by Alfonz Juck
Conseslus Kipruto, photo by PhotoRun.net
Joshua Cheptegai, photo by PhotoRun.netKenya´s steeple sweep
GOLD COAST (AUS, Apr 13): Caster Semenya completed the middle distance double at the Commonwealth Games, setting another championship record in the 800m in 1:56.68 (58.66/58.02) ahead of Kenya’s Margaret Wambui (1:58.07) with Jamaica’s Natoye Goule running a 1:58.82 PB for bronze. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei also won his second gold medal of the championships, smashing the championship record in the 10,000m with 27:19.62 ahead of Canada’s Mo Ahmed (27:20.56) and Rodgers Kwemoi (27:28.66). New Zealand’s Jake Robertson finished fifth in a national record of 27:30.90 as the top eight finishers all broke the 28-minute mark. World and Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto added the Commonwealth title to his haul, setting another championship record of 8:10.08 ahead of Abraham Kibiwott (8:10.62) with Amos Kirui ensuring a Kenyan clean sweep with a late charge to pip Canada’s Matthew Hughes on the line, 8:12.24 to 8:12.33. There were also two championship records on the field: Canada’s Alysha Newman cleared 4.75m on her final attempt of pole vault to defeat Eliza McCartney (4.70m) and Nina Kennedy (4.60m) while Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres secured the discus title with a championship record of 68.20m ahead of teammate Traves Smikle (63.98m) and Cyprus’ Apostolos Parellis (63.61m) with Australia’s Matt Denny fourth (62.53m). Jamaica also won gold in the shot put courtesy of Danniel Thomas-Dodd who set a national record of 19.36m to defeat reigning three-time champion Valerie Adams, who improved her season’s best to 18.70m in her first major competition since maternity leave. Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan won the 100m hurdles title in 12.68 ahead of Jamaicans Danielle Williams (12.78) and Yanique Thompson (12.97) and England’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson won the heptathlon with 6255 points ahead of teenagers Nina Schultz from Canada (6133 PB) and England’s Niamh Emerson (6043 PB). England posted a fast 38.15 in the 4x100m heats but there was a shock in men’s javelin qualifying as 2015 World champion Julius Yego failed to reach the final with 74.55m. The two pools were led by Australia’s Hamish Peacock with 81.22m.
