One of the most dramatic finishes to a race in Commonwealth Games history has had another post-race twist to shatter English hearts and strip their 4x400m women’s relay team of a gold medal.
Watch all the drama in the video above
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England thought they had hung on for a heart-stopping gold medal victory by 0.01 seconds over Canada when Jessie Knight just barely held off the fast-finishing Kyra Constantine in the very last athletics race for the Games.
The host nation had a massive lead heading into the last leg, but Constantine surged her way up to Knight, who looked gone.
But Knight had more fight left in her yet, creating one of the all-time great finishes to a race in Games history.
She mustered up everything she had to sprint to the line alongside Constantine in a finish that was far too close to call.
After waiting with bated breath, the stadium erupted when replays showed Knight had held on by the barst of margins to claim gold.
Then came the twist.
Constantine and Knight finished 0.01 seconds apart. Credit: 7Sport
After a protest, officials reviewed England’s changeover at the end of the first leg, when Jodie Williams received the baton from Victoria Ohuruogu.
During an awkward handover, Williams had inadvertently drifted over into the lane on her inside, lane two, as she was about to receive the baton and take off.
So disoriented were the two English runners that even Ohuruogu was standing in lane two as she watched her teammate run off.
The review found that the England team clearly infringed and, in such a close race, could have had a slightly unfair advantage that meant they hung on for gold, so they were stripped of their gold medal.
This was the moment England were disqualified for. Credit: 7Sport
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The England team completed a victory lap before having the bad news broken to them.
Athletics commentator Rob Walker said it was a clear-cut decision.
“It’s as clear as day; you cannot step on the inside,” he said.
“Possibly, because the gold, in the end, was determined by such an incredibly slender margin – maybe if they’d won it by 50 meters there wouldn’t have been a protest. But that was clear and away, and England’s glory turns to heartache.
“It was an incredible, incredible end to the race, but it is Canada’s gold in the end – and by a little more than a hundredth of a second.”
Desperate to hang on to their gold, England protested the decision, but were denied.
(From left): Ama Pipi, Victoria Ohuruogu, Jessie Knight and Jodie Williams celebrate what they thought was a gold medal-winning performance before the bad news was broken to them. Credit: David Ramos/Getty Images
Athletics commentator Tim Hutchings said they had no grounds on which to protest.
“Jodie took a couple of steps inside the lane which was Canada’s lane, ironically, lane two,” he said.
“And then, once she’d set off and righted herself in the correct lane, Victoria Ohuruogu was standing in the wrong lane – that’s how disoriented they were.
“She was standing in the lane inside England’s lane as she watched Jodie Williams head off on her second leg. That compounded the infringement.”
“It was, at the time, a glittering, glittering end – the perfect end – to a wonderful six-day, 12-session bonanza of athletics,” Walker added.
But it wasn’t to be, and Canada finishes with the medal, while Jamaica was elevated to silver, and Scotland took third.
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In the video below: A wrap of all the action from Day 10
Australia has become the first country to rack up 1,000 Commonwealth Games gold medals on the second last day of competition in Birmingham.
Day 10 saw some impressive team victories, including the Australian Women’s Cricket Team’s win over India and The Diamonds’ close win over Jamaica in the netball.
The victories by green and gold athletes means Australia maintains its lead at the top of the standings by 11 gold medals.
You can check out how theaction unfolded in our Commonwealth Games blog, or have a look at the medal winners and the top 10 medal standings by country below:
Day 10 medal standings:
Gold:
The Diamonds, netball
The Australian Women’s Cricket Team
Maddison Keeney, diving, 3m springboard
Kelsey-Lee Barber, athletics, javelin
Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett, beach volleyball
Georgia Baker, cycling, women’s road race
Cassiel Rousseau, diving, 10m platform
Silver:
Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Arcacho del Solar, beach volley ball
Australian athlete Tia-Clair Toomey has become the most decorated athlete in CrossFit history, claiming the “Fittest On Earth” title for a sixth consecutive time.
The Queenslander won after five intensive days of competition in Madison, Wisconsin, which included endurance events, highly skilled gymnastics, and lifting implements weighing more than 200 kilograms — three times her own body weight.
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“I dedicate so much of my time to this sport,” she said.
“[It’s great] to be able to showcase the hard work, what my team and I have been able to do all season long, even years before.”
Claiming the 2022 title makes Toomey the most decorated CrossFit Games athlete in history — and she was also a runner-up in 2016 and 2017.
