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Commonwealth Games 2018 Day 6 live coverage: Kyle Chalmers produces amazing relay split

Kyle Chalmers produces spectacular 100m freestyle leg of 47.25 seconds to haul Australia to 4x100m medley relay gold.

49 min read
10:42PMApril 10, 2018
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Kyle Chalmers (left) and Mitch Larkin celebrate Australia’s 4x100m medley relay win. Photo: Getty Images
Kyle Chalmers (left) and Mitch Larkin celebrate Australia’s 4x100m medley relay win. Photo: Getty Images

Welcome to live coverage of Day 6 of the 2018 Commonwealth Games from the Gold Coast.

10.35pm: Record medal haul for swimmers

Australian swimming’s treasure chest boasts a record bounty after a nervous newcomer and nerveless old-hands raided more Commonwealth Games gold tonight.

Australian swimmers won 73 medals — 28 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze — at the Gold Coast Games after collecting eight of nine golds available on the final night of competition at the pool.

The haul is Australian swimming’s largest at a single Games, eclipsing the 57 medals taken from Glasgow four years ago.

Australia’s 4x100m medley relay gold medallists Mitch Larkin, Kyle Chalmers, Jake Packard and Grant Irvine. Photo: Getty Images
Australia’s 4x100m medley relay gold medallists Mitch Larkin, Kyle Chalmers, Jake Packard and Grant Irvine. Photo: Getty Images

And never before have Australian swimmers won so many golds at the one Games — the previous benchmark was 24 at Manchester in 2002 and the 1994 Victoria Games in Canada.

Mitch Larkin towels off with the most Gold Coast gold of any Australian swimmer — five.

He coolly secured two more tonight, in the 200m individual medley and 4x100 medley relay.

Larkin had already created history as the first swimmer to win every backstroke event — the 50m, 100m and 200m — at the same Games.

Ariarne Titmus poses with her 400m freestyle gold medal. Photo: AP
Ariarne Titmus poses with her 400m freestyle gold medal. Photo: AP

And Emma McKeon, who grabbed another gold tonight in the 4x100m medley relay, holds the biggest Aussie swag of swim medals — six (four golds, a silver and a bronze).

Tasmanian-raised 17-year-old Ariarne Titmus confirmed her status as the swim team’s rising star by winning the 400m freestyle, adding to her 800m freestyle gold.

Titmus is the first female swimmer since compatriot Tracey Wickham at the 1982 Brisbane Games to achieve the golden 400-800 freestyle double.

Larkin’s partner Emily Seebohm pocketed two more golds, in the 50m backstroke and medley relay, to complete her Gold Coast medal set — she also won 100m backstroke silver and 200m backstroke bronze.

Brisbane’s Jack McLoughlin triumphed in the 1500m freestyle before Australia’s men’s and women’s 4x100m medley relay teams ended the Games with respective golds.

Para-swimmers Lakeisha Patterson (S8 50m freestyle) and Brenden Hall (S9 100m backstroke) also triumphed tonight, leaving Australia’s swimming head coach Jacco Verhaeren satisfied.

— AAP

10.30pm: Silver, bronze in hammer

New Zealand’s Julia Ratcliffe has thrown a monster 69.94m effort to edge out a pair of Australians, Alexandra Hurley (68.20m) and Lara Nielsen (65.03m), for the hammer throw gold medal.

Daniel Sankey 10.25pm: Semenya dominates 1500m

South African star Caster Semenya has crushed a top quality field to win the women’s 1500m, setting a new Games record and national record of 4:00.71.

Semenya went straight to the front and was never headed, cruising home to win by almost three seconds from Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech (4:03.09) and Wales’ Melissa Courtney (4:03.44).

Australia’s Linden Hall and Georgia Griffith fell agonisingly short of the podium — Hall finishing fourth in a season’s best 4:03.67 while Griffith was fifth in a new personal best of 4:04.17. Their teammate, Zoe Buckman, was 12th in 4:06.76.

Daniel Sankey 10.15pm: GOLD! Chalmers rockets in relay

He may not have won the Commonwealth 100m freestyle gold medal, but Kyle Chalmers reminded everyone just why he’s the reigning Olympic champion with brilliant 47.25 second split to carry Australia to a memorable 4x100m medley relay gold medal.

Australia's Kyle Chalmers is congratulated by teammates Mitch Larkin, Jake Packard and Grant Irvine after their 4x100m medley relay win. Photo: AFP
Australia's Kyle Chalmers is congratulated by teammates Mitch Larkin, Jake Packard and Grant Irvine after their 4x100m medley relay win. Photo: AFP

Trailing England’s 50m freestyle gold medal-winner Ben Proud by almost a bodylength as he dived in for the final freestyle leg, Chalmers scorched home to secure a memorable victory for the host nation.

Australia set a new Games record of 3:31.04 to just touch out England (3:31.13), with South Africa (3:34.79) taking bronze.

Chalmers’ closing split of 47.25 was 0.68 seconds faster than Proud’s (47.93) — enough for Australia to touch out their arch rivals by a fingernail.

“I probably expected to be a little bit closer in that last 25m. I know Ben’s a 50m freestyle specialist so I was hoping he’d maybe start to burn out a little bit but it didn’t happen,” Chalmers said.

“I just had to put my head down and get on the wall, I knew it was going to be close.”

Daniel Sankey 9.52pm: GOLD! Bronte, you star

Women’s 100m freestyle gold medallist Bronte Campbell only found out earlier today that she would be swimming the 4x100m medley relay — and she justified the selectors’ faith by powering over the top of Canada’s Taylor Ruck to win Australia’s 27th gold medal of these Games.

Australia trailed Canada for the vast majority of a thrilling medley relay, with Kylie Masse just edging Emily Seebohm in the backstroke and Kierra Smith holding Georgia Bohl at bay in the breaststroke leg.

Emma McKeon got Australia to withing 0.23 seconds of the Canadians as she handed over to Bronte, and the younger Campbell sister did the rest, producing her trademark whirlwind finale to finish over the top of a brave Ruck.

The Australians won in a new Games record time of 3:54.36, with Canada taking silver in 3:55.10 and Wales the bronze in 4:00.75.

Bronte’s 100m split of 51.57 seconds was more than a second faster than the time she set to win gold in the individual 100m freestyle ... but it was 0.57 seconds slower than the time Cate swam in the final leg of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

Daniel Sankey 9.40pm: Rubie into 400m final

Australia’s Anneliese Rubie has smashed her personal best by almost two-tenths of a second to qualify for tomorrow night’s women’s 400m final.

Rubie finished third in the third and final semi-final in 51.51 seconds, moving through as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers.

Her teammate Morgan Mitchell was eliminated in the semi-finals, her third placing in heat two in 52.65 not enough to progress.

Jamaica’s Anastacia Le-Roy won the first semi-final in a season’s best of 51.08 to be the fastest qualifier for the final.

Daniel Sankey 9.20pm: One out of the box for Jack

If there was any doubt about just who was Australia’s male distance swimming king before tonight, Jack McLoughlin dismissed it in emphatic fashion with a dominant victory in the men’s 1500m freestyle.

With 500m to go, McLoughlin broke the will of his 400m freestyle gold medal-winning teammate Mack Horton and then held off a late challenge from Wales’ Glasgow bronze medallist Daniel Jervis.

McLoughlin set a new personal best of 14:47.09 to win by almost two seconds from Jervis (14:48.67), with Horton a further two bodylengths behind in 14:51.05.

8.58pm: Dubler takes bronze in decathlon

Cedric Dubler has won the bronze medal with 7983 points in the decathlon at the Gold Coast Games, Australia’s first Commonwealth podium finish in the discipline since 2006.

Lindon Victor from Grenada won the gold with 8303 points and Pierce LePage from Canada was second.

The competition was thrown wide open earlier today when Canadian gold-medal favourite Damian Warner failed to register a height in the pole vault.

— AAP

8.57pm: GOLD! Seventh clean sweep for Australia

Australia has picked up its seventh swimming medals clean sweep at these Commonwealth Games, with Brenden Hall (1:04.73) winning gold in the men’s S9 100m backstroke from teammates Tim Hodge (1:04.99) and Logan Powell (1:05.29).

8.40pm: GOLD! Patterson wins S8 50m free

Australian para-swimmer Lakeisha Patterson has won the gold medal in the women’s S8 50m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games.

The triumph in tonight’s final gives Patterson a second gold medal at the Gold Coast Games, following her victory in the S9 100m freestyle. Patterson’s teammate Tiffany Thomas Kane finished fourth.

