Teenage race walker Isaac Beacroft surged on a dramatic final lap in the 10,000m and celebrated Commonwealth Games gold 20 metres before the finish, with Kenyan rival Stephen Kihu just a few steps behind. The result was the Australian highlight on a mixed day at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow.
Beacroft, the under-20 world record holder, stormed away from Kihu with 300m to go. "Probably the last 15 laps, I was just waiting for Kihu to go, but he never did, so I sat in, and eventually had to go," he told Channel Seven. "I went hard, about 95%, and then I knew he was going to come with me, but then I had another gear in there to really make it over."
Father and coach on edge
His father and coach David admitted to frayed nerves. "He's having a panic," Beacroft told Channel Seven with a smile. "He thought I was going to get chased down, and started celebrating too early. Rubbish."
David Beacroft, a former race walker himself, said: "I just saw the guy make another surge and I'm like, 'Oh, don't do too much too soon', but he held him off. It was nice, it was good, really good."
The 19-year-old now heads to Oregon to compete at the world juniors in nine days.
Billings ends 36-year wait
Sarah Billings claimed Australia's first 800m women's bronze in 36 years. She finished behind English winner Georgia Hunter Bell and Kenyan Lilian Odira, last year's world champion, nearly beating Odira at the line.
In the pole vault, Nina Kennedy cleared 4.65m in blustery conditions but finished second on count-back to Eliza McCartney, who won New Zealand's second track and field gold at these Games after Zoe Hobbs's 100m success. "If you don't laugh, you'll cry," Kennedy said. "So I'm trying to put on a happy face right now, but look, I'm disappointed. I wanted the gold."
Lewis and Kennedy finish sixth
Torrie Lewis, third behind Hobbs in the 100m final two days ago, finished sixth in the 200m final won by Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands. "Not what I wanted for the 200," Lewis said. "I made the final which was one of my goals so I'm still proud of that, and I look towards the relay."
In the men's 200m, Lachie Kennedy also finished sixth. The 100m silver medallist and new 9.85sec man started well but faded behind South African winner Sinesipho Dambile. "I knew if I wanted to win, I was going to have to risk it," Kennedy said. "Look, I gave it a red hot crack. Didn't have enough juice in the tank. Credit to the winners. But yeah, I'm gassed."
Both Lewis and Lachie Kennedy will compete in the 4x100m relay on the final day in Glasgow, which also includes the mile races. The women's mile is a chance for Jessica Hull to get one back on Claudia Hollingsworth, who caused the Paris silver medallist to fall in a controversial 1500m final at the national championships in April. The men's event promises to be one of the races of these Games, featuring Scottish pair Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr, who broke the men's world record in the mile last month, as well as reigning Commonwealth champion Olli Hoare and fellow Australians Adam Spencer and Cam Myers, described by Wightman as "the future of the sport".
