Caldwell, men’s relay cap golden Games haul
Shayne Hope |
Abbey Caldwell has led an Australian clean sweep of the women’s mile, putting a golden seal on the nation’s stunning Commonwealth Games athletics campaign on a medal-laden night in Glasgow.
Caldwell stormed to gold in the final track event on the Scotstoun Stadium program, leading home compatriots Jessica Hull and Claudia Hollingsworth.
It came after sprint king Lachie Kennedy spearheaded a dramatic victory in the men’s 4x100m relay.
Kennedy and his teammates sent a message to the world when they stunned Olympic champions Canada, who were second across the line, but later disqualified for an illegal changeover.
Kurtis Marschall (pole vault), Mackenzie Little (javelin), Matt Denny (discus), Jemima Montag (10,000m race walk) and Rhiannon Clarke (200m T38) also won gold on the final day of the athletics program.
Emerging star Cameron Myers had to settle for silver behind Scotland’s dominant world record holder Josh Kerr in the men’s mile, while Ky Robinson added 5000m silver to his 10,000m gold and Luke Boyes claimed his first major international medal with silver in the 800m.
Australia’s women’s 4x100m relay team were a whisker away from a medal, finishing a gallant fourth.
Caldwell underlined another historic night for Australia when she surged home in four minutes 39.31 seconds, ahead of Hull (4:39.86) and Hollingsworth (4:40.20).
It was a second silver for Hull, who was second to fellow Australian Rose Davies in the 5000m.
Australia won the men’s relay in 38.07 secs, with Nigeria (38.12) promoted to silver and Ghana (38.13) taking bronze.
South Africa, featuring two members of their Olympic silver medal-winning team, were also disqualified as Australia claimed their first win in the event since 1974.
The last time the country won a medal, it was bronze in 2002.
National record holder and 100m individual silver medallist Kennedy gave Australia a strong start, teaming with Josh Azzopardi and Calab Law before Rohan Browning brought it home.
“These guys did all the hard work, put me in a winning position,” Browning said.
“All I had to do was hold on.
“Four years ago I fell over in the heat, got this team DQ’d, had to carry the burden of that for the past four years and today makes gold taste extra sweet.”
Making the result even more impressive, Australia pulled it off without teen sensation Gout Gout and former Kiwi Eddie Nketia.
Gout prioritised the U20 world championships, before he was sidelined with a serious hamstring injury.
He and Nketia, who reached the individual 100m final in Glasgow, could be part of an even more formidable relay team for the Los Angeles Olympics in two years’ time.
Robinson dug deep late in a gruelling 5000m tussle to cross the line second behind Kenya’s Mathew Kipsang. India’s Gulveer Singh was third.
The 24-year-old said silver was “nothing to be sad about” despite falling just short of his target of matching compatriot Rose Davies’ historic 5000-10,000m double.
“The plan is always gold and gold. Unfortunately, it fell a little short, you know,” Robinson said.
“When you’re out here racing, you want to win.
“That’s how simple it is and I don’t think that there was much I could have done today to win that race. I gave it my all.”
AAP