Toomey’s family from Central Queensland traveled to the United States to watch what is believed to be her swan song.
“If you’re wondering why Tia Toomey took her time and soaked it in, this is it,” commentator Sean Woodland said.
“She’s planning to retire after the CrossFit Games.”
In the men’s competition, Australian Ricky Garard finished third to complete his redemption story, having been banned from CrossFit in 2017 for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).
“It’s taken a lot of hard work to get back here, to be at this level,” he told ABC Sport.
“[I’m] super stoked with my resilience and patience to stick it out.”
The former NRL U20s player from Mittagong in New South Wales tested positive for PEDs after finishing third at the 2017 CrossFit Games, denying another athlete the privilege of standing on the podium.
“It’s a redemption story for me to prove to myself that what happened last time didn’t mean anything and was never going to change the outcome,” Garard said.
After serving out the ban issued by CrossFit, Garard returned to the competition this year and CrossFit fans welcomed him with open arms.
Ricky Garard competing during the 2022 CrossFit Games. Garard came third after being banned from the sport in 2017. (Enrique Villasenor)
“The fans have been great out there, a lot more than I thought, to be honest. It’s awesome,” he said.
“And I’m really having a great time out there, and five years’ worth of energy is coming out in every event.
“I’ve waited a long time for this and it’s finally nice to do a workout that actually means something, not just in the gym.”
Many athletes that competed alongside Garard in 2017 have also been his competitors this year in Madison.
He said they had been supportive of his return.
“We’re all competitors and there is going to be a lot of tensions between us,” he said.
“We’re all sharks, we smell blood in the water and we’re going to take our opportunities, so it’s always pretty intense before the workout, but after I feel like we all relax and have a bit of laughter and banter and chat .”
What are the CrossFit Games?
The CrossFit Games are a grueling test of strength, skill and stamina where even qualifying to compete is a milestone.
A total of 293,805 athletes registered to compete in the worldwide open, with the top 10 per cent worldwide competing in the quarterfinals stage, before semifinals events around the world helped narrow the field to just 40 elite men and women.
“The CrossFit Games is the answer to who is the fittest person on Earth,” CrossFit Games general manager Justin Bergh said.
In this year’s competition, athletes were tested across 13 events which included weightlifting, sprinting, endurance events, high-level gymnastics, swimming, and even double-under cross-over skipping.
One event at this year’s event included a test of strength and endurance in which athletes flipped an implement weighing 160kg (women) or 230kg (men), then ran 6km, before carrying bags that weighed 68kg and 90kg respectively up the steps of the Wisconsin State capitol building.
The CrossFit Games are in their 16th year, with the prize pool around $4 million across all divisions, including adaptive and masters athletes.
Since finishing fourth in the men’s 800 meter final at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Peter Bol has become a national hero.
Everyone knows his name, his face, his story, and he felt that he was coming into the 800 final at the Commonwealth Games.
“I felt like the favourite. I knew there was a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations,” he said after claiming silver behind Kenya’s Wyclife Kinyamal.
“But at the same time, in our sport pressure’s a privilege. We know it’s there. And I was relaxed, really confident. [I] felt really strong.
“I thought I could really win it tonight. I just came short and can’t say any more than that.”
After Oliver Hoare’s heroics in the men’s 1,500 meters final a day earlier, it was hoped Bol could produce another classic on the track.
The 28-year-old was in the mix for most of the race, but Kinyamal started to make his move with around 250 meters left.
Bol tried his best to stay with him, but couldn’t reel him in.
He called the result “bittersweet”, in what he described as a slow race.
“You look at the start list and there’s no front runners out there. So I just knew it was gonna be tactical and I knew I’m gonna come home strong and I think we did so I’m happy with that.”
Bol was thankful to finally win his first major international medal, after missing out in Tokyo, and his seventh place at the recent World Championships.
“I think the most powerful thing out of this whole 800, out of this whole athletics journey is the impact we’ve had off the track and how much support and love we’ve had.
“Even if I came [up] short, I think that love is consistent and that’s what I’m grateful for.”
Caldwell takes 1500m bronze, Buschkuehl long jump silver
Australia Abbey Caldwell ran home to take the bronze medal in the women’s 1500m in Birmingham.(AP: Alastair Grant)
Abbey Caldwell found something extra in the tank to power home and claim a bronze medal in the women’s 1500 meter final, behind Scotland’s Laura Muir and Northern Ireland’s Ciara Mageean.
