The ninth day of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham has ended with another nine gold medals for Australia, strengthening the nation’s lead in the overall tally.
Two Australians made it to the final in the table tennis women’s singles classes 6-10, ensuring two medals for the nation.
Qian Yang won gold and Li Na Lei took home the silver medal.
Australia also won gold in athletics, lawn bowls, diving and gymnastics.
You can check out how the latest batch of medals were won in our Commonwealth Games blog, or have a look at the medal winners and the top 10 medal standings by country below:
Day nine medal results:
Gold:
Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics
Jemima Montag, athletics, 10,000 meter race walking
Oliver Hoare, athletics, 1,500 meter run
Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Luce Smith, diving, 3-meter synchronized springboard
Ellen Ryan and Kristina Krstic, lawn bowls, pairs
Aaron Wilson, lawn bowls, singles
Melissa Wu and Charli Petrov, diving, 10-meter synchronized platform
The Boomers made bronze fashionable at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with their historic medal dubbed “rose gold” in the men’s basketball.
And at the Commonwealth Games, the rose gold glow is real.
By Australian standards, it has been a long wait for a wrestling medal of any color – 12 years.
Jayden Lawrence had been to two previous Games and missed a bronze medal in Glasgow 2014.
Lawrence competed in the men’s freestyle wrestling 74kg at the Glasgow Games in 2014, but just missed the medals.(Getty Images: Richard Heathcote)
He earned another shot at bronze, this time against South Africa’s Edward Lessing, in the men’s freestyle 86kg, and he won a tight match 12-11.
“Unbelievable, honestly. I’m stoked,” he said.
“This is what Australian wrestling has been after those two previous we didn’t medal at all in the Games.
“But I guarantee you, we’re gonna get more this time around. I guarantee it.”
Lawrence suffered a torn lateral cruciate ligament in his last match, “so last two wrestles I was battling [on] one and a half legs,” he said.
The 27-year-old from Sydney collapsed on his back and put his hands over his face as he soaked in the moment at the end of the clash.
“I’ve given up a lot to do this sport, but it’s so worth it,” he said.
“We don’t get paid too much; I get nothing. But I’ll do it again.”
At this stage, wrestling is not on the program for the Victoria 2026 Games, and Lawrence hopes his success will force a re-think.
“Hopefully this brings us over the line and we get the wrestling back.”
Bronze for new diving duo
At the diving, Sam Fricker was buzzing after claiming bronze with Li Shixin in the men’s synchronized 3m springboard.
“I’m so excited, it was a dream to make the Commonwealth Games to walk away with a medal is just incredible,” Fricker said.
The 20-year-old Fricker and 34-year-old former Chinese world champion Li — who has been competing for Australia since 2019 — were competing together internationally for the first time.
Li (right) came out of retirement to compete in Tokyo after becoming an Australian citizen.(Getty Images: PA Images/Tim Goode)
“This is the beginning. Sammy is young,” Li said.
“We have a long, long time. He’s Diving Australia’s future. I just help him get better.”
Li was recruited to Australia as a diving coach in 2014 – he earned citizenship in 2019, and came out of retirement to compete at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Fricker said he was honored to compete with his legendary teammate, and used some advice from one of the team veterans, Melissa Wu, to remain composed.
“You’ve just got to be in the moment,” he said.
“When you’re at breakfast, have breakfast, when you’re on the bus, enjoy the ride.
“When you have that one dive to do, that’s all you focus on, and that’s all you have control over. So whether we’re first or last, that’s what we try and do with that one moment.”
England’s Anthony Harding and Jack Laugher won gold, while the Australians finished just 2.25 points the Malaysian silver medalists Gabriel Daim and Muhammad Syafiq Bin Puteh.
Australia picked up a couple more diving medals at Sandwell Aquatics Centre, with Brittany O’Brien claiming silver in the 1m springboard, behind Canada’s Mia Vallee.
And Dom Bedgood and Cassiel Rousseau got bronze in the men’s 10-meter synchro, with gold going to England, and silver to Canada.
Australia’s Charisma Amoe-Tarrant pumped her arms, thanked the crowd, and pointed to the sky to as she secured a bronze medal in the women’s 87+ kilogram category at the Commonwealth Games.
