodward and Josh Beaver.

Larkin is the first person, man or woman, to win the 50m-100m-200m backstroke treble at a Commonwealth Games ... and there could be more gold to come, with Larkin to swim the backstroke leg in the men’s 4x100m medley relay tomorrow.

Larkin won in 1:56.10 from Woodward, who swam a new personal best of 1:56.57 to snatch the silver from teammate Beaver (1:57.04).

Daniel Sankey 7.30pm: Griffth through in 1500m

Australia’s Georgia Griffith ran a new personal best of 4:06.41 to earn direct qualification to the women’s 1500m final as South Africa’s Caster Semenya dominated from the front.

Semenya, the two-time Olympic 800m champion and 1500m world championship bronze medallist, went straight to the front in the heat and was never headed, cruising home to win in 4:05.86.

But it was the fast-finishing performance of Griffith that got the Australian fans on their feet. In sixth on the final bend and needing to finish in the top four to earn automatic qualification, Griffith hooked to the outside and flew home to grab second.

7.20pm: Browning can’t fill 100m vacancy

Australian Rohan Browning will not be allowed to fill the lane made vacant in tonight’s Commonwealth Games 100m final by the withdrawal of injured Englishman Adam Gemili.

Australian sprinter Rohan Browning. Photo: AAP
Australian sprinter Rohan Browning. Photo: AAP

Browning just missed out on a spot in the title race when he and South African Henricho Bruintjies were both timed at 10.26 seconds in their semi-final yesterday.

Their times were then expanded out to thousandths of a second, with Bruintjies adjudged to have crossed the line just ahead of Browning in the second automatic qualifying position.

Gemili finished second in the opening semi behind gold-medal favourite Yohan Blake, only to pull out today.

“I’m hugely gutted to announce that I have had to withdraw from the 100m final due to an injury sustained in the semi-final,” Gemili said in a statement on his Twitter account.

“I am so proud to represent Team England and it’s devastating not to have the chance to compete tonight but the doctors have said I am unable to take part.”

While realising it was a long shot, Australian representatives then asked Games officials if there was any scope for the 20-year-old Browning to fill the empty lane.

They were told the sport’s governing rules do not allow for that scenario.

— AAP

7.15pm: GOLD! O’Hanlon takes T38 100m

Australian Evan O’Hanlon has won the gold medal in the men’s T38 100m at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Former world record holder O’Hanlon was unlucky to not break the 11 second mark, stumbling at the finish before crossing the line in 11.09 seconds from the South African pair of Dyan Buis (11.33) and Charl du Toit (11.35, a world record in the T37 class).

Daniel Sankey 7.14pm: Another big wins for Opals

Elizabeth Cambage was unstoppable for the Opals as they notched another big win in women’s basketball, crushing England 118-55.

Cambage finished with 30 points and five rebounds as the Opals cruised to victory by 63 points. Four other Opals notched double figures as all 12 squad players got plenty of court time leading into finals.

Nicole Jeffery 6.45pm: ‘Can’t handle it? Don’t read it’

Australian head swimming coach Jacco Verhaeren has advised world champion Emily Seebohm to avoid consuming any media during competition if it affects her performance.

Seebohm said last night after claiming the bronze medal in her world title event, the 200m backstroke, that media reaction to her silver medal in the 100m damaged her confidence.

“After the 100m yesterday I felt happy with it but I felt media-wise it was a bigger deal that I didn’t get gold, that it wasn’t an achievement to win silver,” she said.

“For me it was like downgrading my achievement.

“I felt lacking in confidence, like silver wasn’t good enough but I know I did the best race I could.”

Emily Seebohm of Australia looks on following her bronze in the women's 200m backstroke. Photo: Getty Images
Emily Seebohm of Australia looks on following her bronze in the women's 200m backstroke. Photo: Getty Images

Verhaeren was not accepting that as an excuse today.

“She looked great this morning (in the 50m backstroke heats) and I don’t think that whatever you guys broadcast or write down should affect any performance,” he told the assembled media outside the Games pool today.

“I think, if you can’t handle that, stop reading newspapers.’’

“We talk to the team and the athletes quite a bit about how to prepare for meets and this is the same as being on social media, or general media. If you can’t deal with it, stay out of it.”

At the 2012 London Olympics, 100m backstroke silver medallist Seebohm confessed after swimming slower in the final than the semi-final, that she had let comments on social media affect her.

Paul Johnson 6.01pm: Aussie gold on the floor

Alexandra Eade has won Australia’s second gymnastics gold for the day, taking out the women’s floor event, with a score of 13.33.

The 20-year-old Victorian delivered a dazzling, high-energy routine to edge out Welsh teenager Latalia Bevan (13.30) and Canada’s Shallon Olsen (13.26).

While it was gold for her it was heartbreak for teammate Alex Kinsella who failed to stick her final landing in the event.

Will Swanton 5.15pm: Hubbard: Games a model for what sport can and should be

New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, the transgender athlete who was the gold medal favourite until injuring her elbow in competition and withdrawing today, has praised the Gold Coast crowd.

“The Australian crowd was magnificent,” she said. “It felt just like a big embrace. They really

made me try to lift my best. The Commonwealth Games here are a model for what sport can and should be. It’s an incredible environment and an amazing atmosphere. Without any doubt they have lived up to the mantra of humanity, equality and decency.”

Eric George 5pm: Diamonds post third-biggest score

Australia have steamrolled through Fiji in the netball, running away with a 108-23 goal win. It was the third-highest score in the history of netball at the Commonwealth Games, and the Diamonds’ biggest margin since the 2011 World Cup.

It was clear from the first quarter that the home team wasn’t going to take it easy on its opponent, the lowest-ranked netball side competing on the Gold Coast. The Diamonds somehow squeezed 32 goals out of the first 15 minutes without committing a single penalty and only allowed one solitary turnover.