— AAP

8.37pm: Fearnley takes silver

Australian wheelchair racers Kurt Fearnley and Jake Lappin have finished second and third respectively in the T54 men’s 1500m at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Team athletics co-captain Fearnley challenged Alexandre Dupont in the final straight, but the Canadian hung tough to win in three minutes 11.75 seconds. Fearnley took silver in 3:11.92 and Lappin claimed the bronze in 3:12.60.

— AAP

Daniel Sankey 8.20pm: GOLD! Larkin wins fourth gold

Australia’s Mitch Larkin will swim for a fifth gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the backstroke leg of the 4x100m medley relay later tonight after smashing his personal best to win the 200m individual medley.

Larkin (1:57.67) powered over the top of his bronze medal-winning teammate Clyde Lewis (1:58.18) in the freestyle leg, holding off a late challenge from silver medallist Duncan Scott, of Scotland (1:57.86) to take gold.

His time was almost a second-and-a-half inside his previous personal best and cemented his standing as the dominant swimmer, male or female, of the Australian team at these Commonwealth Games.

Larkin’s gold came just minutes after his partner, Emily Seebohm, took her revenge on Canada’s 100m-200m backstroke double winner Kylie Masse with victory in the women’s 50m backstroke.

8.12pm: GOLD! de Rozario wins T54 1500m

Daniel Sankey 8pm: Seebohm gets her revenge on Masse

It took until the last day for Emily Seebohm to win her first individual gold medal of the 2018 Commonwealth Games ... and she did it in style, defeating Canada’s 100m-200m backstroke double winner Kylie Masse to take gold in the women’s 50m backstroke.

Seebohm added gold to her silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 200m backstroke, in the process winning Australia’s 300th medal in Commonwealth Games swimming competition.

She finished in 27.78 seconds, just 0.04 seconds ahead of Masse, with Wales’ Commonwealth Games record holder Georgia Davies (27.90 seconds) taking the bronze ahead of Australia’s Holly Barratt.

“It’s awesome. I really wanted to come into this and win a gold medal for this crowd because they’ve been bloody awesome this entire week,” she said.

Daniel Sankey 7.55pm: Hough gets bronze in 110m hurdles

Australian Nick Hough has stormed home to claim a shock bronze medal in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Hough clocked a personal best 13.38 seconds, stripping four hundredths of a second from his previous fastest time set three years ago.

It was Australia’s first medal in the event at Commonwealth level since Don Wright finished third at the 1986 Edinburgh Games.

Ronald Levy (13.19) and Hansle Parchment (13.22) did the gold and silver double for Jamaica.

The 24-year-old Hough clipped several hurdles early in the race but held his form.

As was also the case in the first round on Monday, the fast-finishing Australian was gaining on the leaders in the closing stages.

Parchment — the bronze medallist from the 2012 Olympics and the silver medallist from the 2015 world championships — was the pre-event favourite. But he was upstaged by countryman Levy.

— AAP

Daniel Sankey 7.50pm: McEvoy takes bronze in 50m free

England’s Ben Proud has made up for the disappointment of his disqualification from the men’s 50m butterfly with a powerhouse performance to win gold in the mens’ 50m freestyle.

Proud crushed a talented field, winning in 21.35 seconds from South Africa’s Bradley Tandy (21.81), with Australia’s Cameron McEvoy picking up the bronze in 21.92. Fellow Aussies James Magnussen (seventh in 22.05 seconds) and James Roberts (22.15 seconds) finished out of the medals.

Daniel Sankey 7.40pm: GOLD! Titmus destroys 400m field

Ariarne Titmus smashed her own personal best and set a new Commonwealth Games record with a dominant wire-to-wire victory in the women’s 400m freestyle.

The Aussie, known affectionaely as ‘Arnie’ or ‘The Terminator’, became the sixth-fastest woman over 400m of all time, just failing to break the magical four-minute mark with a 4:00.93 swim.

She was almost five seconds in front of her nearest rivals, the England pair of Holly Hibbott (4;05.31) and Eleanor Faulkner (4:07.35). Titmus’ Australian teammates Jessica Ashwood (4:10.32) and Mikkayla Sheridan (4:12.05).

“I was so nervous for this race ... it wasn’t because I was scared of the result, I just didn’t want to fail on my expectations of myself,” Titmus said, saying her goal was to break the 4:02 mark.

The 400m caps an amazing break-out meet for Titmus, who has won three gold (400m, 800m, 4x200m freestyle) and a silver (200m freestyle) at these Games.

Ariarne Titmus celebrates after winning the women’s 400m freestyle. Photo: Getty Images
Ariarne Titmus celebrates after winning the women’s 400m freestyle. Photo: Getty Images

Nicole Jeffery 7.21pm: Bronte gets relay spot

Commonwealth 100m freestyle gold medallist Bronte Campbell has clinched the freestyle spot in the 4x100m medley relay tonight, ahead of her sister Cate.

The Australian team traditionally chooses the best-performed individual swimmer in each of the four strokes to combine in the medley relay but this decision was complicated by the fact that Cate had set a world best 100m freestyle split anchoring the 4x100m freestyle relay on the opening competition night of the Games.

However after ten races in five days, the older Campbell showed some signs of fatigue last night and the Australian coaches have opted for Bronte, who set the fastest 100m time of the year on last night’s individual final.

She will combine with Emily Seebohm (backstroke), Georgia Bohl (breaststroke) and Emma McKeon (butterfly) to try to complete a cleansweep of the women’s relays for Australia.

Their biggest challenge will come from Canada, who will lead off with 100m backstroke champion Kylie Masse and also have Olympic 100m freestyle champion Penny Oleksiak swimming butterfly and Commonwealth 200m freestyle champion Taylor Ruck anchoring the team.

If the Australians claim victory, both Bronte and Cate will finish the Games with three gold medals.

Australia's Bronte Campbell, right, is hugged by silver medalist Cate Campbell after she won gold in the women’s 100m freestyle. Photo: AP
Australia's Bronte Campbell, right, is hugged by silver medalist Cate Campbell after she won gold in the women’s 100m freestyle. Photo: AP

7.20pm: And you thought...

...it was a big night in the pool?

Daniel Sankey 7.10pm: Aussies to end swimming with a bang

A total of nine gold medals are up for grabs tonight as the Commonwealth Games swimming program comes to a close — and Australia has strong hopes in each of them.

Mitch Larkin could win his fifth gold medal of the meet with victory in the men’s 200m IM final and the 4x100m medley relay.

Here’s how the night looks:
• 7.37pm: Ariarne Titmus, Mikkayla Sheridan, Jessica Ashwood — women’s 400m final
• 7.45pm: James Roberts, James Magnussen, Cameron McEvoy — men’s 50m freestyle final
• 7.50pm: Holly Barratt, Emily Seebohm — women’s 50m backstroke final
• 8.15pm: Mitch Larkin, Clyde Lewis — men’s 200m IM final
• 8.32pm: Lakeisha Patterson, Tiffany Thomas Kane — women’s S7 50m freestyle final
• 8.47pm: Timothy Hodge, Logan Powell, Brenden Hall — men’s S9 100m backstroke final
• 9.03pm: Jack McLoughlin, Mack Horton — men’s 1500m freestyle final
• 9.43pm: Australia — women’s 4x100m medley relay final
• 9.52pm: Australia — men’s 4x100m medley relay heat

7.03pm: Bowls gold up for grabs

Australia will play off for gold in the mixed pairs B2/B3 lawn bowls event at the Commonwealth Games tomorrow after a semi-final win over Scotland.

Bowlers Lyn Seymour and Jake Fehlberg, assisted by their directors Bob Seymour and Grant Fehlberg, scored a 14-8 win over the Scots.

They will meet South Africa in the final, who snuck past Wales 11-9 in a thrilling semi.

Australia had a comfortable lead until the 10th end, when Scotland went on a scoring spree, posting four straight points in five ends to put a scare into the home side.

But it was all for naught as Australia held for victory and a chance to claim Australia’s second bowls gold of the Games behind the women’s fours team.

— AAP

6.45pm: Deng can handle the heat

Joseph Deng, born in a refugee camp in Kenya to Sudanese parents, says he doesn’t mind the scorching track at Carrara Stadium because he’s a Queenslander after all.

The Australian 800m runner was third in the quickest of the heats today in one minute 45.72 seconds, just one hundredth of a second outside his personal best, and will return for the final on Thursday night.

“Hopefully it’s fast. I like the fast races,” he said.

“I don’t mind the heat. I’m a Queensland boy so I like it.”

Deng was six when his family arrived in Australia, settling in Toowoomba before the now-19-year-old made the switch to Melbourne to train at the Victorian Institute of Sport.

