Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix has pledged to come back even stronger next season, after winning three Commonwealth Games medals — including double gold — at Birmingham 2022.
The 17-year-old, who made the British team at the last Olympics but largely went under the radar, rounded off the final day of competition yesterday with gold in the 10metre mixed synchronized platform diving competition alongside Noah Williams.
It added to a gold in the individual event as well as silver in the women’s synchro event to mark her out as a potential star for the next Olympics in Paris.
Spendolini-Sirieix will compete at the upcoming European Championships before drawing a close to an impressive season.
Following her Birmingham heroics, she said: “Now we have got the Europeans, so I will focus on that. After that, I will take a break, have a summer holiday and come back even stronger.”
The Team England athlete was again cheered on from the stands by her father, Fred Sirieix, the star of television series First Dates.
Her medal haul will only ramp up expectation, but she said: “I’m not going to put pressure on myself.
“Whether there is external pressure or not, the internal pressure is the one which makes you crumble. But I’m very excited for the next two years.
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix won three medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
/ Getty Images
“I’m learning about dealing with the pressure in competition. If I can keep the internal pressure under control, that’s good. I’m still learning and I’m going to make mistakes.
“This has given me a lot of confidence but success in competition comes from training hard and working hard.”
Australian women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning will take a period of indefinite leave, effective immediately.
Key points:
Lanning made the decision for personal reasons
Cricket Australia says it supports Lanning’s decision
Lanning captained Australia to its win at the Commonwealth Games
Cricket Australia (CA) said Lanning made the decision for “personal reasons”, with no timeline set for her return.
“After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision to take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” Lanning said in a CA statement.
“I’m grateful for the support of CA and my teammates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”
The announcement of Lanning’s decision comes only days after she led Australia to victory at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
CA said it would support Lanning, with a decision on her participation in the Australian domestic season to made in “due course”.
“We’re proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time,” CA’s women’s cricket head of performance Shawn Flegler said.
“She’s been an incredible contributor to Australian cricket over the last decade, achieving remarkable feats both individually and as part of the team, and has been a brilliant role model for young kids.
“The welfare of our players is always our number one priority, and we’ll continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs.”
Lanning was due to play in The Hundred tournament in England and Wales, where she was to represent the Trent Rockets.
After winning a seventh-straight gold medal in the men’s hockey at the Commonwealth Games, it must be asked: are the Kookaburras the greatest team to ever perform on this stage?
Put nationalism and individual events to the side for a moment. For sheer excellence and dominance sustained over the history of the Commonwealth Games, it’s hard to argue that any other team across any sport, comes close.
In Birmingham, the Kookas’ juggernaut rolled on with a thumping 7-0 win over India in the gold medal match.
The Kookaburras stand triumphant with their gold medals.(Getty Images: Elsa)
It all started in Kuala Lumpur 1998, when hockey was brought into the Games. There, the Kookaburras dropped a pool stage match to South Africa.
It remains the only game they’ve ever lost.
That’s a total of 41 out of 42 matches won over 24 years, scoring 33 goals and conceding two in the seven gold medal deciders.
“It’s a great team dynasty, really proud of the history that we have,” co-captain Aran Zalewski said.
“Every team that comes is a different team, new venue, new players, a lot of first time Commonwealth Games guys here, second time Commonwealth Games guys, so we know that we have to come out and perform, and we pride ourselves on performing well here.”
But the Kookas are more than just a series of impressive stats.
With such a crowded sporting scene in Australia, we sometimes don’t appreciate the full spectrum of talent we have across a whole range of sports, including hockey, which only tends to attract mainstream attention at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games.
But it’s time we actually sit back and fully appreciate what the Kookaburras have brought to men’s hockey, and Australian sport, over the last two decades – and the path this current generation is forging.
“We really just enjoy being on tour and spending time together, and I think that’s the best thing about this team,” Zalewski said.
“Good harmony, and we all want to challenge each other. It’s not all roses, we have to get the best out of each other and raise the tension at times.
“And we do that, and we’ve got a level of respect and trust and value that allows us to do that.”