“I don’t know where that came from, I just think I saw the girls in front and I found that extra gear,” she said.
Caldwell was contentiously left off the Australian team for the World Championships, despite being the national champion and running a qualifying time.
But she didn’t show any bitterness towards selectors.
“Why look back and regret decisions and dwell on that? Just do what you can, what’s in your control, and that’s what we’ve been doing,” she said.
“It just meant I was able to put all my eggs in this basket and I’ve had this in my mind for so long now and I’ve had time to train and it’s really given me that extra bit of hunger and it means so much.”
Brooke Buschkuehl capped off the night for Australia with her second straight silver medal in the women’s long jump.
Ollie Hoare could have been excused for not being at his best heading into the men’s 1500m final at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Not only did he have the letdown of a disappointing world championships campaign this month, he was also grieving the loss of his grandfather and mentor Fred Hoare days after the event in Oregon.
Watch the emotional story behind Ollie Hoare’s famous victory above
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But whatever complications those challenges presented, Hoare was able to overcome them.
The 25-year-old is now the toast of the athletics world after becoming just the second Australian after Herb Elliott to win the race on Saturday.
Hoare paid tribute to his grandfather and dedicated his gold medal to him.
“I would like to dedicate that race to my pop. He was a life member at Sutherland Districts Athletics Club and he was a World War II veteran, Sergeant Fred Hoare. He passed away after the world champs,” Hoare told Channel 7.
Oliver Hoare won the sprint to the finish line in the men’s 1500m. Credit: Dean Lewis/AAP
“It was a difficult time for me because of how bad I raced (at the worlds) and to hear the news of a guy who had a stopwatch at every race I had and growing up through the sport and not having him there to watch was tough.
“But I would like to dedicate that race to my pop because he is the reason my family loves the sport and why I’m here today.
“Pop, I know you are watching, I’ll have a glass of red for you, mate. That was a good one.”
It was a remarkable turnaround for Hoare, who only two weeks ago failed to earn a place in the final at the world championships.
Oliver Hoare reacts after winning gold. Credit: Alastair Grant/AP
Hoare was fourth at the top of the final straight but powered home to win in three minutes 30.12 seconds, lunging across the line to edge out 2019 world champ Timothy Cheruiyot from Kenya by nine hundredths of a second.
Reigning world champ Jake Wightman from Scotland was third as the first seven runners across the line all broke the Games record.
Hoare stripped more than two and a half seconds off his PB in one of the greatest middle-distance runs ever by an Australian.
Elliott won the mile at the 1958 Games in Cardiff before the switch to metric distances.
Former English middle-distance superstar and current World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe was on hand at Alexander Stadium to pay tribute to Hoare.
Oliver Hoare of Australia wins the men’s 1500m final at the Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Credit: Dean Lewis/AAP
EVERYEVENT:Check out the full Commonwealth Games schedule
TALLY MEDAL:Every gold, silver and bronze at Birmingham 2022
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“It was a sensational run,” he said.
“The golden rule is to stay in contact (with the leaders) and then you are in a position to capitalize when things start to go wrong for others.
“He stayed calm over the last lap and he absolutely capitalized.”
Hoare said he knew he had a shot at a medal at the top of the straight.
“For me, it is about just wanting to belong there and I had to be patient and back myself,” he said.
“That last lap, I wanted to make sure I stayed relaxed on the inside and knew my time would come, and it is hard to believe when you have guys there that are absolute class. I was able to get out and I had the kicker at the end, and, yeah, it was spectacular.”
-With APA
Just like Tokyo 2020 on Seven, there will be one destination to watch every epic feat, every medal moment, every record attempt and every inspiring turn from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
7plus is the only place to watch up to 30 live and replay channels of sport, see what’s on when, keep up to date with the medal tally, create a watchlist to follow your favorite events and catch up on highlights.
Australian Oliver Hoare has stormed home to claim a remarkable victory in the men’s 1500 meters final at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Key points:
Hoare was sitting fourth when the field entered the final straight
He pipped Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot to win the gold
The Australian ran a Games record and personal best to win the final
Hoare was fourth at the top of the final straight but powered home to win in three minutes and 30.12 seconds, lunging across the line to edge out 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot from Kenya by 0.09.
Reigning world champion Jake Wightman from Scotland was third, with the first seven runners across the line all breaking the Games record.
