The final was a replay of the one played at Gold Coast 2018.
Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes successfully defended their Commonwealth women’s Beach Volleyball title with a 2-1 comeback victory over Australia.
The final, which was a replay of the one played at Gold Coast 2018, saw the Canadian duo get the better of rivals Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy for their second-successive Commonwealth final.
The Australians took a first-set lead after dominating to edge a 24-22 scoreline, but 2019 world champions Pavan and Humana-Paredes struck back to take the next two 21-17 and 15-12 respectively to seal victory at Smithfield.
Vanuatu beat New Zealand to seal the final place on the podium as Gold Coast bronze medalists Miller Pata and Sherysyn Toko saw off Alice Zeimann and Shaunna Polley2-1.
On winning her second-consecutive Commonwealth bronze medal, Vanuatu’s Pata was filled with pride and dedicated it to her children.
She said: “I am really proud to win my second medal. I am very happy, I don’t even know how to explain it.
“I dedicate it to my two kids back home. I have a boy and a girl, they are probably sleeping now, but I spoke to them before the match and they said: ‘good luck, mom’.
I am really proud to win my second medal. I am very happy
“I know they are proud of me and I miss them, I have been away for three months, but now I get to go home and see them.
“We came up strong and fought for every point.
“I need to thank my partner, she was a hero today and this is her first medal, so I am very proud of her.”
The pair finished 16.68 points ahead of Malaysian pair NG Yan Yee and Nur Dhabitah Sabri.
Australia’s Maddison Keeney and Annabelle Smith produced a flawless performance to win women’s 3m synchronized springboard gold.
The pair finished 16.68 points ahead of Malaysian pair NG Yan Yee and Nur Dhabitah Sabri at Sandwell Aquatics Centre.
Mia Vallee, 21, delivered an incredible display to win the individual 1m springboard final on Friday and added a bronze to her Games haul alongside Margo Erlam.
Smith was delighted to successfully defend the Commonwealth title for Australia and bounce back from a tough showing at Gold Coast 2018.
She said: “Back-to-back Australia. Keeping it in the family.
“Maddi and I had an upsetting Gold Coast campaign in synchro, so it felt good to get that one back today.”
On winning their first Commonwealth title, Smith added: “I feel really proud.
I really feel proud. To actually be there today was really special
“Maddi and I have been together for a really long time but never won a Commonwealth gold medal.
“We knew that we had put in the hard work to get it and we knew that we were good enough to stand at the top of the podium – but to actually be there today was really special.
“We got here pretty early, so it was nice when the diving finally started and now I’m glad it’s over.”
Keeney was pleased that their hard work and perseverance finally paid off.
She said: “It’s every day. We’ve been together for eight years. It’s so much hard work and all of the athletes understand that.
“There have been so many tough teams over the years, and even now, all the divers are amazing.
“It’s both of our first gold medals and I never thought I would be able to get it.”
England appeared to have the gold secured after storming into an 11-2 lead after the sixth end.
Australia completed a remarkable fightback to win gold in the women’s pairs after a thrilling contest against England.
Skip Ellen Ryan delighted the Australian fans in attendance at Victoria Park with a final bowl which knocked out England’s lie and claimed the gold medal.
Ryan sprinted to celebrate with lead Kristina Krstic after the most dramatic of comebacks.
England appeared to have the gold secured after storming into an 11-2 lead after the sixth end.
But the Australian pair fought back in fine fashion, winning the next four ends before the match was level at 12-12 after 12 ends played.
Australia entered the final end trailing by one but were in position to steal the match before England’s Amy Pharoah forced the match to an extra end by knocking out one of Australia’s two bowls, with the match tied at 18-18.
But it was to be heartbreak for England pair Pharoah and Sophie Tolchard as Australia’s final shot proved decisive.
“My stomach is still churning. I can’t describe how I’m feeling. This is just a dream come true for us,” Krstic said.
“Like Ellsy (Ryan) said after winning her singles, we’re not just doing it for ourselves, we’re doing it for the whole crew, all the Australians and everyone that’s supporting us.”
My stomach is still churning. I can’t describe how I’m feeling. This is just a dream come true for us
Tolchard reflected on defeat by saying: “Amy played brilliantly throughout, but it was bit of a game of two halves really. We came back at them at the end, and it went to the extra end, and we lost the toss, so we didn’t have the last bowl.
“We put them under pressure as much as we possibly could, and it just wasn’t meant to be. But I’m so proud of Amy.
“We’ll probably never experience playing in front of a home crowd like that again. They really gave you that will to carry on, especially when I was a bit scratchy at the start of the game. They spurred me on to play better bowls Amazing to have that support.”