Near flawless final caps off seventh heaven
The casual observer could look at the 7-0 score line in the final and think it was an easy romp.
But India is one of the best teams in the world – having won bronze at last year’s Tokyo Olympics – while the Kookas memorably claimed silver in a penalty shootout heartbreaker.
The reality is the Australians didn’t let India get into any flow, stifling them from the opening whistle in a masterful performance. It was an emphatic statement after they were nearly knocked out in the semis by England.
The crowning moment was the second goal – perfection for purists, as the Kookaburras whizzed out of danger on the edge of their circle, with six players involved in beautiful interplay, finished off by a Nathan Ephraums tap in.
The Aussies responded to their slim semi-final win over England by putting five past India in the opening two quarters.(Getty Images: Elsa)
The defense was just as entertaining to watch as the goal fest. When caught in their quarter, which wasn’t often, they played patiently, backing their skills to slip through a crowd of Indian players, and getting out of trouble.
Even while leading 5-0 and the game already won, Matt Dawson thrust himself in the line of fire to block an Indian shot.
It was characteristic of every player’s effort in the decider: they play hard, they play every ball, and they play to win every single moment, no matter the score.
Ockenden wins his fourth gold medal
It may sometimes seem unfair to single out individuals after any performance in a team sport, but when it comes to the Kookaburras for the past 16 years co-captain Eddie Ockenden has been at the center of it all.
He now joins former skipper Mark Knowles with four Commonwealth Games golds.
Ockenden made his international debut for the Kookaburras in 2006.(AAP: Brendon Thorne)
“I’m really proud to have that, and it’s really good part of our history but it’s our team now, it’s our time,” Ockenden said.
“I’m just incredibly proud to have played with some of the guys I played with across all those four and just incredible friends, great teammates, great players.”
Zalewski says Ockenden is a much-loved member of the team.
“The best thing about Eddie we can draw on so many experiences. And just having someone that’s so calm under pressure, such a humble guy and just such a good fella, really.”
In Birmingham, he remained a bedrock in defence, the cool head needed in all situations, and at these Games he was not only a leader of the Kookas, but the unofficial captain of the entire Australian team, as the opening ceremony flag-bearer.
Ockenden (right) was Australia’s flag-bearer alongside Rachael Grinham at the Birmingham Opening Ceremony.(ABC News: West Matteussen)
He’s not comfortable with the spotlight remaining solely on him though, preferring to praise the players who have come in, particularly in the wake of major changes following the Rio 2016 Olympics where they finished sixth.
“The way we didn’t stagnate or drop even when we had new guys, we really improved surprisingly quickly and got to that amazing level, and I even think Tokyo last year, that was just the start.”
Australia’s all-time games record holder continues to rack up the caps: he’s now just a few shy of 400, and at 35, he doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.
“I’m feeling really good and fit, I’m just going to give myself a chance to make the squads and push for the team because it’s really tight for spots and it’s an incredible squad that we’ve got,” he said.
“There’s a lot of guys back in Perth [where the team is based] that could be here today, so it’s a really tight squad and I’ll just keep putting my name forward and doing my best.”
While Comm Games are nice, the Olympics are the ultimate prize for hockey players, and Ockenden hasn’t managed gold on that stage yet.
Paris is only two years away – so will he be there?
“Now you say ‘yeah, I’d like to go’, but it’s a bit more into it than that,” he said.
“It’s hard leaving my family all the time. You have to make sure your body is good, and your form is good, and then I think we’ll just see how it goes.”
And if the Kookaburras can continue building to gold in Paris, with Ockenden at the helm, that could take them from Commonwealth Games legends to Australian sporting immortality.
Wollongong Roller Hawks coach Brendan Dowler may be surprised to hear his city called a powerhouse in wheelchair basketball, but the team’s results tell a clear story.
His team has been crowned national champions in 2003, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
Downler is a two-time Paralympian, captain Brett Stibners is a four-time Paralympian and point guard Luke Pople has just won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games for 3×3 wheelchair basketball.
