Jamaica and Kenya had a night to remember on the third day of Commonwealth Games action, the track and field powerhouses reaping a big haul of medals, while Canada also nabbed two golds
Stephanie McPherson led an impressive Jamaican cleansweep of a high-quality women’s 400m, while there were also golds for Andrew Riley in the 110m hurdles and Kimberly Williams in the triple jump.
Not to be outdone, Joyce Chepkirui led a Kenyan 1-2-3 of a slow-paced 10,000m, while Faith Kibiegon claimed gold in the women’s 1500m as favoured teammate Hellen Onsando Obiri faded badly.
The Kenyan trio were in complete control of the race from the off and waited until the field had strung out and the bell sounded for the final lap before making any moves. It was Kiplagat who led the threesome into last 400m, eyes glued on the stadium bigscreen. At 200 metres she bolted, but Chepkirui responded on the inside and nipped her by seven hundredths of a second.
It was a similar story in the 400m, McPherson, in 50.67sec, pulling out all the stops to squeeze past Novelene Williams-Mills (50.86), whose battle with cancer saw her have a double masectomy, and Christine Day (51.09). Defending champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana, also the 2011 world champion, finished just one hundredth of a second off the podium in a race in which current world champion Christine Ohurugogu elected not to compete, preferring to concentrate solely on the 4x400m relay.
Riley clocked 13.32sec in the high hurdles, pushed all the way by English silver medallist William Sharman.
Stephanie McPherson led an impressive Jamaican cleansweep of a high-quality women’s 400m, while there were also golds for Andrew Riley in the 110m hurdles and Kimberly Williams in the triple jump.
Not to be outdone, Joyce Chepkirui led a Kenyan 1-2-3 of a slow-paced 10,000m, while Faith Kibiegon claimed gold in the women’s 1500m as favoured teammate Hellen Onsando Obiri faded badly.
The Kenyan trio were in complete control of the race from the off and waited until the field had strung out and the bell sounded for the final lap before making any moves. It was Kiplagat who led the threesome into last 400m, eyes glued on the stadium bigscreen. At 200 metres she bolted, but Chepkirui responded on the inside and nipped her by seven hundredths of a second.
It was a similar story in the 400m, McPherson, in 50.67sec, pulling out all the stops to squeeze past Novelene Williams-Mills (50.86), whose battle with cancer saw her have a double masectomy, and Christine Day (51.09). Defending champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana, also the 2011 world champion, finished just one hundredth of a second off the podium in a race in which current world champion Christine Ohurugogu elected not to compete, preferring to concentrate solely on the 4x400m relay.
Riley clocked 13.32sec in the high hurdles, pushed all the way by English silver medallist William Sharman.