In the bronze medal match, New Zealand came out 20-15 winners over Malaysia.
Northern Ireland celebrated their second gold of the Games in the men’s fours after an 18-5 victory over India.
Lead Sam Barkley, second Adam McKeown, third Ian McClure and skip Martin McHugh began the stronger and were leading 7-0 by the fourth end.
India’s Sunil Bahadur, Navneet Singh, Chandan Kumar Singh and Dinesh Kumar finally got on the board by the fifth end but never really threatened Northern Ireland’s dominance and the score was 12-5 by the 10th end.
India failed to score again as the title went to Northern Ireland after 14 ends.
In the bronze medal match, England clinched third on the podium with a 17-12 comeback victory over Wales.
It was another gold for Australia in the men’s singles as Aaron Wilson coasted to a 21-3 victory over Northern Ireland’s Gary Kelly.
Wilson made a quick start and took control as he moved into a 12-0 lead by the end of the eighth end.
Kelly finally got on the board in the ninth end but was still left with a mountain to climb.
Wilson stretched his lead to 18-1 after 12 ends as he moved within three points of victory.
Kelly won the 13th end 2-0 but the Australian soon wrapped up victory with a 2-0 win in the 15th end to seal it.
Scotland’s Iain McLean took the bronze medal with a 21-11 win over Malaysia’s Fairul Izwan Abd Muin.
Anti-abortion advocates in favor of a constitutional amendment that would undo the right to an abortion in the Kansas Constitution are displaying YES signs and those not in favor are posting NO signs.
An anonymous group is sending a misleading text to Kansas voters telling them to “vote yes” in order to protect choice.
“Women in KS are losing their choice on reproductive rights. Voting YES on the amendment will give women a choice. Vote YES to protect women’s health.”
The message went to voters across the state, including former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
The state’s main anti-abortion groups—The Value Them Both Coalition, Kansans for Life and Operation Rescue—all said they did not send the message. The Kansas GOP has also said they are not responsible. A spokeswoman for the Value Them Both Coalition said no member of the coalition, which includes Kansas Family Voice, Kansans for Life, and the Kansas Catholic Conference, sent the text.
“There’s a lot of people trying to confuse people on both sides, I guess,” said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue.
Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, the main “vote no” campaign called the message an example of “desperate and deceitful tactics.”
“This misleading text shouldn’t surprise anyone. The anti-choice movement has been lying to the voters of Kansas for decades,” Sebelius said in a statement. “This act of desperation won’t stop the voters of Kansas from protecting their constitutional rights and freedom by voting NO tomorrow.”
Several Kansans received text messages urging a “yes” vote to “give women a choice” the day before Kansans vote on an amendment to remove abortion rights from the state constitution.
On Tuesday, Kansans will be the first in the nation to vote on abortion rights in a post-Roe world. They are deciding whether or not to approve a constitutional amendment that would remove the right to abortion from the state constitution.
A yes vote would remove the language, which would allow lawmakers to pass laws severely restricting or banning abortion. A no vote would keep the status quo and uphold a 2019 state supreme court decision that found a right to end a pregnancy within the Kansas Constitution.
The text likely does not violate Kansas campaign laws.
Mark Skoglund, the executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, said Kansas law does not require accuracy in campaign communication. Paid-for attribution on text messages is required for candidates but not ballot issues, he said.
“The Campaign Finance Act nor any other law under our jurisdiction places requirements regarding accuracy. In KGEC Advisory Opinion 2004-02, the Commission specifically found that ‘We have reviewed the Kansas Campaign Finance Act (KSA 25-4142 et seq.) in its entirety and nothing in the Act addresses the use of misleading advertising,’” Skoglund said in an email.
Cindy Novelo, a 64-year-old Lawrence Democrat who received the text called it “shameful.” She reported it to her local election office and the American Civil Liberties Union.
“It was so clear. It was very clear and people are looking for clarity. That it was so clear and completely false was just over the top,” she said.
Here are the facts:
What does the Value Them Both constitutional amendment say?
Last year, the Kansas Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to Kansas voters that would overturn the 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision that found a right to abortion in the state constitution.
Supporters call the amendment Value Them Both, referring to the pregnant mother and fetus. The amendment would add the following language to the state constitution:
Regulation of abortion. Because Kansans value both women and children, the constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion. To the extent permitted by the constitution of the United States, the people, through their elected state representatives and state senators, may pass laws regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, laws that account for circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or circumstances of necessity to save the life of the mother.”
What happens to abortion rights if Kansans vote ‘yes’?