“To hear Wollongong referred to as a powerhouse is strange in some ways, because we are a regional city, but we’re proud of the achievements we’ve been able to provide to players, the community and supporters,” Dowler said.
“We should be proud of that achievement as a smaller city in Australia.”
The club is now flush with players who have succeeded on the international stage, but it a;; began with two men who were sick of traveling to Sydney to train and play.
Eino Okonnen is known for his boldness and persistence in recruiting players.(Supplied: Eino Okonnen)
Humble beginnings, bold recruiting
Dowler and Roller Hawks co-founder Eino Okonnen were keen wheelchair basketball players in the late 1990s.
“We were playing for Sydney teams because there were no teams down here and we were traveling up to Sydney multiple times a week,” Dowler said.
They decided to start their own team, but they needed a star player.
As well as being a talented wheelchair basketball player, Okonnen is famous for his bold approach to recruiting and headhunting players.
Luke Pople celebrates winning gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, alongside Hannah Dodd.(Facebook: Wollongong Roller Hawks)
His first move was to recruit Canadian Joey Johnson, who had just won a gold medal for wheelchair basketball at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
“I met him and asked him to play for us — he was one of the best players in the world at the time and he said OK,” Okonnen said.
“He showed up and taught us how to play.”
The Roller Hawks entered the National Wheelchair Basketball League in 2001 and won their first title two years later.
“I still recruit players, but fortunately other people do too, and the team itself encourages players to come and play with us,” Okonnen said.
He said after people saw a game they realized the sport was more physical and fast-paced than they may have thought.
“It’s not people playing in hospital chairs — they’re playing in F1 cars and you’d be amazed what people can do in a wheelchair.”
Commonwealth Games 3×3 representative Luke Pople is among the next generation of Roller Hawks players to represent Australia.(Facebook: Wollongong Roller Hawks)
‘Never looked back’
Okonnen’s persuasive nature saw him recruit club captain Brett Stibners after he lost his left leg after a car accident.
Brett Stibners did not want to try wheelchair basketball after he lost a leg following a car accident, but changed his mind after watching a game.(ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)
“I found out where he lived, introduced myself and on the first meeting he said, ‘Go away, I’m not interested,'” Okonnen said.
“I gave him more time and went back again and it was the same story.
“Then his mum and dad took him to see a game and once he saw a game he’s never looked back.”
Dowler said proactive recruitment had been a hallmark of the Wollongong Roller Hawks.
“I’m not as up front as Eino,” he said.
“He’ll accost people in the car park at the supermarket.”
Smaller market advantages
Wollongong has a population of about 220,000 and Dowler said being a regional hub had its advantages over larger cities.
“There’s not one reason for our success, but we have a great association and basketball is strong in Wollongong with the Hawks at the NBL level,” he said.
“We’ve had a great committee over the years, but we’ve also had support from councillors, politicians, businesses and the media, as well as a great bunch of people.
“Being in a regional city is an advantage over Sydney and Melbourne because we’re a tight-knit team and can hang out together and train more easily than the bigger cities can.”
The Wollongong Roller Hawks celebrate winning the 2022 league title in July.(Facebook: Wollongong Roller Hawks)
Peter Bol took one look at the start list and knew he wasn’t going to get the race he wanted.
But rather than fret about it he made a decision to overcome it — and he very nearly did in a thrilling men’s 800m final at the Commonwealth Games on Monday morning (AEST).
The 28-year-old was still smiling after he took the silver medal, but there will always be a part of him that looks back at his incredible achievement as “bitter sweet”.
Bol described the race as “strange” and was left lamenting the tactics at play that resulted in the first 500m being run ultra-slow.
It was playing out as he expected — not in his favour.
Bol told reporters after the race he knew it was going to be a slow race because there were no front-runners anywhere on the start list.
It meant he was unable to run the race he wanted as he took just a brief moment to respond when Kenyan Wyclife Kinyamal took off with more than 200m to go. That brief, micro, delay was all it took in the end as Kinyamal, the defending champion, won by just 0.14 seconds in a time of 1:47.52.
It will be particularly painful for Bol to see his time of 1:47.66 after he ran a 1:47.01 in the heats — and a 1:45.51 at the world championships in Oregon last month.