Goal keeper Courtney Bruce made the most of some lax passing from the Fijians, coming up with two interceptions the space of a few minutes. At the other end, Liz Watson and Kim Ravaillion moved the ball around the Australian goal circle with ease, and Steph Wood took the opportunity for some target practice, bombing midrange shots with remarkable accuracy.

The Fijians were able to slow the home team down slightly as the match wore on, but simply ran out of gas in the final term.

There had been some fears of a rough contest heading into today - Fiji’s last match against Barbados saw multiple players stretchered off the court - but things were kept relatively clean under the posts.

The Diamonds now get a much-needed day of rest after running themselves into the ground this afternoon, and take on the Jamaican Sunshine Girls tomorrow night in a vital pool match that will determine seeding for the weekend’s finals.

Will Swanton 4.45pm: Aussie silver on day of lifting drama

There’s a fantastic simplicity to weightlifting. You either get the bar up, or you don’t. Australia’s Kaity Fassina has grit her teeth, grimaced and put on a mighty performance to win the silver medal in the 90kg division. She’s led at the halfway point after a snatch lift of 104kg and complemented it with a personal best of 128kg in the clean and jerk. Gold went to Fiji’s Eileen Cikamatana - the fourth gold in Fiji’s history at the Commonwealth Games.

In the 90kg-plus division, Deborah Acason has nearly stumbled off the stage while hauling up a mighty 120kg clean and jerk in what is understood to be her final competition before retirement. She’s dropped her final attempt as the bar nearly wiped out the judges. Acason has finished out of the medals, coming fourth.

It’s been a stunning afternoon at the weightlifting after transgender New Zealander Laurel Hubbard suffered an elbow injury in the snatch section of her women’s event and was forced to withdraw. One of the biggest gold medal favourites of the Games has ended without a podium finish at all.

Gold in the +90kg has gone to Samoa’s Feagaiga Stowers, 17, who entered the Games thinking she was competing for second behind Hubbard.

Wally Mason 4.35pm: Young Aussies bowl ‘em over

Lawn bowls may have a reputation as a sport pursued by more mature athletes, but the members of Australia’s gold medal-winning women’s fours team are mere youngsters.

Kelsey Cottrell, Carla Krizanic, Rebecca van Asch and skipper Natasha Scott have an average age of 28.

They are now the Commonwealth Games and world champions, after winning the world title in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2017.

Cottrell, 27, Krizanic, 27, van Asch, 30, and Scott, 27, claimed the gold medal following an 18-16 victory over South Africa at Broadbeach Bowling Club.

Natasha Scott, Kelsey Cottrell with her baby Sienna, Rebecca van Asch and Carla Krizanic. Picture: AAP/Darren England
Natasha Scott, Kelsey Cottrell with her baby Sienna, Rebecca van Asch and Carla Krizanic. Picture: AAP/Darren England

The South Africans came back from 9-3 down early to hit the lead 10-9 at the halfway mark.

The Australians countered in the 10th when Scott, with her second bowl, sat South African counterpart Elma Davis’s bowl for three, giving Australia the ascendancy again at 12-10.

Urged on by a vocal home crowd, the Australians gained another two shots in the 11th to increase the pressure on South African, but they responded immediately to pick up three shots in the 12th to stay in touch at 14-12.

Scott nailed a crucial shot in the next end when a drive on her first shot ricocheted off two bowls and finished inside the three nearest South Africa bowls to win the end by one shot and take the score to 15-12.

Australia picked up another three shots in the 14th after Cottrell led off brilliantly with her two shots, placing them centimetres from the jack to give her team an unassailable 18-12 lead into the last end.

Australia’s only other women’s fours Commonwealth Games gold medal came in 1990 in Auckland, when the team had an average age of 54.

One of those players, Daphne Shaw, was on hand at Broadbeach, working as a volunteer, to witness her team’s achievements being matched.

4.30pm: Diamonds crack the century

Australia have utterly dominated Fiji in the netball, winning 108-23 in their pool A match.

Wally Mason 3.45pm: ‘It’s a very big moment’

More on Australia’s men’s vault gold medallist Christopher Remkes.

Born in the Philippines and adopted at the age of two, Remkes, 21, grew up in Morphett Vale and Happy Valley in South Australia but is now based in Canberra.

​He described his victory as “absolutely amazing”.

“It’s just an unreal feeling,” he said. “This is just one big step for me and all my preparations and hard work lead to this. I’m very thankful of my coach for getting me where I am today.”

“The vibe out there is crazy. So many people out there. And it’s so nice having my friends and family watching and supporting me. It’s always a boost of confidence.”

Remkes paid tribute to Canadian reigning champion Scott Morgan, who finished fifth.

“He’s a great friend of mine and he’s done really well as well. I’m really happy and proud of him.”

“It’s a very big moment at any Commonwealth Games or any benchmark event for us to win gold, so I think all of us have done Australia proud.”

Christopher Remkes: “I think all of us have done Australia proud.” Picture: AP
Christopher Remkes: “I think all of us have done Australia proud.” Picture: AP

Will Swanton 3.40pm: Hubbard withdraws with injury

Gold medal favourite Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand has withdrawn from the +90kg competition because of the elbow injury she sustained while attempting a snatch lift of 132kg.

Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand after hurting her elbow. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand after hurting her elbow. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Will Swanton 3.20pm: Hubbard in lead, but hurts elbow

Drama in the women’s weightlifting, where +90kg favourite Laurel Hubbard, the transgender athlete from New Zealand, appears to have hurt her elbow while attempting a Commonwealth record 132kg in the snatch phase of competition.

She appeared in good spirits in the competitors’ backstage area beforehand, smiling and giving a thumbs-up to TV cameras. Her first lift in the snatch was set at 120kg, and she made it comfortably. But she went on to try to lift 132kg, failed and hurt her elbow. She’s called for the doctor while leading at the halfway stage.