A “yes” vote would add language codifying that nothing in the state constitution guarantees the right to an abortion.
It would not immediately ban abortion or change existing laws and regulations. However, it would mean Kansas lawmakers are empowered to pass any abortion restrictions allowable by federal law.
After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June,state lawmakers will be able to pass legislation intended to ban abortion in Kansas if the amendment passes. They would not be required to include exemptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother.
What happens if Kansans vote ‘no’ on the amendment?
If Kansans vote “no,” the state constitution would not change, and the state level right to an abortion would remain even after the recent US Supreme Court ruling. The Legislature would continue to be barred from passing legislation that would restrict abortion access.
Lawmakers could try again to pass the constitutional amendment if it fails. The 2019 decision establishing abortion as a right could also be overruled by justices in the future.
The Star’s Jonathan Shorman and Judy Thomas contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 1, 2022 5:19 PM.
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Katie Bernard covers the Kansas Legislature and state government for the Kansas City Star. She joined the Star as a breaking news reporter in May of 2019 before moving to the politics team in December 2020. Katie studied journalism and political science at the University of Kansas.
England’s James Wilby clinched gold in the men’s 100 meter breaststroke as compatriot Adam Peaty surprisingly finished outside the medals at the Commonwealth Games.
Peaty had never before lost a senior race in his favored event and looked set for a three-peat as the champion at Glasgow 2014 and on the Gold Coast four years ago unsurprisingly led at the halfway point.
But he lost momentum in the closing stages and was reeled in by Wilby, who clocked 59.25 seconds at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, just over an hour’s drive from where Peaty grew up in Uttoxeter.
Zac Stubblety-Cook finished second in 59.52secs while fellow Australian Sam Williamson took bronze in 59.82s, 0.04s ahead of fourth-placed Peaty.
Peaty was making his comeback after suffering a broken foot in May, leading to him missing last month’s World Championship, and his time of 59.86s was just under two seconds slower than his personal best.
“I don’t know what went wrong,” he said. “With 25m to go I had nothing in the tank. Maybe that’s overexposure on the foot. Sometimes you just have a bad race, I can’t pinpoint where I went wrong.
“It was a slow ending, I can’t remember the last time I went that slow. It just didn’t go right. Of course I’m disappointed but that’s what makes you go faster next time.
“I chose to fight, I don’t really care about the stats or how long you’re undefeated. Every time I get on to this box, I’m willing to fight and race anyone in the world.
“I’ve kind of lost that spark, whether it’s with my foot, but I’ll be looking to find that over the next months and into the next two years.”
England still capped a memorable day on the sporting front with top spot on the podium as Wilby went one better than 2018.
It is certainly up there as a special moment that I’ll remember forever.
Wilby, who admitted he was considering his swimming future after a disappointing Olympic campaign, said: “It is certainly up there as a special moment that I’ll remember forever.
“It just adds up to my enjoyment and having that fun back in the sport is everything. We’ve all been faster times than that but I’m loving it and that’s got me to the top of the podium this time.
“Everything else doesn’t matter. I’m always going to have that medal, I’m always going to love looking at it and remembering the moments that brought it here.”
Chad le Clos equaled the record for the most Commonwealth Games medals, collecting his 18th gong with silver in the men’s 200metres butterfly.
While Le Clos was unable to claim a fourth successive gold in this event, the South African moved level with shooting pair Michael Gault and Phil Adams on 18 overall medals.
Le Clos was pipped to gold by New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt while England’s James Guy took bronze.
Alice Tai was another English gold medalist, prevailing in the women’s 100m backstroke S8 final, just a few months after having her right leg amputated below the knee.
“It’s a bit surreal,” she said after coming home in a time of 1min 13.64s, with Wales’ Lily Rice finishing third.
“I started and ended last season with surgery, pulled out of Tokyo, then had an amputation in January. I’ve been learning to walk this year and getting back in the pool was just a bit of fun as I missed swimming.”
Joshua Willmer took gold in the men’s 100m Breaststroke SB8 ahead of the Australian pair of Timothy Hodge and Blake Cochrane.
Emma McKeon lead home an Australian one-two-three in the women’s 50m freestyle.
McKeon came home at 23.99s ahead of compatriots Meg Harris and Shayna Jack.
South Africa’s Tatiana Schoenmaker took gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke in a time of 2:21.92.
Silver went to Australia’s Jenna Strauch with South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett claiming the bronze.
Australia finished on a high as Kaylee McKeown won women’s 100m backstroke gold before they broke the world record to win the women’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay in a time of 7:39.29.
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