Games begin with ‘nerve-racking’ Disco win, Zambia rout
Shayne Hope |
The weight of history on his shoulders, Australian bowler Aaron Wilson has made a nerve-jangling start to his bid for a third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Wilson opened his account as bowls took centre stage as the first event on the Games schedule at Glasgow’s SEC Centre on Thursday, ahead of the opening ceremony.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the man known as ‘Disco’ in his 8-4 6-6 victory over Guernsey’s Jason Greenslade.
Wilson fell behind 6-1 in the second set of his men’s singles opener but fought back to tie it and triumphed in front of a small but vocal crowd, which included Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.
“I always knew it was going to be a tough game and the first one is always a nerve-racking one to start your campaign,” Wilson said.
“But to get the win first, and in that sort of style, will certainly boost the confidence.
“At 6-1 down, I was not a big fan of that. But with a bit of resilience you never know, you can still come back and win the game.
“It’s not a bad thing to cop that (tough encounter first up).”
Wilson won gold on debut at the 2018 Gold Coast Games and repeated the dose in Birmingham in 2022.
A third consecutive singles title would make the 34-year-old just the second person to complete the feat, after English great David Bryant, who won the last of his four successive titles in 1978.
“I try not to think about it too much. As far as I’m concerned, it’s another Games,” Wilson said.
“My preparation stays the same and the right attitude gives us a chance.”
Wilson’s first-up victory came after Dawn Hayman and Kelsey Cottrell made a positive start to the women’s pairs, beating Zambian opponents Gertrude Siame and Foster Banda 6-4 14-0.
“It was a very exciting start going out there in front of the big crowds with all the music, and to get the win was a really good bonus,” Games debutant Hayman said.
“Kelsey played a great shot to win us the first set there and we cruised on in the second set to get the win.”
Hayman and Cottrell, who won gold together at the 2023 world championships in the women’s triples, loom as a gold medal threat in Glasgow.
The bowls program is being run indoors at Glasgow for the first time in Games history.
Instead of the outdoor greens, where the Australians won a record three gold and three silver medals four years ago, this time they are playing on artificial turf.
“It’s chalk and cheese,” three-time Games medallist Cottrell said.
“We don’t get the wind and the rain and that sort of stuff … but the surface itself, the carpet can vary with the different temperatures.
“We noticed in the first few ends it felt a bit quicker and I was thinking maybe that’s just adrenaline.
“But as more people came in and we continued into the game, the green started to slow down just a little touch. It’s just adapting to those little changes.”
AAP