Hubbard was greeted warmly by the crowd and mouthed a “thank you” in return.

Hubbard has weighed in at 142.3kg, compared with Australian rival Deborah Acason’s 93.45kg. This is Acason’s fifth Commonwealth Games. She’s won gold, silver and bronze medals.

The mother of two began this afternoon with a 95kg lift, and she knocked it off it with ease. She backed it up with a successful 99kg attempt and then 101kg. The bar above her

head, she said, “Yes! Come on!” She celebrated her third lift with gusto, walking backstage and saying: “I literally just talked myself into that.”

She’s in fourth place at halway. Samoan 17-year-old Feagaiga Stowers is in second and England’s Emily Campbell third.

Meanwhile, in the women’s 90kg category being held simultaneously, Australia’s Kaity Fassina is in first place after a snatch of 104kg. Gold medallists are decided by the combination of snatch plus clean-and-jerk lifts.

New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard fails to make the record lift. Picture: AP/Mark Schiefelbein
New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard fails to make the record lift. Picture: AP/Mark Schiefelbein

Wally Mason 3.15pm: Gold for Aussie Remkes in vault

Australian gymnast Christopher Remkes has won the gold medal in the men’s vault final with a score of 14.799 at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre.

England’s Courtney Tullock took silver with a score of 14.666, ahead of countryman Dominick Cunningham, who claimed the bronze with 14.333.

Wally Mason 3.05pm: Aussie women win lawn bowls gold

Australia has won lawn bowls gold in the women’s fours with a 18-16 victory against South Africa at Broadbeach Bowls Club

The Australian team of Kelsey Cottrell, Carla Krizanic, Rebecca Van Asch and Natasha Scott defeated South Africa’s Esme Kruger, Nicolene Neal, Johanna Snyman and Elma Davis.

Malta won bronze after Canada conceded.

2.45pm: Men’s vault up in the air

Over in the gymnastics the men’s vault final is under way, with Australia’s Christopher Remkes a medal chance.

2.30pm: Bell takes silver in 10m air pistol

The men’s 10m air pistol final came down to the last shot, with India’s Jitu Rai taking out gold with a Games record 235.1, over Australian Kerry Bell in silver on his CG debut, India’s Om Mitharval in bronze and Aussie defending Commonwealth champion Daniel Repacholi in fourth.

Bell, 47, only fired a gun for the first time six years ago after following a friend to a range to keep them company.

But he edged out a host of well-credentialed opponents to reach the podium behind only Indian star Rai at the Belmont Shooting Complex. Originally from New Zealand, the Sydney-based mechanic could have won it with his final shot but was unable to haul back the one-point lead of Rai, who also won gold at Glasgow in the 50m pistol.

“It’s just so unexpected,” Bell said. “There’s really world-class shooters out there. To be in amongst it is an honour.”

Two other events, the women’s 10m air rifle and men’s skeet, will be decided later today.

AAP

Will Swanton 1.45pm: Controversial lifter Hubbard coming up

Australia’s Deborah Acason will walk into the most controversial story of the Commonwealth Games when she contests the plus-90kg weightlifting this afternoon.

Laurel Hubbard. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Laurel Hubbard. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

In the field will be Laurel Hubbard, the transgender athlete from New Zealand who’s expected to dominate. The 40-year-old competed as a male weightlifter for New Zealand as Gavin Hubbard before her transition.

Acason has refused to comment on Hubbard’s inclusion but the Australian Weightlifting Federation unsuccessfully protested against her inclusion in February.

Samoa’s weightlifting coach Jerry Wallwork has expressed his displeasure. “A man is a man and a woman is a woman and I know a lot of changes have gone through, but in the past Laurel Hubbard used to be a male champion weightlifter,” Wallwork said. “The strength is still there and I think it’s very unfair, and for all females it’s unfair.”

Hubbard and Acason will be in action at 2pm.

Hubbard has been shielded from all media interviews since she arrived at the Games, later than her teammates. Her father is Dick Hubbard, the wealthy former mayor of Auckland and founder of Hubbard Foods. She’s previously told NZ media that it’s disrespectful to suggest she has a fundamental biological advantage over her opponents - in that it’s disrespectful to the opponents.

“Look, I’ve heard that and I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to the other competitors,” Hubbard said. “I don’t believe there is any fundamental difference between me and the other athletes, and to suggest there is is slightly demeaning to them.”

Disquiet over weightlifter Laurel Hubbard

1.05pm: Mitchell’s back in business

Morgan Mitchell is back.

The Australian 400m runner has been through a traumatic 12 months, revealing late last year that she had battled depression after being “cooked” by the sport.

Morgan Mitchell on her way to qualifying for the women’s 400m semis. Photo: Getty Images
Morgan Mitchell on her way to qualifying for the women’s 400m semis. Photo: Getty Images

She struggled desperately at the 2016 Rio Olympics, fading badly in the straight to finish last in her semi-final in a time well outside her personal best.

Drawn in easily the toughest heat of the women’s 400m this morning, it appeared for a moment that luck had not been kind to her when she missed an automatic qualifying sport for the semi-finals, finishing fifth in 52.81 seconds.

She needn’t have worried. Her time was the fastest of the non-automatic qualifiers by some three-tenths of a second, and she’ll join fellow Aussie Annaliese Rubie in the semis tomorrow night.

“I went out well ... then I slowed down and tried to speed back up,” Mitchell said.

“You can’t do that in the four (hundred). We’re here for a lot of competition.”

Asked about the past 12 months, Mitchell said: “It was a pretty dark place I was in. I am really proud of myself because it was really tough. I just wanted to smile and be happy.

“It has really been awesome.”