It was a remarkable turnaround for Hoare, who only two weeks ago failed to earn a place in the final at the world championships.
Hoare’s triumph provided Australia with a triumphant end to a mixed session at Alexander Stadium.
Jemima Montag won gold in the women’s 10,000m walk in a Games record time of 42:34.30.
The 24-year-old won the 20km title on the Gold Coast four years ago and added the shorter distance title, which was making its Games debut.
Eleanor Patterson was forced to settle for a shock high jump silver.
A fortnight after winning the world title in Eugene in thrilling style, Patterson was the red-hot favorite to claim a second Commonwealth title in Birmingham.
She missed three times at 1.95m, seven centimeters less than her Australian record-equalling effort in Eugene.
The 26-year-old claimed silver on countback with her clearance of 1.92m, while Jamaica’s Lamara Distin won gold.
Italian decathlon athlete Alberto Nonino had a nightmare run at the U20s World Championships after his penis repeatedly flopped out of his shorts while competing.
The 18-year-old was running in the 400m portion of the Decathlon event in Colombia when he suffered a wardrobe malfunction just after making a promising start.
While the rest of the field were pumping their arms to stretch away from the line, Nonino’s were busy trying to repeatedly tuck his member away.
He stuck with the field through the first bend, but his penis refused to remain contained, crushing the Italian’s hopes as he came in last with a time of 51.57 seconds.
Reporter David Sanchez de Castro’s description of the incident has since gone viral.
“Perhaps I’ve explained myself poorly. His penis from him escaped out of the side of his shorts, and he had to hold it because it was n’t allowing him to run properly, which is normal when your dongle is swinging from side to side, ”he said.
Alberto Nonino of Team Italia competes in the High Jump of the Men’s Decathlon qualifying round on day one of the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 2022 at Pascual Guerrero stadium on August 1, 2022 in Cali, Colombia. Credit: Peter Vilela/Getty Images
Nonino took to social media to express his fury at the coverage of his wardrobe malfunction.
“I’m aware it was obviously an accident, and I’d like to tell you I’m aware of the reaction, and you don’t need to send me the links to the blogs out there,” his post read.
“I’m trying to laugh about it now, but immediately afterwards, I felt terrible, and I’m thankful to my friends and family for helping me get over what happened a few hours later.”
Anyone who thinks Michelle Jenneke’s pre-race ritual distracts her, just watch how she breezed through her heat in the Women’s 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The 29-year-old Aussie has been known as ‘The Dancing Hurdler’ ever since her pre-race warm-up went global.
See the dance – and Michelle Jenneke smash her heat – in the video player above
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On Friday, she cut a very relaxed figure despite being laned right next to Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan – the current world record holder at the event.
There were lots of dancing, and smiles all round. She was introduced to the crowd over the speakers as ‘The Dancing Australian’.
She waved with grin from ear to ear. It was a special moment for Jenneke.
Michelle Jenneke cut a very relaxed figure despite being laned right next to Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan – the current world record holder at the event. Credit: Seven
She’s in the best form of her career, coming off an exceptional performance at the world championships in the US earlier in July.
Jenneke knew she would likely have to again go close to her new PB of 12.66 seconds, just to make it through to the final.
And boy, didn’t she deliver.
Amusan, who won gold in the event at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, flew home to win the heat in a time of 12.40 – a new Commonwealth Games record.
Jenneke, crossed the line in second to qualify for the final in a time of 12.63 – that’s the fastest she’s ever run.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – AUGUST 05: Michelle Jenneke of Team Australia reacts after qualifying in the Women’s 100m Hurdles Round 1 heats on day eight of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium on August 05, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images
“She will be very happy with how she executed that race,” Aussie athletics legend and Channel 7 Tamsyn Manou said after the race.
“Michelle wasn’t overwhelmed by being in the same race as Amusan. She had a clean run. She has just really used her speed and her technical ability over those hurdles.
“She’s an incredible hurdler and she’s in great shape.
“She’s had so many issues with injuries that it’s been really hard for her to get a block of training done. Ella she comes into these championships with a block of training.”
See the original pre-race warm-up that made Michelle Jenneke a household name in the video player below
Michelle Jenneke at the Junior World Championships.
Michelle Jenneke at the Junior World Championships.
After the race, Jenneke told Seven’s Jason Richardson she is racing the best she ever has.