Silver medalist Peter Bol was so close. Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images.Source: Getty ImagesPeter Bol did us proud. Picture: Michael Klein.Source: News Corp Australia
“Looking at the start list and there’s no front runners out there,” he said.
“So I just knew it was going to be tactical and I knew I just had to come home strong and that’s what I did so I’m happy with that.
“After the first lap, and I’ve been saying it, it’s so tactical… I saw 55 (seconds) and I said to myself, ‘Stay relaxed, stay relaxed’.
“Maybe in 20 more meters I could have got him. But it’s the 800m not the 820m.”
Bol looked like he was about to go up alongside Kinyamal with 50m to run, but he just didn’t have the legs to keep his charge going.
Bol, who became a cult hero en route to his fourth-placed finish at last year’s Olympic final, was hoping to become the first Australian in 40 years to win 800m gold.
“What an environment and atmosphere, so close but will take second today,” Bol told Channel 7. “I’m pretty happy with that, to be honest. It was a strange race again, super slow but the 800m is super tactical.
“I thought, stay relaxed, stay relaxed but he (Kinyamal) is so strong and kept going and going. It’s just racing, I raced the best I could and came up short but … silver medal in the Commonwealth Games, we are second which is really good.
Australian Peter Bol chases down winner Wyclife Kinyamal to win silver. Picture: Michael Klein.Source: News Corp Australia
“We speak of this journey and we have different people from different years, I want to say a massive thanks to my family, especially my parents… I’m so grateful for them. This is for them, this is for my family, this is for the country.
“There’s a kid out there with a Peter Bol sign so definitely for him. I have to go find him.”
Seven commentator Bruce McAvaney said the race started on a “sluggish” note and Tamsyn Manou agreed, adding: “It is slower than we would have liked.”
At the conclusion of the race, Manou said: “Peter Bol did everything he possibly could there, he got into the right position, he covered… when Kinyamal made that move.
“Peter has still done us proud. People expected him to win that gold but we are talking about an athlete (Kinyamal) who is the defending champion and there is nothing more Peter Bol could have done.
“I hope everyone in Australia is very proud of Peter Bol, because we certainly are.”
England’s Ben Pattison was third in 1:48.25sec.
Bol embarrassed the rest of the field in the heats of the men’s 800m with an imperious run on Wednesday. He then had four agonizing days to wait for Monday’s final.
The Olympics finalist won his heat and was the fastest overall qualifier despite pulling up with 50m still to run.
Bol last month had a disappointing run in the world championships final after he became the first Australian man to ever contest an 800m final at the World Champs.
Earlier, Abbey Caldwell produced a huge shock when she collected the bronze in the women’s 1500m. The 21-year-old just nudged out fellow Aussie Linden Hall.
Australia has finished the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham at the top of the standings and 10 gold medals ahead of second-placed England.
The green and gold team won 67 gold, 57 silver and 54 bronze medals during the competition.
The Kookaburras beat India in the final of the men’s hockey to secure Australia’s last gold medal of the Games.
You can check out how theaction unfolded in our Commonwealth Games closing ceremony blog, or have a look at the medal winners and the top 10 medal standings by country below:
Final day medal winners:
Gold:
The Kookaburras beat India in the men’s hockey
Silver:
Jian Fang Lay and Minhyung Jee claimed silver in the table tennis
Shixin Li and Maddison Keeney, diving, mixed 3m synchronized springboard
Bronze:
Cassiel Rousseau and Emily Boyd, diving, mixed synchronized 10m platform
However, you want to describe it, Aussie Kelsey-Lee Barber simply has that champion quality that all the great legends are made of.
Fresh from her record-breaking world championships victory last month, Barber pulled off a famous win in the javelin at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday night (AEST), taking the lead with her final throw.
Barber was pushed to her limits by Aussie Mackenzie Little, who had led all the way until the second-final throw of the event.
Barber won the gold by just 16cm with a monster final throw of 64.43m.
Little threw two personal bests in the competition and it still wasn’t enough as Barber produced a monster effort right at the death.