Daniel Sankey 12.20pm: Fearnley through to 1500m final

Australian wheelchair athlete Kurt Fearnley will chase a farewell gold medal at the final major meet of his illustrious career after safely qualifying for the men’s T54 1500m final tomorrow night.

The three-time Paralympic gold medal made it his mission to stay out of trouble in his heat this morning, taking an early lead from an inside draw before easing out wide and tacking onto the back of the pack.

He produced his customary big finish to be less than a second behind England’s Richard Chiassaro (3:05.76), joining fellow Aussies Jake Lappin and Sam Rizzo in the final.

Brent Read 12.15pm: Another Starc to make his mark

Brandon Starc wants to make a mark in the world of high jumping. He wants to do it on the Gold Coast. The 24-year-old brother of Australia cricketer Mitchell Starc qualified for the final of the high jump at Carrara Stadium this morning by clearing 2.21m.

He did it easily and afterwards he made it clear he wasn’t at the Commonwealth Games to simply make up the numbers.

“I am past the come-here-and enjoy-it sort of thing,” Starc said. “I am here to make a dent in the world of high jump. I am definitely pushing medals for sure, PBs (personal bests). I am in shape. I know I can do it.

“The crowd behind me, I can’t wait for the final.”

Brandon Starc of Australia qualifies for the men’s high jump final. Photo: AAP
Brandon Starc of Australia qualifies for the men’s high jump final. Photo: AAP

Starc finished 15th at the 2016 Rio Olympics but has struggled with injuries since. He underwent ankle surgery 12 months ago and then missed last year’s world championship with a shin injury.

Back to full fitness, he easily qualified for Wednesday night’s final.

“I have been managing my ankle since surgery,” he said. “It has been going really well. No issues today. That is the fallback the last couple of meets. Five jumps, pretty easy.”

Starc praised the support he received.

“Everyone has been saying how good it is but you just don’t know until you get out here,” Starc said.

“It is unreal. It is a really hard feeling to describe. There is something inside you that makes you feel good. It was pretty comfortable out there today — I loved it.”

Joel Baden missed out on the final after failing to clear 2.18m.

Wayne Smith 11.56am: Sprint kings cruise through

Australia’s fastest sprinters Cameron McEvoy, James Roberts and James Magnussen all routinely qualified for the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle in this morning’s heat session, but first of all England’s Benjamin Proud needed to work out some serious frustrations.

Swimming at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games was only three events old on Thursday when Proud unleashed a withering swim in the 50m butterfly to set a new Commonwealth Games record — only to be given the bad news that it wouldn’t count because he had false started and was out of the event.

Benjamin Proud after his Commonwealth Games record swim in the heats of the men’s 50m freestyle. Photo: Getty Images
Benjamin Proud after his Commonwealth Games record swim in the heats of the men’s 50m freestyle. Photo: Getty Images

So he brooded on that for the past four days until his only other individual race rolled around, the 50m freestyle today — at which point he unleashed. Australian titleholder Roberts was in the adjoining lane and had a front-row view as Proud exploded off the blocks and took off like a whirling dervish. He put the 50m behind him in just 21.45sec, just .54sec outside the supersuit world record set by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo back in 2009.

“That was a smoking swim from him,” said Roberts, who will turn 27 on Wednesday. Indeed, Proud’s time broke his own Commonwealth Games record set four years ago, but the Australian veteran had cause to be proud of his own swim, 22.11sec, just two-tenths of a second outside his best.

While he disputed the description of him as “a 50m specialist”, he did concede that the course of his career seemed to be steering him away from the glamour 100m freestyle and more to the one-lap splash-and-dash.

“Hopefully I can make a stamp for the next few years.”

McEvoy, who finished in the worst possible place in the 100m freestyle — fourth — looked sharp as he powered through his heat in an impressive 22.06se, with The Missile, James Magnussen, dogging his heel all the way through for a 22.23.

Daniel Sankey 11.55am: McKeon, Taylor, Throssell advance

Aussie swimming fans would have been entitled to be a bit worried about Emma McKeon’s 200m butterfly prospects this morning — especially when they saw her beaten into fourth place in her heat in an event in which only the eight-fastest swimmers qualified for tonight’s final.

They needn’t have worried. McKeon (2:09.55) went safely through as the fourth fastest qualifier behind the three girls who beat her in heat two — Wales’ Alys Thomas (2:07.72), Australia’s Laura Taylor (2:08.43) and Canada’s Mabel Zavaros (2:08.71).

Brianna Throssell (2:09.93) made it a trio of Aussies through to the final when she won the first heat and was fifth-fastest qualifier overall.

Swimming her fifth event of the games, McKeon was entitled to be a little tired when she lined up today ... but with a full day of rest heading into tonight’s final, expect her to be challenging for the medals.

Daniel Sankey 11.42am: Hurdler Hough surprises

Australia’s Nicholas Hough is through to the final of the men’s 110m hurdles — and with the injured Sally Pearson and a parochial home crowd in his corner, he’s daring to dream of a medal.

Hough, 24, qualified automatically for tomorrow night’s final when he finished third in 13.46 seconds in the second of two heats, on the heels of England’s Andrew Pozzi (13.29) and South Africa’s Antonio Alkana (13.32).

“On times, on paper, I shouldn’t have made that final,” a delighted Hough said after the race.

But he’s already set his sights on finding the extra tenth of a second-or-so that he’ll need in the final to challenge for a medal.

He paid tribute to Pearson, who helped him through his warm-up for his heat and will no doubt be giving him the benefit of her major meet experience when he tomorrow night lines up for the biggest race in his young career.

Daniel Sankey 11.25am: Proud smashes 50m free record

England’s Ben Proud smashed his own Commonwealth record to go through as the fastest qualifier for tonight’s men’s 50m freestyle semi-finals, leaving a trio of Australians in his wake.

