Commonwealth Games 2018: Mitchell who, as younger Starc leaps to gold

Brandon Starc now casts a rather large shadow of his own, one that will linger over every Australian high jumper for years.

Australian high jumper Brandon Starc clears the bar on his way to the gold medal at Carrara Stadium last night. Picture: AFP

Brandon Starc has had to endure a lifetime of shadows. If not that of his cricketing big brother ­Mitchell, then the Game of Thrones character with the eerily similar name.

After last night’s events at Carrara Stadium, Brandon Starc now casts a rather large shadow of his own, one that will linger over every Australian high jumper for years to come.

The 24-year-old leapt a personal best to win the high jump on a golden night for the Australian track and field team at the Commonwealth Games.

Having reached new heights in his quest for victory, Starc celebrated by falling to the ground with his arms in the air.

After Kathryn Mitchell scored an emotional victory in the javelin, throwing a Games and Australian record, Starc mirrored her performance with the biggest moment of his career as he jumped 2.32m to snatch the gold medal.

He had to endure a nervous wait as the Bahamas’ Jamal Wilson took one last shot at 2.34m. After Wilson clipped the bar and it fell to the mat, Starc was overcome with emotion.

His brother Mitchell took to social medal to laud the moment. “Get in there boy! Gold medal at the Com games! Bloody awesome @bstarc super proud young fella,” he wrote.

Brandon was inevitably asked about emerging from his brother’s shadow.

“It’s a big shadow to come out of,” Starc said. “I’m not putting anything on Mitchell. What he has done is incredible. To kind of put my name out there now, it’s a good feeling.”

Starc arrived on the Gold Coast in cherry-ripe form. Most importantly, he was healthy. The talent has always been there but his career has been spiked with injuries at inopportune times.

He underwent ankle surgery 12 months ago and then missed last year’s world championship with a shin injury. Last night he was injury- and care-free.

While Starc and Mitchell celebrated gold, long jumper Henry Frayne went within 8cm of matching them, only to be toppled by South African Olympic silver medallist Luvo Manyonga.