Joseph Deng (right) earns his place in the men’s 800m final with a 1:45.72 heat run today. Photo: Getty Images
Joseph Deng (right) earns his place in the men’s 800m final with a 1:45.72 heat run today. Photo: Getty Images

5.58pm: Kookaburras roll on

Australia have continued their unbeaten run in the men’s hockey, dismantling Canada to the tune of a comprehensive 4-0 win.

The Kookaburras started strongly with three goals in the first period before adding a final goal in the last — arguably the best of the four.

They’ll next face New Zealand in more Pool A action tomorrow afternoon.

4.57pm: More netball drama

After knocking off New Zealand, Malawi have held on for another memorable victory these Games. While Scotland don’t have the international standing of the Kiwis, the circumstances in this win made it another emotional victory for the African nation.

Down by two with less than 30 seconds to go, Scotland moved to back within one. A Malawi player was then sent from the court for a deliberate delay of play, before Scotland were handed two shots to steal victory at the death. They missed both, making it another massive win for Malawi in Pool B. Incredible!

4.40pm: Australians move to beach volleyball semis

Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy have powered their way into the semi-finals of the women’s beach volleyball.

The pair enjoyed a powerful 2-0 win over Rwanda’s Charlotte Nzayisenga and Denyse Mutatsimpundu to book their spot in the final four.

They’ll face Vanuatu’s Miller Pata and Linline Matauatu tomorrow.

4.10pm: Aussie silver in shooting

Australian Elena Galiabovitch has fallen just short in the women’s 25m pistol finals, finishing three behind India’s Heena Sidhu.

The Indian set a Games record in the process, with India third on the medal tally with 11 gold and 20 medals in total.

Will Swanton 3.57pm: Garfoot takes gold

Australian road cyclist Kat Garfoot has annihilated the field to win the individual time trial. Garfoot was the heavy favourite and never looked threatened in the race against the clock. Rhythm and composure are the keys to the time trial and she did not miss a beat to post

35:08.09 to beat New Zealand’s silver medallist Linda Villumsen by nearly a minute. Her husband Chris says: “Everything went to plan. We’re just so happy.”

3.34pm: Consistent Cartwright

Kelly Cartwright might not be among the medals but the Australian para powerlifter made it a perfect three from three in the women’s lightweight final, lifting 64kg in her final attempt. She scores 69.9. Nigerian Esther Oyema scored a world record 141.6.

3.31pm: Aussies arrive, Tui sent home

Australian women's rugby sevens coach Tim Walsh. Picture: AAP.
Australian women's rugby sevens coach Tim Walsh. Picture: AAP.

As Australia’s gold-medal favorites were readying to return to the Commonwealth Games village from their self-imposed training bubble, the quarantined New Zealand women’s rugby seven squad was sending a mumps-affected player home.

New Zealand on Tuesday confirmed Ruby Tui, who has been ill with mumps, had been withdrawn from the games and replaced by 19-year-old Alena Saili before the squad checked into the athletes village following its isolation 200km away on the Sunshine Coast.

The competition kicks off Friday, and there’s nothing Australia’s Olympic champions have not thought of in their quest to win the first women’s sevens gold on offer at a Commonwealth Games.

The Australian squad attended the opening ceremony last week and then moved by choice to Sunshine Coast, where archrival and Olympic silver medalist New Zealand was also preparing.

Even before they went into camp, coach Tim Walsh held a surprise private team dinner for the players, their families and closest friends to let them know in no uncertain terms what to expect.

“Five of our players have never been at a multi-sport event so it’s about preparing all of athletes as best we can,” Walsh said. “We held a surprise dinner for the team ... and we thought it was important to give the families an insight and to involve them.

Ruby Tui has been sent home from the Commonwealth Games. Picture: Getty Images.
Ruby Tui has been sent home from the Commonwealth Games. Picture: Getty Images.

“Families and friends can be an important barrier against outside influences but they can also be a distraction, particularly at a home Games.” Walsh said as a group they sat in a room and discussed everything from social media through to sickness and love interests not being a distraction. “It was just a matter of discussing what being focused means for us - and how we can add another one percent to our mental state.” Australia opens its campaign on Friday against Wales. But it’s the following game against England that Walsh is most concerned about.

“They are building into a really good team ... for speed and balance,” Walsh said, tipping England as a genuine medal contender. “And they have players with excellent points of difference.

“They’ll surprise a few here and in regards to the Fijians, if everything sticks - they can make it happen.”

AP

3.16pm: Garfoot’s time is now

Katrin Garfoot has begun her tilt for gold in the women’s time trial.

The German-born Gold Coast local, who only began cycling competitively six years ago is the only Australian in the event but is a strong chance of taking a medal.

3.05pm: Cartwright’s positive start

Australian Kelly Cartwright has made a no-nonsense start in the women’s para powerlifting lightweight final. She lifts 58kg on her first attempt to move to fourth. Cartwright improved on that with her second lift, 62kgs no issue for the local favourite. Pretty incredible considering she weighs just 47kg.

2.40pm: Pain on the court

There wasn’t just pain for Barbados on the scoreboard in their loss to Northern Ireland.

With Northern Ireland running out 49-39 victors, there was an incident late in the fourth quarter which left the Barbadian goalkeeper reeling. Ouch.

Charlie Peel 2.20pm: Simbine’s 100m triumph ‘still sinking in’

Men's 100m gold medallist Akani Simbine. Picture: Getty Images.
Men's 100m gold medallist Akani Simbine. Picture: Getty Images.

The man who overpowered Yohan Blake in the 100 metres sprint surprised himself with the daylight between him and the second and third placed runners.

Akani Simbine, 24, said the victory was “still sinking in” after he beat fellow South African Henricho Bruintjies and Jamaican favourite Yohan Blake to claim the gold medal.

“I still couldn’t believe I won the gold medal and I’d won it in a way that … I thought it was going to be a tight race and I ended up having a bit of a gap on the guys,” Simbine said this morning.

The South African said his pre-race game plan was to beat Blake to the 60-metre mark and let his momentum carry him to victory at the back end of the race.

“I literally told myself I needed to get out in front of Yohan,” he said.

“If I can get out in front of Yohan and get to the 60 metre (mark) before him then I know I win.”

His fast start saw him clock 10.03, ahead of Bruintjies in 10.17 and Blake in 10.19.

Simbine said he was proud to represent the new wave of South African athletes who were proving that the nation could produce sprinters as well as middle distance runners.

“I’m just happy to be standing here representing South Africa and having a gold medal for them,” he said.

“South Africa is a sprinting nation, it is just a matter of us believing in ourselves and going to competitions and running the times we need to run and competing the way we believe we can compete.

“It’s really great for us and Africa as well.

“I’m looking forward to the future of world sprinting with a lot of Africans in it.”

Adrian McMurray 1.55pm: Dubler a medal chance

Cedric Dubler. Picture: Getty Images.
Cedric Dubler. Picture: Getty Images.

Cedric Dubler can’t clear 5.10m in the pole vault, but the Australian is on track for a medal in the decathlon.

Dubler finished on 5.00m and currently sits in third with two events remaining.

Canada’s Pierce LePage is the leader with a 140-point advantage over Dubler, while Lindon Victor is in second.

The decathlon medal race was thrown wide open earlier when favourite Damian Warner failed to take any points in the pole vault.

Charlie Peel 1.45pm: Games boss defends Lowther call

Commonwealth Games Federation boss David Grevemberg.
Commonwealth Games Federation boss David Grevemberg.

Commonwealth Games Federation boss David Grevemberg has defended the decision not to allow English cyclist Melissa Lowther to compete in the time trial after Team England overlooked the athlete’s registration.

Team England took responsibility for the administrative error, which was discovered late on Monday, and appealed to the CGF to allow Lowther to compete.

But Mr Grevemberg said the late entry request on Monday afternoon did not meet the body’s guidelines that were meant to protect the integrity of the competition.

“We have a very strict late entry policy and if we allow one athlete leniency on that it would apply to all,” he said.

“And also the IAF rules do apply in terms of those entries.

“It’s about setting that precedent.

“We’ve been consistent and we’ve also had in other sports late entry requests that we’ve obviously had to manage in a similar way.”

Mr Grevemberg said he was disappointed for Lowther, who will still have a chance to compete in the women’s road race on April 14.

“It is a very unfortunate situation and no athlete should be put in this position,” he said.

“It’s something that we need to reinforce to teams; their responsibility to their athletes.

“I know Team England is a very large team and sometimes these things do happen.”

Team England Chef de Mission Sarah Winckless said they would review the administrative error “to understand how the situation has arisen and how it can be prevented from happening again”.

Brent Read 1.38pm: Pain behind Solomon’s medal push

Steve Solomon during heat five in the men’s 400m. Picture: AAP.
Steve Solomon during heat five in the men’s 400m. Picture: AAP.