Proud, disqualified for movement on the blocks in the 50m butterfly last week, was obviously out to make a statement this morning — and he did just that with a blistering 21.45-second lap that took 0.29 seconds off the Commonwealth record he set back in Glasgow in 2014.

South African Brad Tandy was the second fastest qualifier, winning heat six in 21.78 seconds. Australia’s Cameron McEvoy advanced after winning heat eight in 22.06 seconds from teammate James Magnussen, while James Roberts also advanced after finishing second in Proud’s heat in 22.11 seconds.

Brent Read 11.16am: Rubie’s red hot in 400m

Australian Anneliese Rubie has strolled into the semi-finals of the 400 metres, cruising through her heat at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Rubie won her heat in a time of 52.32sec, taking the foot off the gas as she approach the finish line with a semi-final place in her keeping.

Rubie, coached by Cathy Freeman’s former mentor Peter Fortune, came into the Commonwealth Games in the best shape of her career and the early signs are promising.

“I am coming in with my best speed I have ever had and I am certainly fitter than I have ever been,” Rubie said.

“I am hoping in the next couple of days it will show over the one lap. It is always hard to know where everybody else is.

“I wanted to back it off and run as easy as I could today.”

Rubie was joined in the semis by compatriot and fellow Rio Olympian Morgan Mitchell (52.81), who scraped in after finishing fifth in her heat.

Mitchell has been through a traumatic 12 months, revealing late last year that she had battled depression after being “cooked” by the sport.

She finished outside the four automatic semi-final spots available in her heat but qualified as one of the next fastest.

“I went out well ... then I slowed down and tried to speed back up,” Mitchell said.

“You can’t do that in the four (hundred). We’re here for a lot of competition.”

Asked about the past 12 months, Mitchell said: “It was a pretty dark place I was in. I am really proud of myself because it was really tough. I just wanted to smile and be happy.

“It has really been awesome.”

While Rubie and Mitchell were be part of the semis, there was no place for teenager Bendere Oboya.

Running with her hamstring heavily strapped, Oboya inished sixth in her heat in a time of 55.62sec.

The 17-year-old was born in Ethiopia, arriving in Australia in 2003 with her family. She walked away this morning bitterly disappointed with her performance, refusing to use her hamstring problem as an excuse.

“I wouldn’t really call it a hamstring problem,” she said.

“Just a little niggle. Just have to move on from it.”

Nicole Jeffery 11.15am: Seebohm hits wall first

World champion Emily Seebohm has bounced back from defeat in her signature event, the 200m backstroke last night, to lead qualifying in the 50m backstroke heats this morning.

Emily Seebohm smiles after winning her 50m backstroke heat. Photo: AAP
Emily Seebohm smiles after winning her 50m backstroke heat. Photo: AAP

Seebohm, who has won silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 200m backstroke so far, won her heat in 27.63sec, finally getting a win over Canadian champion Kylie Masse (27.99sec), who has won the 100m-200m double in the Gold Coast pool.

Seebohm said she was enjoying doing an event in which she felt no pressure.

“It’s just fun, it’s nice to enjoy it,’’ she said.

“It’s over so quickly, so you have to get everything right.’’

Defending champion Georgia Davies, from England, was the second fastest qualifier in 27.91sec.

All three Australia’s progressed to tonight’s semi-finals.

Holly Barratt returned after winning the silver medal in Australia’s 50m butterfly medal sweep last night, to win the first heat in 28.49sec, just 0.01sec ahead of her 17-year-old teammate Minna Atherton. They progressed in sixth and seventh position.

The Brisbane teenager, a former world junior champion who trains with Seebohm, has had to wait for the fifth day of the program to get a chance to make her debut in the Games pool.

“I was really excited to get out and swim after watching everyone else do so well,’’ Atherton said.

Daniel Sankey 11.05am: Mitchell survives 400m scare

Australia’s Morgan Mitchell survived a massive scare to advance to the semi-finals of the women’s 400m, missing an automatic spot but scraping through on times.

Running in lane one, Mitchell’s 52.81 seconds was only good enough for fifth in her heat behind Nigeria’s Yinka Ajayi (51.71), Botswana’s Christine Botlogetswe (51.73), India’s Hima Das (52.11) and Kenya’s Veronica Kamumbe Mutua (52.70).

Mitchell eventually went through as the fastest non-automatic qualifier, joining fellow Aussie Anneliese Rubie — who won heat four in 52.32 seconds after Nigeria’s Patience Okon George was disqualified.

Another Aussie, Bendere Oboya missed out after finishing sixth in heat three in 55.62 seconds.

Daniel Sankey 11am: Seebohm leads 50m backstroke qualifiers

Australia will have three medal hopes contesting the semi-finals of the women’s 50m backstroke tonight, with Emily Seebohm the fastest qualifier.

Seebohm (27.63 seconds) was just 0.07 seconds outside the Commonwealth Games record of Wales’ Georgia Davies in defeating Canadian superstart Kylie Masse (27.99) in the fourth and final heat.

Davies won the third heat in 27.91 seconds, while earlier, Holly Barratt (28.49) and Minna Atherton (28.50) finished one-two in heat two to also advance.

Wayne Smith 10.57am: Three Aussies through in backstroke

Mitch Larkin, who has kept his head while all about him were losing theirs, quietly set himself up today for a unique slice of swimming history today as the first person ever to win the 50m-100m-200m backstroke treble at the Commonwealth Games.

The meet opened on a promising note for him on Thursday with an encouraging win in the 100m backstroke and he secured the double last night with a fighting victory in the 50m backstroke. Granted, the 50m event was only added to the Commonwealth Games program in 2002 in Manchester but so far no swimmer has ticked all three boxes and Larkin has let it be known that he is interested in that thin slice of sporting immortality.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to win that tonight,” said Larkin, who did it tough on the second last session of heat swimming at these Games.

