by Alfonz Juck
Elijah Manangoi, photo by PhotoRun.netEngland wins both 4×100 m relays in World leads
GOLD COAST (AUS, Apr 14): Kenyans Elijah Manangoi and Timothy Cheruiyot repeated their one-two from last year’s World Championships on the final day of stadium track and field action at the Commonwealth Games. Manangoi ran 3:34.78 as Cheruiyot was on 3:35.17. Scotland’s Jake Wightman won bronze in 3:35.97. World champion Hellen Obiri won a tactical 5000 m in 15:13.11, chased closely until the final straight by team-mate Margaret Kipkemboi (15:15.28). England’s Laura Weightman won bronze in 15:25.84 . India’s Neeraj Chopra took the javelin with 86.47m – a season’s best and one centimetre below the world junior record he set two years ago. Australia’s Hamish Peacock took silver with 82.59m and Grenada’s Anderson Peters the bronze with 82.20m. In her fourth Games, high jumper Levern Spencer took her and Saint Lucia’s first Commonwealth gold, clearing 1.95m (WL) to beat England’s Morgan Lake (1.93m) and Australia’s Nicola McDermott (1.91m PB). England took both sprint relays. The quartet of Reuben Arthur, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey combined to run 38.13 (WL) ahead of South Africa (38.24 NR) and Jamaica (38.35). On the women’s side, Asha Philip, Dina Asher-Smith, Bianca Williams and Lorraine Ugen clocked 42.46 (WL) – the fastest ever by a team representing England. Jamaica won silver with 42.52 and Nigeria the bronze (42.75). Jamaica won the women’s 4x400m in a world lead 3:24.00 through Christine Day, Anastasia Le Roy, Janieve Russell and Stephenie McPherson. Nigeria took second with 3:25.29 and Amantle Montsho moved Botswana from fifth to third on the final leg with the quickest split overall of 49.59, bringing home a national record 3:26.86. Botswana took the men’s race, in which the medallist were separated by less than two tenths. Leaname Maotoanong, Babaloki Thebe, Onkabetse Nkobolo and Isaac Makwala got the baton round in 3:01.78 to win from Bahamas (3:01.92) and Jamaica (3:01.97). Guyana’s Troy Doris took the triple jump win with 16.88m.
