Jamaica won the men's and women's 4x100m relays to sweep all the sprint events for the first time in Commonwealth Games history yesterday, while two men's events featured drama and tumbles.
Powered to the line by 100m champion and world record holder Asafa Powell, Jamaica's men easily won their relay on the final night of athletics -- helped by fumbled final baton handovers by Australia, New Zealand and Ghana.
Jamaica's women won the 4x100m for the first time in 43.10 seconds -- helped by 100 winner Sheri-Ann Brooks and 200 champion Sherone Simpson. Daniele Browning and Peta Dowdie were the other runners.
In Melbourne, Jamaicans have won the men's and women's races in the 100m, 200m, the sprint hurdle races and the 4x100m relays, becoming the first country to sweep the sprints at a Commonwealth Games.
New Zealand captured its first gold of the athletics meet when Nicholas Willis won a 1,500m race marred by the fall of pre-race favorite Craig Mottram of Australia.
With about 650m to go and with the pack still bunched, England's Andrew Baddeley fell and tapped Mottram's foot attempting to break his fall. A few meters after the spill, Kenya's Jonathan Komen kicked off his right shoe and completed the race with one bare foot.
Willis broke clear with 400m to go and won it in three minutes, 38.49 seconds.
Finals in women's pole vault, the men's triple jump, the men's 10,000m and both 4x400m relays were on the program.
In the one-lap relay, Powell led the Jamaican men to a win in 38.36 seconds. South Africa was second and Canada third. Michael Frater, Ainsley Waugh and Chris Williams were the other runners.
At the final changeover, Australia's Matt Shirvington couldn't grab the baton in time from Adam Miller, while New Zealand's James Dolphin sprawled to the ground before he could pass it to Christopher Donaldson.
Ghana's Eric Nkansah dropped the baton before handing it to Aziz Zakarik, who was second to Powell when he set his world record of 9.77 seconds in Athens on June 14.
BOXING
English boxers won three gold medals -- two the old-fashioned way -- in the ring -- and the other on a walkover.
In the 51kg flyweight class, Don Broadhurst beat South Africa's Jackson van Tonder Chauke when the referee stopped the fight in the third round.
Stephen Smith took the 57kg featherweight class with a 20-10 points win over Mehrullah Lassi of Pakistan and James Russan won the light welterweight gold when his opponent, Moses Kopo of Lesotho, wasn't able to fight due to a perforated eardrum.
"I was a bit disappointed," said Russan. "I really wanted to box.
"I never imagined it [the gold medal], now I'm here. I'll shed a few tears and my mom will, definitely."
England has a chance to add two more golds in the night session when Darren Langley takes on Jafet Uutoni of Namibia in the 48kg light flyweight final and David Price fights Kevin Evans of Wales in super heavyweight.
Two Australians picked up golds in the other early finals. Jarrod Fletcher beat Adonis Stevenson of Canada 34-18 in the 75kg middleweight class and heavyweight Bradley Pitt outpointed Harpreet Singh of India 25-10.
gymnastics
Alexandra Orlando won the all-around rhythmic gymnastics title, despite a wobble in the clubs.
The 19-year-old Canadian is aiming for five golds in Melbourne and already has two after Canada also clinched the team gold on Friday. Orlando contests the individual rope, ball, clubs and ribbon finals on Sunday.
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