“I was a bit slow, a bit sleepy coming to the pool and I had to get moving in warm-up. I cruised through the first 50m, the first 100m and I was hoping the crowd would bring me home.”

Let it be said that the crowds have been the most consistent performers at these Games. Every session the 10,000-seat Optus Aquatic Centre is sold out and while the stories have been coming thick and fast about the lack of intensity surrounding these Games, that certainly doesn’t apply to the swimming events. The support has been loud and prolonged and not confined exclusive for the Australian swimmers. When the last Gibraltar swimmer touched the wall in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay last night, the cheer was exceeded only by the roar that greeted Mack Horton coming into the wall. So, did the crowd help out Larkin? It did indeed.

He moved up from fourth place at the halfway turn to second place coming off the wall at the 150m mark and gallantly though England’s Luke Greenbank fought, the tide was flowing entirely in Larkin’s favour by this point. He touched the wall in 1min.57.99sec, well outside his best, leaving him well positioned as the second fastest going into tonight’s final behind South African Martin Bindell (1.57.92)

Bradley Woodward, the 19-year-old silver medallist behind Larkin in the 100m backstroke, produced a slightly faster heat swim than he did at trials to qualify third fastest in 1.58.41 while Josh Beaver, who actually finished ahead of Larkin in this event at last year’s world championships in Budapest was fifth fastest in 1.58.73.

10.30am: Aussies through; 79yo Pitcairn ready

Australian shooters Daniel Repacholi and Kerry Bell are both in medal contention at the Commonwealth Games after winning through to the finals of the men’s 10m air pistol.

Repacholi, the defending champion from Glasgow, and Bell, who is making his Games debut at the age of 47, were among the eight qualifiers at the Belmont Shooting Complex this morning.

They will seek to add to Australia’s medal tally after a successful first day at the Brisbane range, where Dane Sampson (men’s 10m air rifle) won gold and Elena Galiabovitch (women’s 10m air pistol) took bronze.

Two other events, the women’s 10m air rifle and men’s skeet, will be decided later today.

The qualification rounds have also begun for the Queen’s Prize fullbore pairs, which features the oldest competitor in Commonwealth Games history — 79-year-old Canadian marksman Robert Pitcairn.

Given what Pitcairn has achieved in his remarkable life so far, it will be no surprise if he’s standing on the podium at the end of the event.

Born in 1938, he’s spent the past 58 years trying to qualify for a major championships after taking up shooting as an air force cadet in 1960.

Robert Pitcairn gets ready for his Commonwealth Games debut. Photo: AAP
Robert Pitcairn gets ready for his Commonwealth Games debut. Photo: AAP

His retirement in 1998 gave him a chance to focus full-time on his shooting. He just missed the team for the Manchester games in 2002, but finally broke through this year.

Amazingly, competing at a Commonwealth Games at 79 is probably not Pitcairn’s greatest achievement. That honour probably goes to his effort in keeping 120 airline passengers safe from a knife-wielding lunatic.

True story.

It was 1974, just a few months after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

Naim Djemal, a Turkish Cypriot who lived in Winnipeg, put a blade to the throat of the smallest crew member on Pitcairn’s Boeing 737 and demanded to go to Cyprus, where he planned to avenge his two brothers who had died during the conflict.

“The little bugger, I understood he had $10,000 in the bank but he wouldn’t spend that. He wanted to take a free flight, I guess,” Pitcairn told AAP’s Vince Rugari.

“He tried to do an Air Canada flight the night before mine and he chickened out. That’s the one he should have taken.”

Pitcairn stuck to the hijacking procedures his airline had taught him and tried to keep Djemal confused and in minimal control, assuring him he would land in Saskatoon to refuel and then fly on.

Returning to the cockpit, he phoned police and arranged for them to be on the tarmac.

When they landed, Pitcairn was surprised to discover Djemal had given up.

The attendant was wounded and bloodied, but lived, although she was so traumatised she never flew again.

When Djemal got out of jail after serving eight years, he phoned Pitcairn out of the blue.

“I said, ‘How’d you find me?’ He said, ‘I went through the newspapers and that. I just want to apologise.’

“I said, you owe me nothing. You spent your time in prison, paid your dues. But I’d really appreciate if you didn’t contact me again.”

— AAP

Daniel Sankey 10.10am: Dubler, Cranston solid in 100m

Australians Cedric Dubler and Kyle Cranston have made solid start to their Commonwealth Games decathlon campaigns in the opening event, the 100m.

Dubler, who finished 14th at the Rio Olympics and followed that up with a 17th-placed finish at the 2017 World Championships, was just 0.06 seconds outside his personal best with third in heat two in 10.69 seconds, behind the Canadian pair of Damian Warner (10.29 seconds) and Pierce Lepage (10.62). It gives Dubler 931 points and has him placed third overall heading into the second event, the long jump.

Warner’s 10.29 seconds, a season’s best, is the equal-fastest 100m in a decathlon at a Commonwealth Games. It’s the same time he ran on the way to winning gold in the event at the Glasgow games in 2014.

Cranston was just two-tenths of a second outside his personal best, finishing second to Grenada’s Lindon Victor (10.70 seconds) in 11.16 seconds in heat one, earning 825 points.

9.45am: Welsh hurdler out of Games

Wales 400 metres hurdler Dai Greene has been forced to pull out of the Commonwealth Games with a hamstring injury.

The former world, European and Commonwealth champion suffered a grade one muscle tear during training and will not be able to start the 400m hurdles heats tomorrow.

“I’m really disappointed to miss out on what would have been my fourth Commonwealth Games,” said Greene.

It would have been Greene’s fourth Commonwealth Games> He’ll remain on the Gold Coast to support back his Wales team-mates.