I’m in the shape of my life,” she said.
“It’s really exciting. I still feel like I’ve got a little more in the tank, so we’ll see how we go in a couple of days.”
Jenneke is now in with a great shot to hit the podium at the Commonwealth Games. And Manou won’t mind seeing the pre-race warm-up dance again.
“I think sometimes people forget just how talented she is as an athlete,” Manou said.
“Athletes come in and they know what works for their psyche. For Michelle, it’s about relaxing and enjoying herself and that’s how she gets the most about herself.”
After the race, Jenneke told Seven’s Jason Richardson she is racing the best she ever has.
Credit: Seven
Jenneke maintained that nothing is changing any time soon.
“Honestly, I feel like I run the best when I’m happy and relaxed and just soaking it all up,” she said.
“That’s what works for me, so that’s what I do.”
Australia’s Celeste Mucci will also race in the final after qualifying eighth fastest in her heat.
The 22-year-old equaled her personal best in a very clean run at her second Commonwealth Games..
After a shocking upset loss to India in the quarter-finals at the Olympics last year, the Hockeyroos have a chance for revenge as they face off again for a spot in the Birmingham final.
Follow all the action from day eight in Birmingham with our live blog.
live updates
By Jon Healey
Hockey: Still 1-0 to Hockeyros through three quarters
Things are seriously tense at the University of Birmingham Hockey & Squash Centre.
Just one goal in the first quarter is all that separates Australia and India in this semi-final.
England awaits. Who will it be?
By Simon Smale
Key Event
Athletics: Steve Solomon makes the 400m final!
Get the spikes back out Steve! You’re running in the end on Sunday!
Great stuff for the Aussie, who qualifies in the last spot, but just 0.03 of a second, and will race in the final!
By Simon Smale
Athletics: Solomon still alive…
Steve Solomon told Channel 7 that he was happy to wrap his season up after that semi-final run.
He might still be in with a chance of sneaking into the final though, so he may want to reassess…
None of the non-automatic qualifiers managed to beat his 46.30 in that race, so there is still hope for the likable Aussie…
Jonathan Jones of Bahamas got the win in that second semi.
There’s one semi final to go…
By Simon Smale
Athletics: Steve Solomon will have to wait and see in the 400m
Solomon (right) tied up in the final 100. (Getty Images)
Steve Solomon has just finished in fourth place in his 400m semi final…
It looked like he really struggled in the home straight, far from fluid as the race really heated up having exited the final bend in a second.
From there though, he went backwards.
He has told Channel 7 that he just didn’t have the running in his legs after a rough six months of injuries and has resigned himself to not racing in Sunday’s final.
I ran to 46.30, which will unlikely be good enough to see him qualify, I’d think.
By Jon Healey
Hockey: Australia gets out of jail to keep lead at half-time
The Hockeyroos have lost their referral pretty dubiously.
Kaitlin Nobbs challenged a penalty corner ruling, and it looked for all money like she’d done so successfully, but the third umpire found a way to confirm it.
All this while Shanea Tonkin was serving time in the penalty box on a green card.
The penalty corner didn’t come off for India, and Australia kept its 1-0 lead at the break despite being pinned in their own quarter of the field for most of the period.
India had five penalty corners in the first half, but couldn’t capitalize, while the Hockeyroos’ sole goal came from the field via Rebecca Greiner.
By Simon Smale
Squash: The Battle of the Lobbans
We have a winner in the battle of the Lobbans…
And it’s Donna Lobban who gets bragging rights with her partner Cameron Pilley!
The Aussie pair (and defending champions) came from behind to beat Scotland’s pairing of Greg Lobban and Lisa Aitkin 3-0.
They won the final game 11-8 to complete the turnaround.
Donna told the Commonwealth Games media team that if Greg won he’d have to make dinner for a month…
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Does that mean dinners are on her for the foreseeable?
Perhaps after the Comm Games are over – Donna and Cameron have worked to do and a medal to win for Australia.
By Simon Smale
Athletics: Decathlon to go down to the wire
Lindon Victor has re-taken the lead in the decathlon after a superb javelin throw.
He leads The Gap’s Cedric Dubler by 161 points heading into the 1500m.
Daniel Golubovic is third, just four points behind Dubler after throwing a season’s best of 58.26m in the javelin.
Alec Diamond is fifth.
It’s ever so close and the 1500 will be a belter when it takes place at 6:30am AEST.
