Established 1961 13 Sports Tuesday, April 10, 2018 Simbine upsets stumbling Blake to win 100 metres gold medal Ahye wins women’s 100m gold GOLD COAST: (From L) South Africa’s Henricho Bruintjies, South Africa’s Akani Simbine and Jamaica’s Yohan GOLD COAST: (From L) England’s Asha Philip, Jamaica’s Christania Williams, Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle- Blake, compete in the athletics men’s 100m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Lee Ahye cross the finish line in the athletics women’s 100m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast yesterday. Games yesterday. — AFP photos GOLD COAST: Akani Simbine upstaged favourite Bolt, who retired last year with eight Olympic golds metres as quick as I can because I know if I put that Commonwealth double with a comfortable win in the Yohan Blake to win the 100 metres gold medal for including two 4x100 relay titles shared with Blake, together the rest of my race will come together,” said 1,500m heats in four minutes and 05.86 seconds. South Africa at the Commonwealth Games yesterday, tweeted his congratulations to his team mate and the Pretoria 24-year-old. The South Africa flag-bearer, who will run in the ending Jamaica’s reign over the sprint. Simbine. “Well done @YohanBlake. Keep putting in the “Being able to run in lane eight and lane nine with 800, qualified fastest for Tuesday’s final ahead of home With a heaving crowd at Carrara Stadium roaring, work. You know your Henricho and placing runner Georgia Griffith (4:06.41) and Kenya’s Mary Rio Olympic finalist Simbine blazed away after Blake journey,” the sprint great first and second with Kuria. Even with the absence of Wayde van Niekerk botched his start, and crossed the line in 10.03 seconds, said. him, it’s really amazing. and reigning champion Kirani James, the men’s 400m leading a South African one-two with team mate The path to gold was And it’s a big thing for boasts quality and looks to be a battle between Henricho Bruintjies. made smoother for It was a better South Africa sprinting Botswana’s flamboyant Isaac Makwala and Grenada’s A stumbling Blake struggled for balance and by the Simbine when England and South African Rio Olympic finalist Bralon Taplin. time he regained it, the race was over, leaving him dis- runner Adam Gemili, a night for world sports.” Makwala, who was barred from competing in the appointed with the bronze and a time of 10.19. 4x100m relay gold Jamaica was also world championships’ 400 final in London last year The third fastest man of all time, Blake topped quali- medallist at the London champion denied in the women’s over illness fears, qualified fastest for the final with a fying with a time of 10.06 and had been warned joking- world championships, 100, with Trinidad and time of 45.00 seconds. ly by Bolt not to come home without gold in his lug- pulled out before the Semenya Tobago’s Michelle-Lee After crossing the line, the 31-year-old did two gage. “I was stumbling all the way,” the 28-year-old final with a thigh injury. Ahye taking the gold in push-ups on the track and grinned at the TV camera. told reporters ruefully. “I just didn’t recover from it. It Simbine’s victory 11.14, holding off Blake’s New Zealand’s world champion Tomas Walsh threw was a pretty easy race for me to win because I’ve been ended Jamaica’s domina- team mate Christania 21.41 metres to take the shot put gold, going one better feeling good. tion of the Williams (11.21) and than his silver at Glasgow. “It was just never (going) to happen today, I don’t Commonwealth 100m dating back to the 2006 Games third-placed Gayon Evans. Stella Chesang fought off Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa to know. I’m a bit disappointed because I’ve been feeling in Melbourne. “I wasn’t focused on (Blake). I was just It was a better night for world and Olympic 800m take the 10,000m gold for Uganda and win her maiden good, I’ve been running good.” focused on myself and making sure I get to the 50 champion Caster Semenya, who kicked off her bid for a Commonwealth medal. — Reuters cool in the end.” “Awesome night-I don’t Sweet 16 as le where to start,” added the 25-year-old, pointing to Cameron van der Burgh’s upset of world record-holder Adam Clos carves out Peaty in the 50m breaststroke, and The hit factory: Tatjana Schoenmaker’s victory in the Games history women’s 100m breaststroke. “Cameron was phenomenal. That was How British boxing one of the best performances I’ve ever GOLD COAST: Chad le Clos toasted seen him do. And then Tatjana, super- took