— PA

8.20am: ‘I want to make this special’

Jamaican flyer Yohan ‘The Beast’ Blake looks primed to break the 10-second barrier in today’s men’s 100m final and give the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games one of its signature moments.

Yohan Blake easily wins his men’s 100m semi-final yesterday. Photo: Getty Images
Yohan Blake easily wins his men’s 100m semi-final yesterday. Photo: Getty Images

The 2011 world champion clocked the fastest semi-final time of 10.06 yesterday and seemingly had plenty in reserve.

“I want to make this very special for Australia,” said the 28-year-old Blake. “I came here, and I feel good. I just want to continue and I’ll just go out there and do the job.

“There is a lot more in the tank.

“I feel good and I love to race on Australian soil because not many people can do it.

“But 10.06 was comfortable, anything is possible.”

The women’s 100m final looks a race in three between Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaican Christania Williams and England’s Asha Philip.

Australian Damian Birkinhead is a good medal chance in the men’s shot put. But he will have to do something truly special to finish ahead of big New Zealander Tomas Walsh, who smashed the Games record in the qualifying round with 22.45m.

Australian trio Eloise Wellings, Celia Sullohern and Madeline Hills will all contest the women’s 10,000m final.

The other medals events on day two of the track and field competition are the men’s T38 100m and the women’s F46 javelin.

— AAP

7am: Chalmers focused on double for Tokyo

Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers admits he will have to “re-set my mind” ahead of his final event at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games after a shock 100m freestyle loss.

But the 19-year-old has made up his mind about the 200m freestyle, saying he will take his new event seriously ahead of Tokyo 2020 after bouncing back to chime into Australia’s 4x200m relay win on Sunday night.

Kyle Chalmers receives his silver medal for the men’s 100m freestyle. Photo: AAP
Kyle Chalmers receives his silver medal for the men’s 100m freestyle. Photo: AAP

Rio gold medallist Chalmers had to settle for silver in the blue riband 100m final on Sunday night after he dead-heated with South African great Chad le Clos, behind Scotland’s Duncan Scott who produced a boilover.

Chalmers’ confidence did not look like it had taken a hit after he backed up to help fellow Rio champion Mack Horton, Alex Graham and rookie Elijah Winnington claim 4x200m gold in a Games record seven minutes 05.97 seconds. But he conceded he would have to regroup ahead of his Games finale, tomorrow night’s 4x100m medley relay final.

“There is nothing I can do about now. It is something I have to move on from and re-set my mind heading into the medley relay,” he said.

“But I have no regrets. I am happy with that time. It is faster than what I went at (last month’s) trials — I can’t ask for anything more.”

Chalmers won 200m freestyle gold on Friday night but it took the relay win to convince him he should keep the event at major meets, starting with August’s Pan Pacs in Tokyo.

“It is an event that really excites me,” he said.

“We have a few months to Pan Pacs. The 200m is something I definitely want to keep working on until then.

“It has been a tough few days for me backing up races but to win here with the relay boys are great signs heading into Tokyo.”

Chalmers revealed he was battling a head cold and nursing a sore back for the last six months but didn’t want to make any excuses after his 100m loss.

— AAP

6.30am: Kelly to lift for home crowd

Veteran Australian weightlifter Damon Kelly is banking on experience to usurp the young giants standing between him and a gold medal at his swansong Commonwealth Games.

Failing that, he’ll settle for a Steven Bradbury moment.

Kelly’s super-heavyweight showdown tonight will likely be the last for the long-serving 34-year-old who won gold at Delhi 2010, silver at Melbourne 2006 and bronze at Glasgow 2014.

And the bearded 150kg colossus would go out with a bang if he had his way. But he’ll have to lift a whole lot more than that to outdo the best in the 105kg-plus field.

Weightlifter Damon Kelly trains with his sons Tom, 3 and Paddy, 5. Photo: Liam Kidston.
Weightlifter Damon Kelly trains with his sons Tom, 3 and Paddy, 5. Photo: Liam Kidston.

Samoan Lautiti Lui, Pakistan’s Muhammad Butt, India’s Gurdeep Singh and Kiwi David Liti are all aged 22 or under but have been hoisting combined totals of at least 15kg more than Kelly.

The Brisbane-based father of three is just hoping his extra decade of experience offers a mental edge.

“I know in terms of weights I’m probably behind the top guys, but I just want to lift well and put pressure on them,” Kelly said.

“I’ve got the experience and the younger guys in the top ranks, it’ll be their first Games.

“I’d love to be competitive and a shot for a medal ... or even pull off a Bradbury-type win.

“I’ve seen lots of funny things happen on the day so I’ve just got to be there ready to compete.”

Kelly’s mantra is “you versus the bar” — his key to blocking out the distraction of rivals.

But he might spare a thought for his wife and three sons under five who’ll be part of his hometown crowd.

“Mostly likely this will be my last comp, but never say never,” he said. “I’ll get through next week and enjoy it then see what happens. It would be good to spend a bit more time at home with the boys and wife.”