“That’s for my mum, and also my uncle who passed away from cancer, and I know he was also very supportive of my lifting, like my mum,” she said.
“All the lifting is for them.”
Amoe-Tarrant was born in Nauru and lived there until she was 12 years of age.
Her mother died of kidney problems in 2009, so she and her siblings were adopted by their grandparents, who brought them to Australia.
Four years ago, Amoe-Tarrant won a silver medal for her country of birth, and now the 23-year-old has one as an Australian.
“I’m representing both countries and I’m proud to be Australian and I’m also proud to be a Nauruan at the end of the day, so no one can take that away from me,” she said.
Amoe-Tarrant says she felt a lot of pressure coming into the Games and carried knee and elbow injuries into the competition.
Spurred on by a rapturous crowd, Amoe-Tarrant summoned everything she had to produce a clean and jerk that secured the bronze medal by 1kg.
“The crowd at the last Games was good. Here it’s just amazing,” she said.
“They were really the ones that helped me get that second lift [to clinch a medal].”
England’s Emily Campbell lives up to expectations to win gold
England’s Emily Campbell delighted the home crowd with a combined total of 286 kilograms to win gold in the women’s 87+kg weightlifting.(Getty Images: Ryan Pierce)
Being the “face” of an Olympics or Commonwealth Games in your home country can be a blessing or a burden for many athletes.
Cathy Freeman is the most enduring Australian example from Sydney 2000 and, in Birmingham 2022, the mantle has fallen to England’s co-flagbearer Emily Campbell.
And, just like Freeman, she created her own magic moment in history.
loading
Campbell became the first female British weightlifter to win an Olympic medal, with silver in the 87+kg category in Tokyo last year.
In Birmingham, she was clearly a cut above the rest, lifting a Games record 286kg across the snatch and the clean and jerk to win gold.
Campbell took off her belt and whipped it around her head in elation, as the home fans let loose in celebration.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a crowd that immense and so reactive. It was sensational. They were enjoying every minute and embracing every athlete,” she said.
“Some will say it’s a perfect Games, to walk out for that kind of opening ceremony was immense for starters, to lead out the home nation at a home Games.
“It’s a very special privilege and something I’ll remember forever.”
Olympic champion Jess Fox has bolstered her medal haul, winning gold and silver on the final day of racing at the canoe slalom world championships in Germany.
Key points:
Fox edged out Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods and Andorra’s Monica Doria Vilarrubla
The Australian world champion came second in the women’s canoe final earlier in the day
Extreme canoe slalom will premiere as an Olympic event at Paris 2024
The record-breaking Australian successfully defended her world title in the extreme slalom event after coming second in the women’s canoe earlier in the day.
Fox edged Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods while Andorra’s Monica Doria Vilarrubla claimed the bronze medal.
Extreme canoe slalom will premiere as an Olympic event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and with back to back world titles, Fox is firming as the favourite.
The Olympic C1 champion was pipped in that event for less than one second by German Andrea Herzog while Great Britain’s Mallory Franklin rounded out the podium.
Jess Fox’s two Sunday medals took her world championships medal tally to three, after winning silver in the women’s kayak on Saturday.(Getty Images: Thomas Lohnes)
Those three paddlers were the medal winners at the Tokyo Olympics, although Fox then beat Franklin for gold.
The performances brought her overall world championships medal tally to three after already winning silver in the women’s kayak on Saturday.
“It’s been an amazing weekend here in Augsburg,” Fox said.
“I can’t quite believe I managed to pull that off in extreme and to back up the world title. I’m so pleased to come away with three medals.
“For the kayak and the canoe, it was always going to be really tough to beat the Germans on their home course and I wanted to give it the best shot I could.
“I’m really pleased with the way I raced.”
Fox was joined in the C1 final by her younger sister Noemie Fox, who finished a strong eighth.
In July, the 25-year-old won silver in the extreme slalom at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup in Poland.
Noemie Fox — Jess’ younger sister — finished eighth in the C1 final.(Getty Images: Thomas Lohnes)
Tasmanian Kate Eckhardt narrowly missed the final in 13th place in her first ever world championships women’s canoe semi-final.
Tim Anderson completed Australia’s representation, placing eighth in the men’s extreme kayaking event.
With one gold and two silver medals Australia placed fourth on the overall medal rankings.