By Jon Healey
Hockey: Australia on the board in opening quarter of women’s semi-final
(Getty)
Looking for redemption for the quarter-final loss at last year’s Olympics, the Hockeyroos have struck first in the semi against India.
Rebecca Greiner did the damage from the field.
By Simon Smale
Key Event
Athletics: Australia will have one runner in the 200m final
Gutting news for Jacinta Beecher, who misses out on a spot in the 200m final by 0.12.
So near, yet so far for Jacinta Beecher (Getty Images)
Ella Connolly is the slowest of the qualifiers to make it through and actually ran 0.01 seconds slower than Jacinta Beecher.
But, because the qualification is done on placings in the semi finals (top two qualify automatically, plus the two fastest non-qualifiers) then Beecher misses out.
The favorite Elaine Thompson-Herah qualified fastest.
By Simon Smale
Athletics: Ella Connolly qualifies for the 200m final!
Ella Connolly gave it her all (Getty Images)
Oh my goodness that was so, so close!
did Ella Connolly get second there?
AND IT IS! By 0.01 of a second!
This is what 0.01 seconds looks like (Commonwealth Games)
At the moment, Jacinta Beecher is there too, by just 0.02 seconds…
But there’s one semi to go…
By Simon Smale
Squash: Battle of the Lobbans
Quick update from the University Squash Center and the wife has leveled things up at one game each after she and Cameron Pilley took the second 8 – 11.
It’s coming down to decide…
By Jon Healey
Hockey: Hockeyroos semi-final against India underground
This is for a spot in the final against England.
By Simon Smale
Athletics: 200m semi-finals
Getty Images
Jacinta Beecher has gone in the first semi final of the women’s 200m and I don’t think she’s done enough to get through, sadly.
Beecher came home in fourth spot with a time of 23.40, a fair way off her PB of 22.70 but she was running into a serious headwind of +1.9.
Like I said, I don’t think that will be enough to get one of the two fastest qualifying spots, but we’ll wait and see.
By Jon Healey
Key Event
🤕 Athletics: Nicola Olyslagers is out of the women’s high jump final
Australian Olympic silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers has had to withdraw from tonight’s high jump final with a calf injury.
She said it was “disappointing and devastating not to be able to compete.”
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“What was thought to be a tight calf after my qualifying round turned out to be a torn muscle in my jumping leg,” she said.
“Of all the emotions and shock I could feel in the moment, I still have peace. Winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games four years ago allowed my professional career as a high jumper to begin, it was a competition that changed the trajectory of my life .
“My prayer is that someone else’s dream comes alive tomorrow as I cheer them on from the sidelines. Let’s go cheer Eleanor on as she jumps for Australia so well out there.”
She is of course referring to world champion Eleanor Pattersonwho will be jumping in the final from 7:17pm AEST.
By Simon Smale
Squash: The Battle of the Lobbans
Remember the story of the husband and wife who are going up against each other in the mixed doubles quarter finals?
Well, they’re in action right now and first blood has gone to the husband Greg (of Team Scotland).
He and his partner Lisa Aitkin took the first game 11 – 9 against his life partner Donna and her cousin, Cameron Pillley.
This might read like a script from Bold and the Beautiful, but it’s not (although let’s not put it past them to get something in on it soon).
By Jon Healey
Key Event
🥉 Diving: Third medal in the pool this morning
Domonic Bedggood and Cassiel Rousseau finish third behind England’s Matty Lee and Noah Williams, and Canadian pair Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray.
Lee won Olympic gold with Tom Daley last year, but this is his first Commonwealth Games medal.
Bedggood, meanwhile, has claimed his fifth Commonwealth medal and third bronze. He has gold in this event from Glasgow 2014, and won 10m platform gold in 2018, when he also won bronze in 3m and 10m synchro.
By Jon Healey
Key Event
🥉 Athletics: Sam Carter third in men’s T53/54 1,500m
Can Sam Carter and Jake Lappin emulate the efforts of Madison de Rozario and Angie Ballard from yesterday?
Not remove.
Sam Carter wins bronze in a superb race, led out hard by Canada’s Josh Cassidy, then Danny Sidbury of England made his move around the halfway mark, blowing Cassidy away.
Carter closed the gap, but brought him Englishman Nathan Maguire, who powered past Carter’s outside shoulder, then passed teammate Sidbury on the final straight to win gold.
