GLASGOW (AFP) — Jamaica and Kenya had a night to remember on the third day of Commonwealth Games action on Tuesday, the track and field powerhouses reaping a big haul of medals, while Canada also nabbed two golds.
Stephanie McPherson led an impressive Jamaican clean sweep of 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 in a slow-paced 10,000m, while Faith Kibiegon claimed gold in the women’s 1500m as favoured teammate Hellen Onsando Obiri faded badly.
“I’m so, so happy it was Kenya for one, two and three,” said Chepkirui, who led home Florence Kiplagat and Emily Chebet in 32min 09.35sec after a powerful surge 50 metres from the line.
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 big screen. At 200 metres she bolted, but Chepkirui responded on the inside and nipped her by seven hundredths of a second.
“It was so close near the end but I knew my body was in good shape,” said Chepkirui. “I’m happy I could win at my first Commonwealth Games.”
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 mastectomy, 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.
“We came out here and put on a good show!” beamed Williams-Mills.
Riley clocked 13.32sec in the high hurdles, pushed all the way by English silver medallist William Sharman. Defending champion Andy Turner crashed out in the semi-final with hot favourite Hansle Parchment absent.
Williams’ victory in the triple jump was slightly more academic, a best of 14.21m enough to comfortably see off England’s Laura Samuel (14.09).
