Daily Times

GOLD COAST: Chad le Clos’s bid to become the Commonwealth Games’ most decorated athlete hit the skids on Friday as Australia’s gold-medal machine clicked into high gear on Gold Coast. The South African won the 50m butterfly but shortly after stepping off the podium, his seventh-place finish in the 200m freestyle halted his tilt at a record 19 medals. It came as Australia claimed a remarkable five golds in the pool, led by Kyle Chalmers, who won the 200m freestyle and anchored their victory in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Away from the sport, Queensland police charged a Mauritian team official with sexual assault following a complaint by an athlete over an incident last week. The team’s former chef de mission has resigned his post but denied any wrongdoing in the wake of the accusation, according to Mauritian media. The incident follows several sex abuse scandals in sports, and comes with thousands of athletes and officials in the Australian resort city for the 11-day Games.

However, it remained a storming second day for Australia, who grabbed nine gold medals in total to top the table with 14 overall, ahead of England on nine. Le Clos was unbowed about his attempt to beat or equal the record of 18 medals held jointly by shooters Mick Gault and Philip Adams. The South African swimmer now has 13 medals with four events left. “I am only 25 years old, it’s my third Games. There are guys here with six Games,”he said. “I will get the record so there’s no problem.” Mitch Larkin won the 100m backstroke and Clyde Lewis took out the 400m individual medley – and was so wobbly afterwards he had to abort his poolside interview. Emma McKeon won the 100m butterfly and Cate Campbell set a Games record in her 50m freestyle semi-final, a feat matched by England’s Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke semis. “I’m always chasing the clock, I’m always trying to chase a world record,” said world and Olympic champion Peaty, who is unbeaten in the event since his victory at Glasgow 2014. “When we come out tomorrow it’s about the race and who wants it more.”

‘It was epic’: Australia also grabbed two more golds on the second night of track cycling, when Stephanie Morton won the women’s sprint and Matt Glaetzer obliterated the field in the men’s keirin. The hosts have dominated at Anna Meares Velodrome but Scotland’s Archibald family had a night to remember when siblings Katie and John won gold and silver respectively. Katie, a 2016 Olympic team pursuit gold medallist, beat Australia’s Rebecca Wiasak in the 3,000m individual pursuit final, while elder brother John finished behind England’s Charlie Tanfield in the men’s 4,000m individual pursuit. “It was epic… Results just keep on coming and it’s good to keep proving myself on the world stage,” said Tanfield, 21.

India’s Sanjita Chanu Khumukcham won the women’s 53kg weightlifting and Deepak Lather took bronze in the men’s 75kg as the team moved on to four medals in the first two days. Their performance comes despite some DIY rehab and recovery sessions for India’s weightlifters after their physio missed the accreditation deadline and was denied access to the Games village. Gareth Evans of Wales won the men’s 69kg and Australia’s Tia-Clair Toomey thrilled the home crowd when she won the women’s 58kg category with a total lift of 201kg.

Published in Daily Times, April 7^th 2018.