Steve Solomon’s American coach has provided an intriguing insight into the appetite for pain that has given the 400-metre runner a genuine shot at Commonwealth Games glory.

Mark Mueller, track and field coach at Duke University, has been working with Solomon since he transferred to the school midway through last year.

A former runner himself, Mueller woke in the early hours of the morning to watch Solomon impress in his heat. Solomon then backed up by finishing third in his semi-final to secure a berth in the final, to be run later tonight at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast.

“He is able to push himself to a level of exhaustion and fatigue that I have never seen,” Mueller said,

“After some of the workouts he will be laid out for 35 or 40 minutes and he can’t move. You have to get a water bucket out and dump it on him.

“He is able to put himself in pain that few people are able to do. The 400m is a brutal event. The training for it is extremely painful.

“He doesn’t shy away from it at all - he almost eagerly seeks it out. That’s something I haven’t seen to the extent I have seen with Steve.

“He is pretty tremendous in how much pain he is willing to put himself through.”

Solomon signaled he was a serious runner when he finished eighth in the final of the 2012 London Olympics as a 19-year-old. He tore his hamstring in the semi-final of the Commonwealth Games four years ago and missed the cut for the Rio Olympics in 2016 by the slimmest of margins.

Steve Solomon. Picture: AAP.
Steve Solomon. Picture: AAP.

The 24-year-old bounced back from that disappointment to secure a Commonwealth Games berth and he now has the opportunity to push for a medal.

“The big thing was learning his whole training history,” Mueller said.

“Our training is a little different but I have adopted it a lot for him. The one thing we have been working on especially more recently has been working on is building his speed a little bit.

“He has always been very good at finishing the race but we are working on building his speed and being able to get out a little bit more aggressively.

“He is tremendous at finishing. His endurance and speed endurance is tremendous. We are working on building that speed a little bit.“

As for Solomon’s chances in the final, Mueller said: “Finals are always interesting. Anything can happen. It doesn’t matter what your PB is, what you ran two years ago or what you ran last week.

“It matters what you do in the race. The big thing is motivation and the little things are what makes all the difference.

“Everybody who is going to be in that final is talented. He has seen that his body has been responding well. He definitely has talent and the work ethic.

“We just have to keep him healthy and keep building on this, and we will see. If he executes the race I think he is capable of running really well and hopefully earning a podium spot.”

Charlie Peel 1.30pm: Ahye’s presidential call

Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago celebrates winning gold in the Women's 100 metres final. Picture: Getty Images.
Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago celebrates winning gold in the Women's 100 metres final. Picture: Getty Images.

The Commonwealth’s fastest woman had another reason to celebrate today after her 100-metre sprint triumph on Monday night.

Opening ceremony flag bearer Michelle-Lee Ahye turned 25 today, just after winning Trinidad and Tobago’s first ever gold medal in the blue riband 100m event.

Ahye, who said her phone had been running hot since the win at Carrara Stadium, was late to a press conference this morning because she was waiting on a phone call from her country’s president.

“This is my first gold medal in an individual event, so it means a lot,” she said.

“It’s an amazing feeling.

“My phone is still blowing up from last night, everyone is going crazy, my mum is still screaming.”

A laid-back Ahye said she was proud to be a role model for younger athletes and would enjoy the win.

“I just plan to stay healthy and see what the next couple of years hold for me and I will just go with the flow for now,” she said.

Adrian McMurray 1.17pm: Men’s decathlon wide open

Canada's Damian Warner reacts after failing to record points in the decathlon pole vault. Pictur: AP.
Canada's Damian Warner reacts after failing to record points in the decathlon pole vault. Pictur: AP.

There decathlon has been turned on its head with favourite Damian Warner failing to take any points in the pole vault.

Canadian Warner was enjoying a 223-point lead through seven events, but failed to clear any of his three attempts.

Australian Cedric Dubler is well in the mix now after clearing his second jump at 4.70m.

Will Swanton 12.55pm: Nicolson’s amazing family tale

Australian boxer Skye Nicolson is through to the semi-finals of the women’s 57kg division at Commonwealth Games after a unanimous decision victory over Cameroon’s Christelle Aurore Ndiang.

Nicolson is the sister of Jamie Nicolson, the boxer who was killed in a car crashed aged 22 — before she was born. She’s now 22.

Jamie was a bronze medallist at the Commonwealth Games in 1990. Skye’s father, Alan, says she was conceived partly to heal the family’s shattered hearts after Jamie, and his 10-year-old brother Gavin, both died in the crash.

Australia’s Skye Nicolson lands a left hand on Christelle Aurore Ndiang of Cameroon in their women's 57kg boxing quarter-final. Photo: Getty Images
Australia’s Skye Nicolson lands a left hand on Christelle Aurore Ndiang of Cameroon in their women's 57kg boxing quarter-final. Photo: Getty Images

“My family’s been involved in boxing for many years,” she says. “Since well before I was born. My brother Jamie was an Olympian, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, a world bronze medallist. He was an amazing boxer, one of the best Australia’s ever produced.

“Unfortunately my brother passed away in a car accident before I was born. I never met Jamie. But from what I’ve heard, from a lot of people, not just my family, we have a lot of similarities. I was the first Australian female to win a world medal and he was Australia’s first male to do it.”

Nicolson says: “The first time I watched footage of Jamie box, I was about 18. I was like ok, I can see what everyone is talking about. We really do have similar styles. I really do box a lot like him. I was really kind of awestruck. I just couldn’t believe it. It’s pretty cool we have this sort of relationship even though I never met him. I couldn’t think of any better feeling than standing on that podium, listening to the national anthem and seeing my family and friends in the crowd.”

Brent Read 12.40pm: Frayne sets new Games record

Brisbane’s Henry Frayne has leapt his way into gold medal contention after producing a personal best in the heats of the long jump at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Frayne, seventh at the Rio Olympics two years ago, beat the Games record of teammate Fabrice Lapierre as he recorded an opening jump of 8.34m.

Henry Frayne leaps to a new Commonwealth long jump record. Photo: Getty Images
Henry Frayne leaps to a new Commonwealth long jump record. Photo: Getty Images

Frayne put the cue in the rack after that, secure in the knowledge that he had locked up a finals berth. Lapierre (7.76m) and Chris Mitrevski (7.82m) missed out on tomorrow night’s final.

“I am satisfied with that performance,” Frayne said.

“That is a good sign. I was a little worried coming inw ninth the body but I think the general nerves and adrenalin took obver. That wasn’t 100 percent jump for me. That was pretty cruisey. So hopefully can add a bit more tomorrow night.”

Frayne’s career has been littered with injuries, stymying his progress.

“They’re all a blur to be honest,” he said.

“They come and go. I don’t even count what other people would count as injuries — that is daily life for me. Anything under a grade two muscle tear is the norm for me. Just a few issues with the groin and calf over the last few weeks, hamstring as well.

“That’s since the start of the year. If I can jump 8.34m I am fine. There are no excuses. It’s been frustrating to still be defied by my 8.27m mark in 2012, which was probably about my third senior professional long jump comp ever.

“I have known things were improving. I just haven’t been able to time it right up until now.”

Will Swanton 12.30pm: GOLD! Meyer wins road time trial

Australia’s road cyclist Cameron Meyer has won the gold medal in the individual time trial. Starting in the second pack of riders on the 38km course around Currumbin on the gold Coast, Meyer has started fast, conquered the steep climb called The Beast and taken the gold in what is known as the race of truth. It’s been every rider versus the clock, as opposed to the pack that will compete together in the road race on Saturday.

Meyer’s time of 48min13.04sec has given him a commanding 30-second win. His teammate Callum Scotson has finished fourth after losing about 30 seconds because of a punctured tyre just 5km into his ride. England’s Harry Tanfield has taken silver. NZ’s Hamish Bond has finished with the bronze.

Wayne Smith 12.19pm: Larkin’s big decision proved correct

In retrospect, it was the correct decision for Mitch Larkin to drop the 400m individual medley, ceding it to training partner Clyde Lewis who went on to take gold for Australia, and simply concentrate on his own campaign to win an unprecedented backstroke treble.

His slice of history was achieved last night when he added the 200m title to the 50m and 100m backstroke gold he had won earlier in the meet but it was only natural that Larkin would feel very territorial about the 200m individual medley on the final day of swimming at the Commonwealth Games.

Australia’s Mitch Larkin. Photo: Getty Images
Australia’s Mitch Larkin. Photo: Getty Images

An interviewer asked him after his 200m win whether he would still be swimming the 200m IM race and Larkin looked surprised at the question. “Of course,” he replied, when perhaps other answers were racing through his mind.