It was a super-human comeback after she tested positive to Covid last week and was isolated from the rest of the Aussie team.
Athletics commentator David Culbert said in commentary on Channel 7: “That is extraordinary, take a bow. That’s unbelievable.”
Barber, who won bronze at the Glasgow Games in 2014 and silver at the Gold Coast Games in 2018, was also stunned when interviewed after the final throws.
“I am in shock still. I went over to the fence and I said… my brain is a bit fuzzy,” she said.
“I don’t know what just happened. But you are right it is a beautiful story to share over my Commonwealth Games journey and I am happy to come away with a gold.”
Barber had thrown 66.91 in the final at the world championships in Oregon.
Legendary Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne brought the curtain down on the Commonwealth Games in spectacular style on Monday as dominant Australia celebrated finishing top of the medals table yet again.
Athletes swarmed Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium for a closing party that also featured UB40, Dexys and a tribute to Peaky Blinders, the global hit TV show about the city’s most notorious gang.
Birmingham-born Osbourne, known as the “Prince of Darkness”, brought the ceremony to a climax after emerging as the surprise act.
Osbourne was recently seen looking frail following a major back operation in June, two years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
But the 73-year-old put on an energetic performance of the Black Sabbath’s biggest hit paranoid to put a cap on the 11-day sporting extravaganza.
The show, celebrating Birmingham’s rise from the wreckage of World War II and its emergence as a diverse and vibrant modern city, brought 11 days of sporting action to a close.
Earlier, six-time defending champions Australia wrapped up their campaign in style, hammering India 7-0 in the men’s hockey final to end up with 67 golds overall.
Hosts England ended in second place with 57 golds, ahead of Canada on 26 and India on 22, with para sports included in the medal tally.
Sporting powerhouse Australia have topped the table at every Games since 1990 except in 2014, when England finished in first place in Glasgow.
Australia hockey captain Aran Zalewski said winning the Commonwealth Games title is “harder than you think”.
“We have won seven, but it’s not as simple as coming out here and winning,” he said.
Elsewhere on Monday, Scotland’s James Heatly and Grace Reid won the mixed synchronized 3m springboard final, with England pair Noah Williams and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix taking gold in the 10m event.
India celebrated a golden double in badminton.
World number seven PV Sindhu won the women’s singles, overcoming Canada’s Michelle Li, while Lakshya Sen beat Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong to win the men’s gold.
India’s Sharath Kamal Achanta beat England’s Liam Pitchford 4-1 in the men’s singles table tennis gold-medal match.
Birmingham 2022 CEO Ian Reid told a briefing earlier that the Games had been a huge boost for the city and the surrounding area.
He said more than 1.5 million tickets had been sold, with most venues above 90 per cent capacity.
“One of the goals at the outset was to put the city on the world map and instill that huge pride across everyone that lives in the region and I think we’ve achieved that,” he said.
“I think that can lead to much bigger and greater things.”
Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir said there had been “huge engagement” with the Games globally.
She added a number of countries had expressed an interest in staging future Commonwealth Games, including African nations.
She said Birmingham, which already had many facilities in place, could be a blueprint for the future.
“It is definitely not something we want people to spend huge amounts of money and capital investment if it is not needed and desired by the long-term plans for the country,” she said.
The Birmingham Games made history in being the first to award more medals to women than men.
Australian swimming great Emma McKeon became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history, with 20 medals — including six golds in Birmingham.
And the tiny island of Niue won its first ever Commonwealth Games medal, a boxing bronze for Duken Tutakitoa-Williams.
Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin handed the flag to Linda Dessau, the governor of the Australian state of Victoria, which will host the 2026 Games.
Martin said Birmingham had put on an event “unlike any we’ve seen before”.
“We are emerging from one of the most challenging periods in modern history, where the Covid-19 pandemic has kept us apart,” she said.
“Birmingham 2022 proved to be a special moment when we reunited, when the power of sport to connect us came into sharp focus.”
The Commonwealth Games closing ceremony gave us a bright, bold, and banging Brummie farewell, and an uplifting handover to Victoria 2026.
