Commonwealth Games, Melbourne AUS

MELBOURNE 2006 - XVIII COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Goldie in there fighting

Goldie Sayers had to be satisfied with 5th in the Javelin competition, unable to get her timing right. She occupied third place after two rounds, with 55.79 and improved her distance to 57.29 with a last effort but on this occasion a 60 metre throw was beyond her and the medals were just out of reach.

Australian Tamsyn Lewis had been involved in a very public pre-Games spat with Jana Pittman but on the track she exited the 400m at the semi-final stage while Jana went on to win the 400m hurdles. In the men's 400m hurdles, Matt Douglas also made it to the semi-finals, having spent almost the whole of 2005 on the sidelines through a back injury. Matt looked some way short of his best and our Life Member would have had to have been in vintage form to have made the final.

Sprinters in disarray!

In the 200 metre heats Chris Lambert had a lack-lustre run which nevertheless got him into the second round - and then he elected not to start! The UK's sprinters seem to be in complete disarray. But Enee Udo-Obong was on form for Nigeria, winning both heat and second round and then placing 2nd in his semi-final. The last time he ran for us it was a 49 second British League 'B' 400 in Birmingham, 2003. He's come on a bundle since then! Come the final he couldn't match the Caribbeans but maintained his Melbourne sequence of 20.60 and bits.

Twice a Commonwealth Games medallist, Ben Challenger entered the high jump final at his best height of the winter - 2.15 but couldn't squeeze the next height and wound up 8th. The shot put competition saw Northern Ireland's Eva Massey place 11th.

A brave heptathlon from Julie

Julie Hollman had a brave heptathlon, placing 6th and throwing a best ever javelin after overcoming the near-disaster of two "no jumps" in the long jump. Julie's nerves must have been jangling as she took to the runway for her third attempt, torn between a safe jump and poor points, or an all out effort and risking no points at all.

Mick within four metres of a medal

Defending Champion Mick Jones did himself, his country and his club proud in the hammer circle. At 42 years of age, he is a veteran of five appearances at the Commonwealth Games but nevertheless came away less than four metres from a medal. An opening 69.42m had him in fifth place with the young Canadian James Steacy in the lead at 73.18m. Mick's position didn't change from there on, even though he unleashed a 70m+ effort in the second round. Competing for Nigeria, John Osazuwa had a tremendously consistent competition with four throws over 60m, a distance he was unable to reach last year through having his season disrupted by being on duty for the British Army in the Middle East. John's best of 62.71m came in the penultimate round.

Magic from Marty

The steeplechase was a relatively cosy affair until the chopping and changing resulted in a Kenyan nearly tripping, whereby the trio from the Rift Valley "took off". Only Marty made the challenge to get back, with around 75,000 Australians roaring him on. For a while, it seemed remotely possible that he might close in on one of the Africans, but while this proved to be impossible, his effort did draw him clear of the pack and he was delighted with a new personal record of 8:28.98.

Matt Douglas was pulled into England's 4x400m squad and they qualified for the final.

Gold at last from Phillips Idowu

Injury and "failure to deliver" was put behind Phillips at last after a huge leap of 17.45m in round one of the triple jump put the competition beyond anyone else's reach. It's been a long, hard haul since early days in our National Junior League team. On the international stage there have been times when as a favourite, qualification for the final has been beyond him; times when he's led the competition only to have victory snatched away at the last minute. In Melbourne, at last, it all came good.

"I'm surprised with myself," said Phillips, "All the work I've done this year has paid off." South African Khotso Mokoena earned himself the silver medal with a jump of 16.95m, a full half metre behind. Now that this corner has been turned we look forward to future success as the European Championships in Gothenburg beckon the flamboyant Belgravian.

England's men just failed to medal, this time without Matt Douglas, while Nigeria's squad placed 5th with Enee Udo-Obong taking charge of last leg. Tamsyn Lewis was part of the winning Australian quartette after the English team had been disqualified.

Men. 200m: e 7 E Udo-Obong (NGR) 20.69/0.5 (e 2s1 20.72/1.7, d 1q3 20.67/0.2, 1h4 20.82x/2.3); -q4 C Lambert dns (5h2 21.20/0.7). 400mH: d 7s2 M Douglas 50.56 (c 3h4 50.71). 3000mSC: f 4 M Dent (AUS) 8:28.98. HJ: d 8 B Challenger 2.15 (2.15-xo, 2.20-xxx) a 8=Q 2.10 (2.10-o, 2.15-xxx). TJ: 1 P Idowu 17.45/0.2 (17.45/0.2, 17.18/0.4, x, x, x, x). HT: f 5 M Jones 70.09 (69.42, 70.09, 69.33, 68.74, 38.55); 8 J Osazuwa (NGR) 62.71 (60.37, 60.55, 60.50, x, 62.71, 59.48). 4x400m: g 5 NGR 3:02.16 (Laval, Godday, Welgopwa, E Udo-Obong); f 2h2 ENG 3:03.91 (Steele, Rooney M Douglas, Tobin).

Women. 400m: 4s3 b T Lewis AUS 52.88 (2h5 a 53.21). SP: d 11 E Massey (NI) 14.95 (14.49, x, 14.95). JT: 5 G Sayers ENG 57.29 (50.96, 55.79, 54.75, 54.07, 52.85, 57.29). Hept: c/d 6 J Hollman 6002 (13.85/0.5, 1.82, 11.63, 24.82/0.6, 6.17/-1.8, 42.80 [UKAT 53], 2:19.09. 4x400m: 1 AUS 3:28.66 (Pittman, Willis T Lewis, Hayward).

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.