He had won the 400m, passed up on an excellent chance of gold and watched as his training partner Lewis broke through for one of the most exciting victories of the Games. But there was a sense today in the heats that, whether or not he was tired after his 200m backstroke final last night, Larkin intended to make a statement.

So it was that Lewis led through by increasingly wider margins through every turn of the 200m individual medley — 0.44sec in front after the butterfly, 0.86sec after the backstroke, a whopping 1.10sec after the breaststroke — but when it came to the crunch on the final leg of the the race, Larkin, 24, asserted himself over 20-year-old Lewis.

Indeed, even his time made a statement. His personal best is 1:58.89 but he was only 0.13sec outside that as he powered over the top of Lewis to win in 1:59.02. His team-mate finished just 0.48secs behind him, as both of them qualified for the final, though the third Australian Travis Mahoney missed out after placing fifth in the opening heat in 2.02.30.

It was a bittersweet morning for Australia’s men’s 4x100m medley relay quartet of Brad Woodward, David Morgan, Matt Wilson and Jack Cartwright as they qualified the Dolphins in lane four for tonight’s final. Sadly, none of them will be swimming to enjoy what it shaping as a near-certain gold as all four swimmers will be replaced by Larkin, Grant Irvine, Jake Packard and Kyle Chalmers.

Daniel Sankey 12.11pm: Frayne smashes PB in long jump

Australia’s Henry Frayne took just one jump to advance tomorrow night’s men’s long jump final ... and what a jump it was.

Frayne set a new personal best and Commonwealth Games record of 8.34m — easily beating the 7.90m automatic qualification mark — and admitted he had surprised himself with the leap, placing all the credit on the atmosphere of the packed Carrara Stadium.

12.10pm: Aussies squash opposition

Dual Commonwealth Games gold-medallist David Palmer has gotten off to a strong start on the Gold Coast, cruising to a straight sets win over the Cayman Islands in the men’s doubles with Zac Alexander.

Women’s pair Donna Urquhart and Rachael Grinham made it two from two for the Australians today after also enjoying a comprehensive victory over the Cayman Islands.

Both Grinham and Palmer won gold in the mixed doubles and men’s doubles respectively at Glasgow.

Australia are out to put the disappointment of their singles campaigns behind them in the doubles.

Urquhart and Cameron Pilley fell agonisingly short of the medal rounds in the singles last week, but are expected to progress deep in the team events. Ryan Cuskelly is also set to suit up after a groin injury forced him to withdraw from the singles, and will re-unite with Pilley as the current world No.1 men’s doubles team.

Donna Urquhart of Australia during singles action last week. Photo: AAP
Donna Urquhart of Australia during singles action last week. Photo: AAP

— AAP

11.49am: Aussies fastest in 4x200m freestyle heats

Brent Read 11.48am: Deng proves a point in 800m

Teenager Joseph Deng has gone a long way towards justifying his controversial selection in the Australian team after qualifying for the final of Thursday night’s 800m final at the Commonwealth Games.

Joseph Deng kicks off his Commonwealth Games campaign in the men’s 800m. Photo: Getty Images
Joseph Deng kicks off his Commonwealth Games campaign in the men’s 800m. Photo: Getty Images

Deng was handed the third place on the team in the 800m after selectors opted to overlook three-time Olympian Jeff Riseley, even though the latter finished third at the national trials.

Deng, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, won the B final at the selection trials in a time that would have won a bronze medal at the Glasgow Games four years ago.

As a result selectors plumped for the 19-year-old over the more experienced Riseley.

Deng still had an anxious wait to find out whether he would retain his spot after Riseley launched an appeal against the Australian Athletics selection process.

Riseley’s appeal ultimately failed and Deng (1:45.72) responded this morning with run which ensured he would join compatriot Luke Mathews (1:46.03) in the final.

“I was happy with that,” Deng said. “It was good. I knew I had a chance.”

Asked what he could do in the final, Deng said: “I don’t know. We will have to see. Hopefully it is fast. I like fast races. I don’t mind the heat. I am a Queensland boy so I like it.

“I imagined it would be like this. The crowd was awesome. I had a heap of my schoolmates here.”

Deng said he hadn’t given any thought to the controversy behind his selection.

“No, not at all,” he replied. “I have made the final. That’s all you can ask for. Two Aussies in the final, that is good.”

Mathews sat on the heels of Botswana’s Nigel Amos as he grabbed one of the two automatic spots in his heat, crossing the line and striking a lightning bolt pose in celebration.

“I study my field a lot and I pretty much watched every race he has done since 2012 in the last couple of days,” Mathews said.

“I said to myself, you’re going to get Amos. I knew it was going to be pretty quick. I thought mine and his last 200s out of anyone in the field was the best.

“I sat on him. Down the straight I saw I was about five metres clear so I just enjoyed the last 50 metres, finished in lanes three or four and lapped it up with the crowd.”

Mathews is targeting a medal.

“I think everyone in the field is beatable,” Mathews said. “I think I am in the shape of my life right now. I am prepared to do whatever I can. I am just excited for the final whereas in the past I have been shitting myself.”

Daniel Sankey 11.50am: Larkin, Lewis fastest in 200m IM

Australia’s backstroke treble gold medallist Mitch Larkin has the chance to add a fourth gold medal — and possibly a fifth — to his Commonwealth Games trophy cabinet after qualifying fastest for tonight’s men’s 200m individual medley final.

Larkin secured lane four in tonight’s final with a 1:59.02 heat swim, beating fellow Aussie and 400m IM gold medallist Clyde Lewis (1:59.50) by almost half a second.

They were the only two swimmers to break the two-minute mark in the heats.

Larkin can secure his position as Australia’s swimmer of the meet with gold in the 200m IM tonight, before swimming the 100m backstroke leg of the men’s 4x100m medley relay, for which Australia is a hot gold medal favourite.

Australia’s Mitch Larkin powers through the breaststroke leg of his 200m IM heat today. Photo: Getty Images
Australia’s Mitch Larkin powers through the breaststroke leg of his 200m IM heat today. Photo: Getty Images

Wayne Smith 11.40am: Titmus backs up in 400m

It takes a refined kind of sadism to be a swimming programmer and schedule the heats of the women’s 400m freestyle on the morning directly after the 800m freestyle the night before but, as she does, Ariarne Titmus took it all in her stride at the Commonwealth Games today.

The 17-year-old scored the first international triumph of what is shaping as one of the most fabled swimming careers by winning the 800m easily on Monday night, although intriguingly Ian Thorpe, who knows about such things, rated her silver in the 200m freestyle as a superior performance to her golden efforts in the 800m.

Whatever, both efforts were outstanding but after laying waste to the 800m in 8min.20.02sec, seven and a half second ahead of the rest of the field, it was a weary Titmus who turned up at the Optus Aquatic Centre this morning.

“I knew this would be the toughest back-up of the week and I had, to be honest, a pretty average sleep last night,” said the transported Tasmanian-turned-Queenslander. “But I came out here and got through and did it was easily as possible and hopefully I can freshen up for the final tonight.”

She pretty much ignores the media she is generating and even turned off her phone to stop her family from ringing her last night because she didn’t want to get herself too over-emotional. “I just have to hold it together for one more day and then I can relax.”

She and her coach Dean Boxall agreed with Thorpe’s assessment of her meet so far. “Dean probably wanted me to go a bit faster,” she said of the 800m. “The 200 was an unbelievable swim, the 800 was a good swim but we’re going to try our best to make tonight’s swim unbelievable as well.”

She has, for a teenager, a very old and wise head on her shoulders but there is something about Titmus simply won’t accept anything less than her best. She took note of the 4min.11.65sec qualifying time set by Holly Hibbott of England in the first seeded heat and set that as her benchmark. So, “easily as possible” also included beating that time and being in lane four in the final.

Australia’s Ariarne Titmus after winning her women’s 400m freestyle heat. Photo: Getty Images)
Australia’s Ariarne Titmus after winning her women’s 400m freestyle heat. Photo: Getty Images)

In the end, she did that in style, leading all the way while conducting a systems check for tonight, though pushed throughout by team-mate Mikkayla Sheridan and Eleanor Faulker on England. Satisfied that everything was in full working order, she pushed on to the wall in 4:10.22, with Faulker (4:11.19) and countrywomen Sheridan (4:11.69) and 800m silver medallist Jessica Ashwood (4:13.12) the next fastest home.

Sheridan, 23, has had a long time to wait for her first official swim for Australia, although she did have an unsuccessful swim-off for a place in Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay team.

“I was really shattered with the result of that trial,” the former South Australian admitted. “I was happy with the time I went but the girls went quicker, which is part of what happens. But I just wanted to use all the emotion I had and come out and put in a good performance this morning.”