Jake Lapin was fourth, five seconds behind Carter
By Jon Healey
Key Event
Diving: Aussies in the hunt in men’s 10m synchro
Domonic Bedggood and Cassiel Rousseau are in the bronze medal spot with two dives left.
England’s Matthew Lee and Noah Williams, and Canadian pair Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray just look streets ahead.
They’ll duke it out for gold, while the Aussies try to hold off the other English pair of Ben Cutmore and Kyle Kothari.
By Simon Smale
Athletics: 400m semi-finals
England’s Victoria Ohuruogu has qualified fastest for the women’s 400m final after running a 51-flat in the first semi final.
She’ll be joined by compatriot Ama Pipi and Jodie Williams, but they’ll be hard up to beat World Championship bronze medalist Sada Williams, who looked very comfortable in cruising to victory in the second semi in a time of 51.59.
By Simon Smale
Hockey: England awaits in the final
Getty Images
England have just beaten New Zealand 2-0 in a penalty shoot out after a tight and tense 0-0 draw at the University Hockey Centre.
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That means the hosts are in the final, where they await the winner of the second semi final between the Hockeyros and India.
That match is due to start at 5:15am AEST, so about half an hour or so.
Australian race walker and reigning Commonwealth Games champion Jemima Montag says she’s embracing the pressure of defending her crown just days away from competing at the Birmingham Games.
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist is shaping to be the walker to beat at the event, aiming to become the first woman since Jane Saville in 2006 to successfully defend a gold medal in walking.
The event distance has been shortened from a 20km road race and will now be contested as a 10km track race inside Alexander Stadium.
“I’m keen for it to be half the distance,” Montag said.
Jemima Montag is aiming to defend her 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal at this years’s 10km Race Walk Final in Birmingham.(Getty Images: Michael Dodge)
“I really feed off the crowd’s energy and excitement. I remember back to 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and there were so many Australians … just giving us their energy for that entire hour and a half.”
In February, Montag broke Saville’s long-standing 18-year 20km Australian and Oceania record by 13 seconds. It’s a moment in which she reflects on, after her ‘turning point’ when pulling on the green and gold four years ago at Gold Coast.
“Representing Australia means embodying the Australian values of mateship and a fair go and giving our all to something. I think that’s what the Australian audience really want to see us doing,” she said.
“Crossing the line and hitting the tape at the 2018 Commonwealth Games was the first moment I believed in myself as capable of competing on the world stage and representing my country well.
“I tried to enjoy the final couple of laps and interact with the crowd and grab the flag, and crossing that line, hitting the tape, and then having Nathan Deakes pop the medal around my neck.
“It felt like a real rite of passage and a sense of belonging after years of struggling with self-belief.
“I feel pressure and expectation to bring some medals home (at Birmingham), but I remind myself that all the Aussies and my family just want to see us going out and being leaders, setting a good example for the younger generation and embodying those values .”
In February, Montag broke Jane Saville’s 18-year record for the Australian 20km race walk event.(Athletics Australia / Steve Christo)
Change in mentality for national record
Montag said the Australian and Oceania record — at a time of 1:27:27 — came about from a motivational shift in mental techniques. The change lifted the weight of her off her shoulders, going on to reset goals for the remainder of the year.
“We got to the finish line about 30 seconds quicker than the national record,” Montag said.
“I’ve done a lot of reflecting since then about the power of values-based motivation as opposed to fear-based motivation.
“It was a very special day, I think that it was bigger than winning the Commonwealth Games or making it to the Olympic Games or anything.
“Being the fastest woman in the country to cover that distance is pretty cool.”
It was only a matter of minutes after the race that an exhausted Montag received a call from her idol, Saville, who celebrated the achievement with her.
“It was amazing. I was in the tent half-dead on the physio table, and she was there on the phone, so supportive,” she said.
“I think that’s a true sign of an excellent sportswoman when they just want to see their sport moving forward … and she had the record for a couple of decades or whatever it was and she was she was so happy.”
The importance of role models
Despite the accolades on the track, winning doesn’t appear to be everything for Montag. The near misses are cause for just as much celebration, after coming fourth at the World Athletics Championships by just 19 seconds in July.
“Humans have just decided that 1-2-3 get medals and fourth is one spot away from that. I think that fourth rocks, it doesn’t suck,” Montag said after the meet in Eugene, Oregon.
Being successful off the track and showing there’s a human behind every athlete is just as important as Montag inspires the next generation of athletes.