So with the Games now officially over, we’ve picked out some of our favorite moments from the 11 absorbing days of competition.
Oliver Hoare stuns hot field to win 1,500m
From an Australian perspective, when it comes to a pure sporting spectacle against a world-class field, Oliver Hoare’s win in the men’s 1,500 meters is at the top.
Oliver Hoare won in breathtaking fashion.(Getty Images: David Ramos)
Hoare was racing against the current world champion as well as the reigning Olympic bronze and silver medalists.
It was perhaps the strongest field of any athletics event at the Games.
And not only did Hoare win it, he did it in the most breathtaking fashion.
Coming fourth around the bend, he started gaining ground in that final stretch, with those watching thinking, ‘He’s going to get bronze, he’s going to get silver … OH MY GOSH, HE’S WON IT!’
He lunged to the line as Kenya’s Abel Kipsang stumbled, and cemented his place in Australia’s middle-distance running folklore.
Packed crowds create brilliant atmosphere, especially for local athletes
When the members of the ABC Sport team turned up to Birmingham a few days before the Games began, we were a little worried.
The people we spoke to seemed almost oblivious that the Games were about to start, and there was an air of indifference around the town.
But once the opening ceremony rolled around, it was like a flick was switched, and Brummies turned out in force and in full voice.
It didn’t matter what the venue was — whether it was the 30,000 seat Alexander Stadium, or one of the small halls at the National Exhibition Center — the energy generated by the staunchly pro-England/Home Nations fans was invigorating.
There are a few events that stood out.
The 3×3 basketball men’s Ashes gold medal contest between England and Australia was out of control.
When Birmingham’s own Myles Hesson sunk the Australians in overtime, there was a mind-blowing explosion of noise that shook the small venue to its core.
Similarly, the women’s 10,000m final was something special to watch.
Scotland’s Eilish McColgan and Kenya’s Irine Cheptai were engaged in a tight battle, but as they embarked on the final lap, the crowd seemed to transfer their strength to McColgan and you could see the power of their voices pushing her to the line first.
Eilish McColgan and Irine Cheptai gave it everything in a thrilling final lap of the women’s 10,000m final.(Getty Images: Al Bello)
The best part was she added to her own family’s legacy. Her mum de ella, and coach, Liz McColgan (nee Nuttall) won the same event twice.
And Emily Campbell came into these Games with the weight of England on her shoulders.
She was the co-flag-bearer and was under immense pressure as the first female British weightlifter to get a medal at an Olympics — her silver in Tokyo last year.
She dealt with the occasion beautifully and was repaid by the jubilant home fans.
Micky Yule’s full-circle moment creates high emotion
It was one of the most extraordinary stories to come out of the Games.
Scotland’s Micky Yule lost both his legs when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan while serving in the Royal Engineers 12 years ago.
He came to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital in a coma and spent the early weeks of his recovery here.
Nothing was going to stop Micky Yule from winning a medal in the men’s heavyweight division.(Getty Images: Al Bello)
The para powerlifter returned to the city full of raw passion, power and emotion, and claimed a bronze medal that meant the absolute world to him.
His six-year-old daughter Tilly was there. She joined him on the podium after the medal ceremony, and there were tears all around (including from this reporter) as he exemplified the truly transformative power of sport.
The thrill of being there
Gold is great. And sure, as Australians we especially love it come the Commonwealth Games, but there is something particularly striking about those athletes that are ecstatic to receive minor medals, or even just be there at all.
Diver Sam Fricker and wrestler Jayden Lawrence were among the Australian athletes absolutely overjoyed with their bronze medals.
Australia’s Jayden Lawrence (right) defeated South Africa’s Edward Lessing to claim bronze in the men’s freestyle wrestling 86kg.(Getty Images: Tom Dulat)
And England’s Liam Murray was the happiest non-medallist we encountered at the Games.
The para powerlifter lapped up every second of his experience at his home Games, egging the crowd on, who obliged with booming chants of “LIAM, LIAM” throughout his lifts in the men’s heavyweight final.