Ashwood, at 24, was the senior swimmer of the Australians and for once she was feeling it after her 800m exertions of the night before. “I felt like what I guess it would feel like to be hung over — not that I would know — but once I was in the water I was fine,” she said.

Nicole Jeffery 11.36am: Another 1-2-3 in the offing

The Australian team is lining up another medal sweep in the pool tonight after dominating this morning’s S9 100m backstroke heat.

After winning a silver medal in the SB8 100m breaststroke, 17-year-old Sydneysider Tim Hodge, a foot amputee, is eyeing off the gold medal in the backstroke, qualifying fastest in 1min5.03sec, just ahead of teammate Logan Powell (1:05.28).

Australian para swimming captain Brenden Hall completed an impressive showing in the preliminary round (1:06.10).

In the women’s S8 50m freestyle heat, 100m freestyle gold medallist Lakeisha Patterson stamped herself as the favourite for a second gold medal.

Patterson swam up a category to win the S9 100m freestyle, defeating Paralympic champion Ellie Cole, and won comfortably this morning when she returned to her own category (31.41sec).

Canada’s Morgan Bird (32.27sec) and Abigail Tripp (32.54sec) are her closest challengers.

Australia’s second entrant in this event, Tiffany Thomas Kane, is swimming up from her usual S7 category, and set the fourth fastest time this morning (35.21sec).

11.31am: Aussies fire through scoring malfunctions

Australian pair Elena Galiabovitch and Lalita Yauhleuskaya have held their nerve after a series of scoring malfunctions marred the women’s 25m pistol qualification at the Commonwealth Games.

Several of the electronic targets at the Belmont Shooting Complex encountered issues recording shots during the event, with competitors left to wait nervously as officials scurried to find a solution.

Although Galiabovitch and Yauhleuskaya were not directly affected, the hold-up put the usually razor-sharp concentration levels of all shooters to the test. The two Australians came through the drama to qualify fifth and sixth respectfully and will shoot later on Tuesday for a medal.

Galiabovitch took bronze in the 10m air pistol on Sunday, while veteran Yauhleuskaya is looking to add to her collection of 10 Commonwealth medals, including six golds.

Lalita Yauhleuskaya is through to the women’s 25m pistol final. Photo: AAP
Lalita Yauhleuskaya is through to the women’s 25m pistol final. Photo: AAP

— AAP

11.30am: England’s Daley out of diving

A hip injury has forced World champion diver Tom Daley to withdraw from the defence of his Commonwealth Games 10 metres platform title.

English diver Tom Daley. Photo: Getty Images
English diver Tom Daley. Photo: Getty Images

The 23-year-old still intends to compete in the men’s 10m synchronised event with Dan Goodfellow, alongside whom he won Olympic bronze at Rio 2016. Daley had concussion in the last month and pneumonia earlier this year.

“Despite resting over the weekend, ongoing medical issues alongside a further injury in the pool last week has resulted in Tom and his training team agreeing that he should not compete in the individual platform diving event,” Daley’s representatives said in a statement.

“The technical dives in the individual event put enormous physical strain on Tom’s body.

“Due to prior illness and with his hips being the determining factor, some of the dives Tom was due to demonstrate in the individual event would be too dangerous and impactful on his body.”

Daley said he was “truly devastated” not to be competing in the individual event.

“I have been training so hard for the Commonwealth Games, so this is a real disappointment for me,” he said.

— PA

Nicole Jeffery 11.01am: Bronte beats Cate to relay spot?

It appears that Bronte Campbell has also beaten her sister Cate to the coveted freestyle leg in tonight’s medley relay.

The winner of the 100m freestyle usually gets the honour of anchoring the medley relay, but Bronte cast doubt on that last night. After beating Cate to the gold medal in the 100m freestyle, she said that it would be a tough choice for the coaches because of Cate’s stunning world best 100m split (51.00sec) in the 4x100m freestyle relay to clinch a world record on the opening night.

However Cate took to Instagram this morning to thank the public for their support over the last five days, suggesting that she will not be swimming tonight.

There are no heats for the medley relay, so only those who swim tonight’s finals will receive medals.

The Australian women are the favourites for the gold medal tonight.

Will Swanton 11am: Puncture for Scotson

Australia’s medal contender Callum Scotson has suffered a punctured tyre and New Zealand’s Hamish Bond has protested about being slowed down by an official on a motorbike in the road time trial.

Gold medal contender Scotson has lost about 30 seconds from getting a puncture to his rear tyre and having to wait for a spare. He’s recovered strongly to be back in the hunt for gold but he still has the steep 800m climb known as the The Beast to come at the 24 kilometre mark.

Bond — the two-time Olympic rowing champion for New Zealand — has thrown his hands in the air when an official on a motorbike was driving directly in front of him. Scotson is in the first pack of riders to hit the road. Australia’s Cameron Meyer will be in the second.

Daniel Sankey 10.55am: Two Aussies into 800m final

Kenyan-born Australian Joseph Deng has joined teammate Luke Mathews in Thursday night’s final of the men’s 800m, earning the first non-automatic qualifying berth after a brave third in his heat.

Deng, just 19 years of age, was on the heels of Kenya’s Wycliffe Kinyamal throughout the heat before just being overhauled by England’s Kyle Langford in the final metres. Kinyamal won in the second-fastest heat time of the morning, 1:45.56 from Langford (1:45.61) and Deng, whose 1:45.72 was just one one-hundredth of a second outside his personal best.

Joeseph Deng of Australia (right) finishes third in his 800m heat, earning a spot in the final. Photo: AAP
Joeseph Deng of Australia (right) finishes third in his 800m heat, earning a spot in the final. Photo: AAP

“I was pretty happy with that, only 0.01 off my PB so couldn’t have asked for a better race,” Deng said.

The youngster was only selected for the Commonwealth Games after Athletics Australia used discretionary powers to name him in the team. They’ll be delighted that Deng has backed up their belief in him by qualifying for the final.

It was a much simpler progression for Mathews, who earned an automatic qualifying spot with his 1:46.53 second placing behind Botswana’s Nijel Amos in heat two.

Australia’s third entrant, Joshua Ralph, was eliminated after he finished third in heat three in 1:47.76.

Daniel Sankey 10.53am: Titmus leads 400m qualifiers

Australia’s distance swimming queen Ariarne Titmus has led an Australian trifecta through to the final of the women’s 400m freestyle with a professional heat win this morning.

Titmus (4:10.22) led throughout in the third of three heats to win in 4:10.22 from England’s Eleanor Faulkner (4:11.19) and a pair of Aussies in Mikkayla Sheridan (4:11.69) and Jessica Ashwood (4:13.12).

Titmus looked like she left plenty in the tank for tonight’s final — her time to win the heat to was almost eight seconds outside her personal best.

10.38am: Daly to shoot for gold

Australian shooter James Daly will contend for Commonwealth Games gold after blitzing his way into the finals of his event this morning.

Daly posted 620.5, the highest score in qualifying for the men’s 50m rifle prone at the Belmont Shooting Complex in Brisbane to ensure his place in the final eight.

The 29-year-old from Bendigo is a two-time Australian champion in the discipline and came seventh in last year’s ISSF World Cup in Germany after using an internet crowdfunding platform to fund his trip.

Kiwi Ryan Taylor was only 1.1 points behind in second while India’s eight-time Commonwealth gold medallist Gagan Narang made it through in third. Australia’s gold medallist from Sunday in the 10m air rifle, Dane Sampson, came 12th.

— AAP

10am: England fails to enter rider

English road cyclist Melissa Lowther says she is gutted and lost for words after the team failed to lodge her entry in time to race in today’s Commonwealth Games time trial.

Rated a chance of a medal, Lowther will be forced to watch on at Currumbin, with England losing their appeal after making the costly administrative error.

“While Team England have apologised, I’m still gutted not to have the opportunity to represent my country after all the hard miles I’ve put in,” Lowther, who will still compete in Saturday’s road race, said.

“I can’t put into words how disappointed I am to have been missed off the start list due to an admin error.”

England’s Chef de Mission Sarah Winckless said there would be a review to determine how such a glaring error had been made.

“I have spoken to Melissa to offer my sincere apologies to her, her coaches and to British Cycling,” the former British rower said.

“Melissa has trained hard for and focused on this race and it should never be the case that an error on our part prevents an athlete showing what she can do.”

Winckless said the appeal to the Commonwealth Games Federation was turned away due to the short notice given.

— AAP

Will Swanton 9.10am: Cycling hits the road

The cycling is hitting the road and moving to the Gold Coast. After four rollicking nights at the velodrome, the men’s and women’s individual road time trials are on today. Australia’s a chance to win both. The men start their 38km course at 10am.