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Australian racewalker Jemima Montag talks about the impact her Nana has had on her
A medicine student who loves to cook and spend time with family, the 24-year-old also talks about superstitions; like the lucky number three, her her lucky pajamas, and a lucky golden bracelet she wears from her late grandmother.
“I lost my nana about a year ago, just before the Olympic Games, and it’s only in the months that have followed that we’ve really been able to unpack her story as a Holocaust survivor,” Montag said.
“It’s something that understandably she didn’t want to talk about much, and there was a lot of pain and trauma there.”
A golden necklace became a keepsake for Montag and her two sisters, who split it into three bracelets to continue her nana’s legacy.
“I wear my nana’s bracelet as a lucky charm now. And it reminds me of that strength and resilience,” she said.
“It’s just a really tangible reminder of what she sacrificed for dad and then me to even be alive. Sometimes, you know, sport is hard and it comes with its challenges.
“(But) it’s a reminder that I choose to be out there day in, day out at these competitions doing what I do. And it’s hard, but it should be fun.”
Jemima Montag became the first Australian track and field athlete to be nominated for the Commonwealth Games for the UK campaign.(Athletics Australia / Steve Christo)
Walking is ‘much bigger’ than just a sport
Montag is using walking as the ‘vehicle’ to create positive messages as a role model.
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“Race walking to me is much bigger than the physical sport. It’s somewhere I belong and it’s a vehicle through which I can explore my values of the pursuit of mastery, of challenging myself, of inspiring the next generation of boys and girls, and just exploring my mental and physical limits,” Montag said.
The Australian champion was chosen as one just 25 athletes across the globe — the sole representative from Oceania — in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Young Leaders Program from 2021-2024.
“We’re choosing a pressing local issue that we’re passionate about that connects to the sustainable development goals, and we’re building a sport-based solution,” Montag said.
“I’ve chosen to focus on the decline of young women and girls in sport and physical activity, which is something I’m passionate about because I’ve seen how much sport and physical activity has brought to me.
“I’ve also seen friends that I’ve made through sport gradually face barriers and drop out and how challenging it’s been for them and how I was almost driven out of the sport.
“I was able to get to the bottom of: what are the unique barriers to women and girls in sport, what’s driving them out at twice the rate of boys?
“Then the tricky part was what do we do about it? Because if we had all the answers, then I’m sure they’d be being enacted already.”
Through Montag’s program ‘Play On’, a vision of creating enabling environments through education and training for young women is changing perceptions.
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Racewalker Jemima Montag on navigating adolescence and puberty as a female athlete
“So often I found that girls and women are blamed for being lazy or just not committed enough for choosing to drop out of sport,” she said.
“And we’re not really questioning whether the environments are made for them or welcoming them or attuned to their needs.
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“I built a team of 14 women experts who are very diverse — some Paralympians and Olympians, some are community leaders, some are doctors, some in the political space.”
With four topics to address positivity — female athlete health, mental health, nutrition, and inclusivity — Montag is aiming for a stronger connection between schools and parents, who often rely on one another to address responsibility gap issues of retaining women in sport.
“We challenge the idea that there has to be a cookie cutter image of what a female athlete looks like that’s tall, blonde, thin, able-bodied, neurotypical of a certain race,” Montag said.
“I’m hoping that by listening to the experts in those four areas, 15-year-old girls have what I wish I had at their age, and that they’re armed with the tools to navigate any challenge that might come up for them and to help themselves.
“Having the opportunity to be a role model for the younger girls and women coming through has added a whole new layer of meaning and enjoyment to my sport.
“No longer is it a lonely individual pursuit, it’s something that I can really leverage and use to make a difference to other people’s lives, which feels amazing.”
That pursuit this weekend at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games is something Montag is hoping to use as inspiration for future walkers who will be watching her race.
“It’s something that’s a really important biological marker of health that we should celebrate and just learn how to navigate on the track and in life,” she said.
“I’m really careful with the legacy that I’m leaving to the next generation and the words I choose and what I say to them.
“It really doesn’t matter what any of us do, it’s really about ‘why’ behind it.
“And so that ‘why’ is belonging to a community and being a good leader and inspiring younger women and girls to take up whatever physical activity it is that feels good for them to look after their physical and mental health.”
Montag will compete in the women’s 10,000m Race Walk Final on Saturday at 7:30pm AEST.
