Commonwealth Games: Warner leads Tuesday medal parade
Canada enjoyed its most productive day at the 2014 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, winning medals in double-digit figures, including a gold for Damian Warner in the decathlon.
Warner got off to a blistering start in the two-day, 10-event competition by breaking the best ever Commonwealth Games time in the 100 metres portion. His time of 10.29 obliterated the previous mark held by two-time British decathlon Olympic champion Daley Thompson. Warner had 4378 points at the end of first day.
Warner’s speed easily helped him to the fastest time (13.50) in the 110-metre hurdles to begin day two. He wrapped up the competition with a fifth place finish in the 1500m and 8282 points for Commonwealth gold.
The women’s heptathlon also kicked off on Tuesday, with Canadian record holder Brianne Theisen-Eaton leading teammate Jessica Zelinka 3939 to 3744 in points after the opening day.
Staying with athletics, James Steacy made it a men’s & women’s double in the hammer throw for Canada. A day after Sultana Frizell‘s dominant performance, Steacy won the competition with a best throw of 74.16 metres.
Canada’s tremendous day at Hampden Park ended with Kate Van Buskirk winning the bronze medal in the women’s 1500m with a time of 4:09.41, just edging out fellow Canadian Nicole Sifuentes for the podium with a massive kick to end the race.
Cycling
Canada experienced its first 1-2 finish of the Games in women’s mountain bike where Olympians Catharine Pendrel (1:39:29) and Emily Batty (1:40:39) beat the field in the cross country race.
Pendrel led from the first intermediate and stayed ahead of the competition, while Batty jostled for position with Rebecca Henderson throughout before outdueling the Australian for silver.
Wrestling
Canada had a grand day on the wrestling mats Tuesday winning a pair of gold medals – both at India’s expense – and a bronze.
Erica Wiebe defeated her opponent Jyoti for the Commonwealth title in the women’s 75 kg category, before Korey Jarvis got the better of Rajeev Tomar for the men’s 125 kg class gold. The bronze medal came by way of Jasmine Mian in the women’s 48 kg.
Weightlifting
It was a record-setting day for weighlifter Marie-Eve Beauchemin-Nadeau in the women’s 75 kg group. She broke three Games records en route to a total weight of 250 kg (110 in snatch and 140 in clean & jerk).
Shooting
Jim Paton won his second shooting silver medal at Glasgow on Tuesday, this time in the Queen’s prize individual. Earlier in the Games Paton had won the pairs silver with teammate Des Vamplew.
Gymnastics
Canadian men picked up a bronze medal in artistic gymnastics on Tuesday in the team event. The third place team consisted of Zach Clay, Kevin Lytwyn, Nathan Gafuik, Anderson Loran and Scott Morgan.
Swimming
Ryan Cochrane once again defended a Commonwealth title. On the first day of competition he won gold in the 400m freestyle in record fashion. On Tuesday, Cochrane was the repeat Commonwealth champion in his marquee event, the 1500m free.
For a second consecutive day a Canadian record fell in the pool. Brooklyn Snodgrass picked up a bronze medal in the process of bettering the national 50m women’s backstroke mark to 27.97 seconds.
A second Canadian swimming bronze arrived courtesy of the women’s 4x100m medley relay, featuring Sinead Russell, Tera Van Beilen, Katerine Savard and Sandrine Mainville.