Cameron Meyer is hoping for a little revenge after the plot against him in the points race on the track. His English, Scottish and Welsh rivals conspired to block him out of the event in which he’s a six-time world champion, briefly uniting to do cycling’s version of park the bus and consign him to fourth. The time trial today will give him a clean run.

“They’d probably rather see their fellow GB members win than an Australian,” Meyer said of the track ambush. “I knew it was going to go something like that ... in a world champs it’s one-on-one but I didn’t quite have the legs to break all the other teams and beat them (myself). You could see them all afterwards saying ‘well done’.

“They knew they had to shut me down, they don’t like employing that strong of a tactic against one rider but they know if they give me an inch I’ll take a mile.”

The women’s time trial starts at 2.45pm. Australia’s Kat Garfoot is the raging favourite.

Australia's Cameron Meyer leads the pack during the men's 15km scratch race. Photo: AP
Australia's Cameron Meyer leads the pack during the men's 15km scratch race. Photo: AP

9.05am: Hubbard’s disappointing exit

The Australian’s Will Swanton was at the Carrara Sports Arena yesterday to watch transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard compete in the women’s +90kg final.

After weeks of controversy over her participation, Hubbard’s Games ended prematurely as she was forced to withdraw with an elbow injury.

Swanton writes today:

“She’s known a whole lot of people have wanted her to fail. She’s seemed both fragile and bold in the same breaths. Rather than joining the outpouring of hate being directed at her on social media — karma’s a bitch, Gavin! — the sight of Hubbard slumped in her seat in abject disappointment has been a powerful one.”

Read the full story here.

Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand reacts as she drops the bar in the women's +90kg final. Photo: Getty Images
Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand reacts as she drops the bar in the women's +90kg final. Photo: Getty Images

8.40am: Irish boxer banned from nightclubs

A member of Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth Games team has been fined $756 and banned from Gold Coast nightclubs after clashing with bouncers.

Queensland Police confirmed they were called to a club about 2.45am (AEST) today, arresting a 25-year-old man and issuing an infringement notice for public nuisance and violence.

He was also issued with a banning notice for the Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach Safe Night precincts, police said.

— AAP

8am: Squash stars chase redemption

With the disappointment of their singles campaigns behind them, Australia’s squash players will be out for redemption when the Commonwealth Games doubles begin today.

Australian No.1s Donna Urquhart and Cameron Pilley fell agonisingly short of the medal rounds in the singles last week, but are expected to progress deep in the team events.

Cameron Pilley in action in singles last week. Photo: Getty Images
Cameron Pilley in action in singles last week. Photo: Getty Images

Ryan Cuskelly is also set to suit up after a groin injury forced him to withdraw from the singles, and will re-unite with Pilley as the current world No.1 doubles team.

“We’re the current world champs and we had success eight years ago getting a bronze medal,” Pilley said of his partnership with Cuskelly.

Pilley, who claimed gold at Glasgow in 2014 with David Palmer, said Cuskelly was bitterly disappointed to pull out of the singles but was keen to make amends.

“He’s beaten all the guys in that draw,” Pilley said.

“So for him, from such a big disappointment, we’re going to come out really keen and strong in the doubles and try and do it for him in a way. It’s almost like a bit of redemption.”

Zac Alexander and David Palmer, who made it two golds in Glasgow in the mixed doubles, will also team up for the men’s doubles.

Urquhart partners with veteran Rachael Grinham in the women’s doubles, while youngsters Sarah Cardwell and Christine Nunn will also compete.

— AAP

Daniel Sankey 7am: ‘Best moment of Games so far’

This is the best moment of the Commonwealth Games so far.

More than five minutes after Uganda’s Stella Chesang crossed the line to win the women’s 10,000m, Australia’s Celia Sullohern, Madeline Hills and Eloise Wellings produced a gold medal-worthy act of sportsmanship that deserves to be remembered.

When Lesotho’s Lineo Chaka finished in 19th of the 19 competitors in 36 minutes 55.77 seconds, the entire field had already left the track ... save for the three Aussie competitors.

Sullohern, Hills and Wellings watched Chaka run her final three laps of the race, waiting just past the finish line before congratulating and embracing the 30-year-old, who was competing in her first major championships.

It was all class, and it perfectly encapsulated what these “Friendly Games” are all about.

Lineo Chaka of Lesotho is applauded by Australian competitors Eloise Wellings, Celia Sullohern and Madeline Hills at the finish of the women’s 10,000m last night. Photo: Getty Images
Lineo Chaka of Lesotho is applauded by Australian competitors Eloise Wellings, Celia Sullohern and Madeline Hills at the finish of the women’s 10,000m last night. Photo: Getty Images

One could have forgiven the Aussies — particularly Sullohern — for enjoying the moment instead of thinking about their fellow competitor. Sullohern had just produced the race of her life, slashing more than 30 seconds off her personal best as she finished a brave sixth in 31:50.75. With just four laps to go, Sullohern — urged on by a raucous home crowd — had powered into third place and looked set to challenge for a medal before her more experienced African rivals asserted their authority over the closing stages.

Lineo Chaka of Lesotho (right) is greeted by Eloise Wellings of Australia after the women’s 10,000m. Photo: Getty Images
Lineo Chaka of Lesotho (right) is greeted by Eloise Wellings of Australia after the women’s 10,000m. Photo: Getty Images

Even still, Sullohern battled on and was just five seconds off the gold medal winner.

“Absolutely thrilling to be out there racing in front of the Aussie crowd, I really feel like it lifted me,” Sullohern said.

“I wanted to do it in the last lap, I didn’t quite have it but it’s so exciting. “I’m really excited to come and have another dig in the 5000m on Saturday.”

6.30am: Which Campbell gets medley relay spot?

It was the perfect sign off for Bronte Campbell — or so she thought.

Bronte was convinced she was racing for the last time before taking a 2018 break when she upset her sister Cate and claimed a shock 100m freestyle gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games last night.

She even admitted the thought of some time off had inspired her win in a scorching 52.27 seconds — a career personal best for the former world champion. Yet her work may not be done with Australia’s medley relay team still to be decided.

Silver medallist Cate Campbell (left) hugs her gold medal-winning sister Bronte after the medal presentation for the women’s 100m freestyle. Photo: Getty Images
Silver medallist Cate Campbell (left) hugs her gold medal-winning sister Bronte after the medal presentation for the women’s 100m freestyle. Photo: Getty Images

Cate appeared a lock for the freestyle leg of the medley final in tonight’s final night of the swimming after her triumphant return from her own 2017 sabbatical with three gold.

But the jury is now out.

“I was 100 per cent going out there thinking this was my last race for the meet and the year,” Bronte said.

“I was saying ‘this is my last warm-up, this is my last suit’ before the race. But I might have to do the relay now. We will see how we go.”

Cate may yet jag the freestyle leg after her remarkable 51 second flat effort that anchored Australia’s world record breaking 4x100m freestyle gold medal win on the Gold Coast.

“Cate did an amazing split in the relay so if she did the relay I would be stoked,” Bronte said.

Cate said the national selectors’ final call may come down to a round of “paper, scissors, rock”.

“If I don’t have to swim I get the night off and will cheer in the stands,” Cate said.

“If I do swim I get to swim for my country so they are both wins in my book.”

Despite clocking her fastest time since her breakthrough 50m-100m golds at the 2015 world titles, Bronte was still convinced she would take a three month post-Games break for “intense rehab”.

She is battling chronic right hip and left shoulder pain but also has back and neck issues.

The Australian men’s medley relay team will also be in action tonight. Cam McEvoy, James Magnussen and James Roberts (50m freestyle), Emily Seebohm (50m backstroke), Ariarne Timus (400m freestyle) and Mack Horton (1500m freestyle) will also feature, in addition to the men’s 200m individual medley and two Para finals.

— AAP

6.15am: Meyer looks to regain crown

It took a combined effort to knock the points race king off his throne at the track but the British won’t be able to conspire against Cameron Meyer in today’s Commonwealth Games road time trial.

The West Australian five-time world points race world champion is the Pep Guardiola of cycling’s most strategic event.

But on Sunday his English, Scottish and Welsh rivals briefly united to do cycling’s version of park the bus and consign him to fourth. A wry-smiling Meyer admitted he had fallen victim to a British ambush but that today’s individual road time trial on the Gold Coast would offer him a clean run at gold.

“They’d probably rather see their fellow GB members win than an Australian,” Meyer said.

“I knew it was going to go something like that ... in a world champs it’s one-on-one but I didn’t quite have the legs to break all the other teams and beat them (myself).