“When I had my [spinal cord] injury five years ago, I thought my life was over and now I’ve just experienced the best day of my life,” he told us after his fifth placing.
“So for anyone out there who’s struggling and going through hard times, there’s better times ahead.”
Australian record-breakers
It’s only fair to finish on the Australian athletes who set new standards at the Commonwealth Games with astonishing achievements.
Swimmer Emma McKeon won six gold medals to take her overall tally to 14 — the most won by any Australian.
And she now has the most medals of any Commonwealth Games athlete with 20.
Georgia Godwin was a breakout star in the artistic gymnastics with golds in the individual all-round event and vault, and silvers in the team final, uneven bars, and beam.
Madi de Rozario became Australia’s most successful Commonwealth Games para-athlete with four gold medals.
While the marathon had a disappointingly small field due to a number of issues, she still had to overcome one of the toughest courses of her career to win that event. Then she backed it up on the track in a 1,500m race that did n’t go to plan to add to her growing legacy of her.
And the team sports provided some priceless moments, from Australia’s women winning the inaugural T20 cricket gold, to the Diamonds avenging their pool defeat to Jamaica in the decider, and the Kookaburras winning a phenomenal seventh-straight men’s hockey gold.
Birmingham has set the standard, giving Victoria plenty to live up to in four years’ time.
An English cyclist beaten to gold by an Australian in the Commonwealth Games time trial has taken aim after losing out again in a “rubbish” road race won by “boring” Aussie tactics.
Three days after finishing runner-up to Grace Brown, Anna Henderson finished 24th as Georgia Baker took gold in Sunday’s 112km contest.
Watch Australia take gold and bronze in the push to the finish
Stream Seven’s coverage of the Commonwealth Games 2022 for free on 7plus >>
Baker and fellow Australian Sarah Roy, who won bronze, immediately posed for celebratory photos with teammates Brown, Alexandra Manly, Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Brodie Chapman.
But while several riders from other nations congratulated Baker and Roy, others were far from impressed.
Henderson vowed to be active and launched a series of attacks in the race – only to be continually threatened by Brown and Brodie Chapman, and her frustration showed afterwards.
“It was a rubbish race. The Australians had a really boring race plan,” the 23-year-old said.
“The Australians just played it really boring, didn’t really make a show of it.
“As a rider like me sometimes you’re going to get marked out. We made a break but unfortunately it came back. I was a bit disappointed today.”
Chapman was unaware of Henderson’s criticism when she took the high road and credited the Englishwoman for her challenges.
“Anna was insanely strong,” the 31-year-old Aussie said.
“She definitely put the sting in everyone’s legs today.”
Australia’s tactics may have been ruthless but they were also faultless, providing Baker with the opportunity to win her third gold medal at Birmingham 2022 following two victories inside the velodrome.
She joins the great Kathy Watt as the only Australians to win gold on the road and track at the same Commonwealth Games.
Baker, Manly, Roy, Brown, Roseman-Gannon and Chapman won as a team. Credit: Alex Whitehead/AAP
EVERYEVENT:Check out the full Commonwealth Games schedule
TALLY MEDAL:Every gold, silver and bronze at Birmingham 2022
LATEST RESULTS:Detailed breakdown of every event at the Games
“I’m pretty happy – it was a whole team effort and I’m just so proud I could pull it off for the team,” Baker said.
“The girls led me out beautifully.”
Australia had several winning options and fellow sprinter Alex Manly was originally their protected rider.
But a change to the finish straight meant they committed to Baker, which was confirmed on the road with 20km left.
“The way Australian cycling is developing and moving forward, we should be able to do this more in the future,” said Baker, who rides on the road for the Australian BikeExchange-Jayco team.
Australia’s ruthless tactics were also faultless, putting two riders on the podium. Credit: David Davis/AP
Roy’s bronze was a satisfying turn after finishing fourth in her only track event last week.
The 36-year-old, like Baker, was more than happy to benefit from the Australian group’s teamwork.
“We didn’t have to worry about anyone in the team, we all could trust each other 100 per cent,” Roy said.
“It’s exactly what you want in a team.”
– with APA
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