Big crowds lined the course for the first Athletics event held for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Contestants in the 20km Race Walk were buoyed on by the cheering spectators and Oceania countries were prominent in the medal placings. Australian athletes provided dual gold with Dane Bird-Smith and Jemima Montag winning the Men’s and Women’s events. Montag was joined on the dais by her training partner Alana Barber of New Zealand who took the silver medal.
It was a great vibe inside Carrara Stadium for the opening day of stadium events. att Denny enjoyed the home crowd winning the silver medal for Australia in the Men’s Hammer Throw. Two more medals were won by Australians Erin Cleaver and Taylor Doyle in the Women’s T38 Long Jump, winning silver and bronze medals respectively.
Tomas Walsh of New Zealand showed he is in amazing shape in his qualifying round of the Men’s Shot Put, setting a new Games Record of 22.45. Nia Misikea of Niue did his country proud, setting a new National Record in the Shot Put of 12.13.
Stewart McSweyn and Morgan McDonald of Australia finished 5th and 8th respectively in the Men’s 5000m Final. In the Men’s 100m sprints, Nauruan sprinter Jonah Harris set a new National Record of 10.95, with Kelvin Masoe (10.72) and Shupeng Ah Vui (11.33) both setting new Personal Bests.
Team Fiji showed the results of a valuable team training camp prior to the Games where they based at OAA “Oceania House”. Kamelii Sauduadua (47.91) and Samuela Railoa (48.11) recorded new Personal Bests in the heats of the Men’s 400m.