Cameron Meyer switches from the track to the road today. Photo: Getty Images
Cameron Meyer switches from the track to the road today. Photo: Getty Images

“You could see them all afterwards saying ‘well done’. They knew they had to shut me down, they don’t like employing that strong of a tactic against one rider but they know if they give me an inch I’ll take a mile.”

He’ll have approximately 24 miles or exactly 40km of open road to himself today in an event he admits will be a bit of an unknown.

But with fellow road team members Mat Hayman and Alex Edmondson flying in from a gruelling Paris-Roubaix on Sunday night (AEST), Meyer and Callum Scotson are the men best placed to add to the cycling team’s 10 track golds.

“I’m here and I’ve got good form so I put my hand up but it’s been a while so I’ll go out and have a crack then get ready for the road race (on Saturday),” he said.

“It’ll be good to pull the Aussie collar on again. If I can have a good day, over a 40km distance I could surprise myself.”

Katrin Garfoot is the only Australian in the women’s time trial later today but will also be a medal chance.

— AAP

6am: Day 6 — Aussies in action

ATHLETICS
• 10.12am: Kyle Cranston, Cedric Dubler — men’s decathlon 110m hurdles heat 2
• 10.30am: Joseph Deng — men’s 800m round 1 heat 1
• 10.38am: Luke Mathews — men’s 800m round 1 heat 2
• 10.46am: Joshua Ralph — men’s 800m round 1 heat 3
• 10.50am: Cedric Dubler, Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon discus group A
• 11.30am: Fabrice Lapierre — men’s long jump qualifying round group A
• 11.30am: Chris Mitrevski, Henry Frayne — men’s long jump qualifying round group B
• 11.31am: Ian Dewhurst — men’s 400m hurdles round 1 heat 3
• 11.58am: Lauren Wells — women’s 400m hurdles round 1 heat 2
• 12.27pm: Maddie Coates — women’s 200m round 1 heat 2
• 12.34pm: Riley Day — women’s 200m round 1 heat 3
• 12.45pm: Cedric Dubler — men’s decathlon pole vault group A
• 12.45pm: Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon pole vault group B
• 12.48pm: Larissa Pasternatsky — women’s 200m round 1 heat 5
• 1.33pm: Alex Hartmann — men’s 200m round 1 heat 5
• 7.20pm: Cedric Dubler, Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon javelin group A
• 7.45pm: Nicholas Hough — men’s 110 hurdles final
• 8.05pm: Angela Ballard, Eliza Ault-Connell, Madison de Rozario — women’s T54 1500m final
• 8.27pm: Kurt Fearnley, Jake Lappin, Sam Rizzo — men’s T54 1500m final
• 8.40pm: Lara Nielsen, Danielle McConnell, Alexandra Hulley — women’s hammer throw final
• 8.45pm: Cedric Dubler, Kyle Cranston — men’s decathlon 1500m heat 1 (and final event before medals)
• 9.24pm: Morgan Mitchell — women’s 400m semi-final 2
• 9.32pm: Anneliese Rubie — women’s 400m semi-final 3
• 9.48pm: Steven Solomon — men’s 400m final
• 10.04pm: Georgia Griffith, Linden Hall — women’s 1500m final

BADMINTON
• 9am: Anthony Joe: men’s singles round of 64
• 10.10am: Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen — women’s singles round of 64
• 6.50pm: Australia (Sawan Serasinghe, Matthew Chau) vs Pakistan — men’s doubles round of 32
• 7.25pm: Australia (Robin Middleton, Ross Smith) vs England — men’s doubles round of 32

BEACH VOLLEYBALL
• 4pm: Australia (Mariafe Artacho del Solar, Taliqua Clancy) v TBD — women’s quarter-final 1
• 7.30pm: Australia (Christopher McHugh, Damien Schumann) v Sierra Leone — men’s quarter-final 1

BOXING
• 12.32pm: Skye Nicolson — women’s 57kg quarter-final 3
• 2.47pm: Liam Wilson — men’s 64kg quarter-final 4
• 3.17pm: Jason Whateley — men’s 91kg quarter-final 2
• 8.02pm: Terry Nickolas — men’s 69kg quarter-final 3
• 9.02pm: Toese Vou Siutu — men’s +91kg quarter-final 3

CYCLING — TIME TRIAL
• 10am: Callum Scotson, Cameron Meyer — men’s individual time trial final
• 2.45pm: Katrin Garfoot — women’s individual time trial final

HOCKEY
• 4.30pm: Australia vs Canada — men’s preliminary pool A
• 9.30pm: Australia vs Scotland — women’s preliminary pool B

LAWN BOWLS
• 9am: Aaron Wilson vs Phillip Jones (Norfolk Island) — men’s singles section D, round 3, match 1
• 9am: Australia (Karen Murphy, Kelsey Cottrell) vs Niue — women’s pairs section D, round 2, match 2
• 12pm: Aaron Wilson vs Petrus Breitenbach (South Africa) — men’s singles section D, round 4, match 1
• 12pm: Australia (Karen Murphy, Kelsey Cottrell) v Malta — women’s pairs section D, round 3, match 2
• 4pm: Australia (Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch) vs India — women’s triples section A, round 3, match 1
• 4.01pm: Australia (Jake Fehlberg, Lynne Seymour, Bob Seymour, Grant Fehlberg) vs Scotland — mixed B2/B3 pairs semi-final B
• 7pm: Aaron Wilson vs Daniel Salmon (Wales) — men’s singles section D, round 5, match 1
• 7pm: Australia (Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch) vs Canada — women’s triples section A, round 4, match 1

PARA POWERLIFTING
• 10.30am: Nang Nguyen — men’s lightweight final
• 2.30pm: Kelly Cartwright — women’s lightweight final
• 4pm: Cristine Ashcroft — women’s heavyweight final
• 7.30pm: Ben Wright, Leigh Skinner — men’s heavyweight final

SHOOTING
• 9am: Dane Sampson, James Daly — men’s 50m rifle prone qualification (final at 1pm)
• 9am: Elena Galiabovitch, Lalita Yauhleuskaya — women’s 25m pistol qualification precision (qualification rapid at 10.30am, finals at 3.30pm)
• 10am: Australia (Ben Emms, Jim Bailey) — open Queen’s Prize pairs finals day 2 of 2

SQUASH
• 11am: Australia (Zac Alexander, David Palmer) vs Cayman Islands — men’s doubles pool E
• 11am: Australia (Rachael Grinham, Donna Urquhart) vs Cayman Islands — women’s doubles pool D
• 1.15pm: Australia (Donna Urquhart, Cameron Pilley) vs Guyana — mixed doubles pool D
• 6pm: Australia (Cameron Pilley, Ryan Cuskelly) vs Fiji — men’s doubles pool A
• 6.45pm: Australia (Ryan Cuskelly, Rachael Grinham) vs Malaysia — mixed doubles pool F
• 8.15pm: Australia (Rachael Grinham, Donna Urquhart) vs Canada — women’s doubles pool D

SWIMMING
• 10.37am: Jessica Ashwood, Mikkayla Sheridan — women’s 400m freestyle heat 2 (final at 7.37pm)
• 10.43am: Ariarne Titmus — women’s 400m freestyle heat 3 (final at 7.37pm)
• 10.55am: Timothy Hodge, Logan Powell, Brenden Hall — men’s S9 100m backstroke heat (final at 8.47pm)
• 11.05am: Lakeisha Patterson, Tiffany Thomas Kane — women’s S8 50m freestyle heat (final at 8.32pm)
• 11.13am: Travis Mahoney — men’s 200m individual medley heat 1 (final at 8.15pm)
• 11.21am: Clyde Lewis, Mitch Larkin — men’s 200m individual medley heat 3 (final at 8.15pm)
• 11.37am: Australia — men’s 4x100m medley relay heat (final at 9.52pm)
• 7.45pm: James Roberts, James Magnussen, Cameron McEvoy — men’s 50m freestyle final
• 7.50pm: Holly Barratt, Emily Seebohm — women’s 50m backstroke final
• 9.03pm: Jack McLoughlin, Mack Horton — men’s 1500m freestyle final
• 9.43pm: Australia — women’s 4x100m medley relay final

TABLE TENNIS
• 1.30pm: Andrea McDonnell vs Faith Obazuaye (Nigeria) — women’s TT6-10 singles group 2 game 1
• 4.30pm: Barak Mizrachi vs Ross Wilson (England) — men’s TT6-10 singles group 2 game 1
• 4.30pm: Melissa Tapper vs Maitreyee Sarkar (India) — women’s TT6-10 singles group 1 game 1

— AAP

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/2018-commonwealth-games/commonwealth-games-2018-day-6-live-coverage-bronte-campbell-cate-campbell-vie-for-4x100m-medley-relay-spot/news-story/ffd01ae04f1d244e4258a022022f5e8c