— AAP

6.15am: Day 5 — Aussies in action

ATHLETICS
• 10.05am: Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon 100m heat 1
• 10.12am: Cedric Dubler — men’s decathlon 100m heat 2
• 10.20am: Brandon Starc, Joel Baden — men’s high jump qualifying rounds
• 10.44am: Bendere Oboya — women’s 400m heat 3
• 10.50am: Cedric Dubler, Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon long jump group A
• 10.51am: Anneliese Rubie — women’s 400m heat 4
• 10.59am: Morgan Mitchell — women’s 400m heat 5
• 11.30am: Nicholas Hough — men’s 110m hurdles heat 1
• 12pm: Jake Lappin, Sam Rizzo — men’s T54 1500m heat 1
• 12.05pm: Cedric Dubler, Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon shot put group A
• 12.10pm: Kurt Fearnley — men’s T54 1500m heat 2
• 7pm: Cedric Dubler, Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon high jump group A
• 7.10pm: Evan O’Hanlon, Samuel Walker — men’s T38 100m final
• 7.25pm: Georgia Griffith — women’s 1500m heat 1
• 7.35pm: Linden Hall, Zoe Buckman — women’s 1500m heat 2
• 7.56pm: Steve Solomon — men’s 400m semi-finals
• 8.25pm: Damien Birkinhead — men’s shot put final
• 8.35pm: Celia Sullohern, Eloise Wellings, Madeline Hills — women’s 10,000m final
• 9.25pm: Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon 400m group A heat 1
• 9.32pm: Cedric Dubler — men’s decathlon 400m group A heat 2

BASKETBALL
• 9pm: Australia v Nigeria — men’s preliminary round pool A
• 5.30pm: Australia v England — women’s preliminary round pool A

BEACH VOLLEYBALL
• 7.30pm: Australia (Christopher McHugh, Damien Schumann) v Trindidad & Tobago — men’s preliminary pool A

BOXING
• 12.17pm: Caitlin Parker — women’s 75kg quarter-final 2
• 2.32pm: Clay Waterman — men’s 81kg round of 16
• 7.47pm: Harry Garside — men’s 60kg round of 16

GYMNASTICS
• 2.33pm: Christopher Remkes — men’s vault final
• 3.23pm: Emily Whitehead, Georgia-Rose Brown — women’s balance beam final
• 4.49pm: Georgia-Rose Brown, Alexandra Eade — women’s floor exercise final
• 4.49pm: Michael Tone — men’s horizontal bar final

HOCKEY
• 9.30pm: Australia v New Zealand — women’s preliminary pool B

LAWN BOWLS
• 9am: Australia (Karen Murphy, Kelsey Cottrell) v Zambia — women’s pairs section D, round 1, match 2
• 12.15pm: Aaron Wilson v Taiki Paniani (Cook Islands) — men’s singles section D, round 1, match 1
• 12.15pm: Australia (Kelsey Cottrell, Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch) v South Africa — women’s fours gold medal match
• 12.15pm: Australia (Jake Fehlberg, Lynne Seymour, Bob Seymour, Grant Fehlberg) v Scotland — mixed B2/B3 pairs section A, round 5, match 3
• 5pm: Aaron Wilson v Brendan Aquilina (Malta) — men’s singles section D, round 1, match 1
• 5pm: Australia (Nathan Rice, Barrie Lester, Aron Sherriff, Brett Wilkie) v Botswana — men’s fours section B, round 1, match 1
• 5pm: Australia (Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch) v Papua New Guinea — women’s triples section A, round 1, match 1
• 8pm: Australia (Tony Bonnell, Ken Hanson, Josh Thornton) v New Zealand — open B6/B7/B8 triples section A, round 5, match 1

NETBALL
• 3.02pm: Australia v Fiji — pool A preliminary

SHOOTING
• 9am: Kerry Bell, Daniel Repacholi — men’s 10m air pistol qualification (final at 12pm)
• 9am: Paul Adams, James Bolding — men’s skeet qualification day 2 (final at 3.45pm)
• 10am: Australia (Ben Emms, Jim Bailey) — open Queen’s Prize pairs finals day 1.
• 11am: Emma Adams, Victoria Rossiter — women’s 10m air rifle qualification (final at 1.30pm)

SWIMMING
• 10.31am: Bradley Woodward — men’s 200m backstroke heat 1 (final at 7.37pm)
• 10.35am: Josh Beaver — men’s 200m backstroke heat 1 (final at 7.37pm)
• 10.39am: Mitch Larkin ) — men’s 200m backstroke heat 1 (final at 7.37pm)
• 10.51am: Holly Barratt, Minna Atherton ) women’s 50m backstroke heat 2 (semi- finals from 8.57pm)
• 10.55am: Emily Seebohm — women’s 50m backstroke heat 4 (semi-finals from 8.57pm)
• 11.15am: Cameron McEvoy, James Magnussen — men’s 50m freestyle heat 7 (semi-finals from 8.37pm)
• 11.17am: James Roberts — men’s 50m freestyle heat 8 (semi-finals from 8.37pm)
• 11.24am: Jasmine Greenwood, Madeleine Scott, Paige Leonhardt — women’s SB9 100m breaststroke heat 1 (final at 8.22pm)
• 11.33am: Matthew Haanappel, Matthew Levy, Rohan Bright — men’s S7 50m freestyle heat 1 (final at 8.06pm)
• 11.42am: Brianna Throssell — women’s 200m butterfly heat 1 (final at 9.28pm)
• 11.45am: Laura Taylor, Emma McKeon — women’s 200m butterfly heat 2 (final at 9.28pm)
• 7.43pm: Jessica Ashwood, Ariarne Titmus, Kiah Melverton — women’s 800m freestyle final
• 9.07pm: Jake Packard, James McKechnie — men’s 50m breaststroke final
• 9.12pm: Georgia Bohl, Leiston Pickett, Jessica Hansen — women’s 100m breaststroke final
• 9.44pm: Cate Campbell, Bronte Campbell, Shayna Jack — women’s 100m freestyle final
• 9.59pm: David Morgan, Grant Irvine — men’s 100m butterfly final

WEIGHTLIFTING
• 9.30am: Ridge Barredo — men’s 105kg final
• 2pm: Kaity Fassina — women’s 90kg final
• 2pm: Deb Lovely-Acason — women’s +90kg final
• 6.30pm: Damon Kelly — men’s +105kg final

— AAP

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/2018-commonwealth-games/commonwealth-games-2018-day-5-live-coverage-damon-kelly-set-for-his-bradbury-moment/news-story/1479a77eeb4bb57028e583d442ed9fbe