on the world South African success in and out of the star, getting the double gold (in the 100 pool at the Commonwealth Games yes- and 200m).” Draped in a South African terday after rewriting the history books flag, le Clos also paid tribute to track GOLD COAST: When Anthony Joshua beat Joseph yet again. The 25-year-old completed a sprinter Akani Simbine’s shock victory Parker in their recent world heavyweight title unifica- butterfly hat-trick by romping to victory over Jamaica’s Yohan Blake in the men’s tion bout, it was more than just a personal victory-it in the men’s 100 metres final in a Games- 100m metres at the Commonwealth was further evidence of the rude health of British box- record 50.65 seconds to become the Games athletics, with Henricho ing. British fighters are prominent in multiple weight most decorated Commonwealth Games Bruintjies taking silver. divisions at professional and amateur level, with the lat- swimmer of all time with 16 career “We got gold and silver in the 100m- est talent off the conveyor belt in action at the medals. Le Clos, who shot to fame at the unbelievable!” whooped le Clos, before Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast. 2012 London Olympics when he floored returning to van der Burgh’s stunning Lee Pullen has been an integral part of the process Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly, in defeat of Peaty. “But Cameron’s win was and did his bit too in the fast rise of the 28-year-old one of the sport’s great upsets, wanted very special. Knowing what he’s been GOLD COAST: South Africa’s Chad Le Clos poses with his gold medal after win- Joshua, a former Olympic champion who is now to share his achievement with his team- through in the last couple of years, ning the swimming men’s 100m butterfly final during the 2018 Gold Coast unbeaten in 21 professional bouts and a hugely popular figure in Britain. mates on a big night for South Africa on especially with Peaty. Commonwealth Games, yesterday. — AFP the Gold Coast. “Obviously Peaty is the world record- Pullen, a full-time coach at the GB Boxing pro- “That’s 16!” le Clos told AFP after holder, so for him to win that is unbeliev- gramme and with the English team at the surpassing Australian great Susie able. You’ve got to tip your cap to the way with 18. Despite adding three miss it by one but I’ve done everything Commonwealths, described how Joshua spends 90 O’Neill. “I’m very humbled. I knew had Cameron.” Le Clos arrived in Australia gold and one silver to his haul, le Clos that I could,” said le Clos, contesting sev- minutes stretching or warming down after training. It is that “attention to detail” that Pullen said England’s to win tonight-a lot of pressure obvious- hoping to become the most successful will now have to until Birmingham 2022 en events in Gold Coast. “I’m very proud eight men and four women boxers at the ongoing athlete in Commonwealth Games history. ly going in as the favourite. James (Guy) to overtake them after failing to medal in of myself personally. Nothing could have Games should emulate if they want to reach the top. I knew was going to come out guns He was six medals behind shooters the 200m freestyle and the 4x100m free. gone better for me this week. I couldn’t “For the majority of the (coaching) team we’ve blazing. It was a tight race but I kept my Mick Gault and Philip Adams, who lead “If I get a (relay) medal tomorrow, I’ll ask for a better way to end.”—AFP worked with Josh throughout his pro career and we trained him as an amateur so we enjoyed the journey to where he is now,” said Pullen, 59, a former amateur Commonwealth Games. Father-of-four Chase, who boxer. “He’s so receptive it’s untrue. He wants to get No dreadlock made his Games debut in Manchester 16 years ago, better, continuously. Again, attention to detail.” Pullen bears a passing resemblance to wild-haired Hollywood identified another trait in champions. “They don’t whinge, they don’t moan,” he said. “Real fighters, prop- pirate Jack Sparrow when he aims his gun, due to his er men, never find an excuse why they lost.” holiday for unusual shooting style. He shoots with his right hand while focusing with his ‘MORE THAN BOXING’ Barbados left eye to compensate for a glaucoma problem. “People There are eight current professional world champi- think I’m a little bit of a freak because I’m left-eye ons from Britain, several of whom-including Joshua and dominant,” the Barbadian record-holder said with a super-middleweight champion James DeGale-came rasta-blaster chuckle.