Kenya’s Boaz Lalang, Abraham Kiplangat and Richard Kiplagat swept to 800m men's medals and Nigeria's Ajoke Odumosu cruised to 400m hurdles gold on day 5 of the athletics events at the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
The Kenyan trio were clear favourites for the sweep and they duly delivered.
Lalang, who has run 1:42.95 this season, took gold in 1:46.60, with Kiplagat second in 1:46.95 and Kiplangat third in 1:47.37.
“We had planned it to finish 1-2-3 and it worked great,” Lalang said. “We didn’t say before who had to win, we just let it be decided in the race who was the best.”
The women’s 400m Hurdles title went to Muizat Odumosu of Nigeria, who clocked 55.28 to finish clear of Scotland’s Eilidh Child (55.62) and Jamaica’s Nickiesha Wilson (56.06).
“I am very happy because it’s my first Commonwealth Games,” Odumosu said. “I am trying to get my country back on the map to let them know we have good sprinters.”
But it was not a comfortable day for her teammate Comfort Onyali in the women's long jump. She was a top contender for the gold, but at the end, she collapsed in a heap of misery.
With her 6.56m silver effort at the African championships, she was expected to win the gold, but amazingly Onyali was shown the way out after she registered three consecutive false jumps. She broke down and cried and was inconsolable.
“It is tragic we missed the long jump gold. I don’t know how she missed her jumps, even if she had not put her foot on the board, she could have won a medal,” said chief coach of the Nigerian team, Tobias Igwe.
Kenyan trio led by the African champion Milcah Chemos Cheywa swept the medals in the Women's 3,000m steeplechase Final in 9:40:96. Mercy Wanjiru Njoroge was second while Gladys Jerotich Kipchemoi was third.
Selected Results:
800m Men:
1) LALANG Boaz Kiplagat [KEN] 1:46.60; 2) KIPLAGAT Richard [KEN] 1:46.95; 3) KIPLAGAT Abraham [KEN] 1:47.37; 4) WARBURTON Gareth [WAL] 1:48.59; 5) ADAR Jimmy [UGA] 1:49.57.
400m Hurdles Women:
1) ODUMOSU Muizat Ajoke (NGR) 55.28; 2) CHILD Eilidh (SCO) 55.62; 3) WILSON Nickiesha (JAM) 56.06; 4) BODEN Lauren (AUS) 56.31; 5) KABOUD MEBAM Madeliene Carole (CMR) 57.61; 6) WASIKE Florence (KEN) 57.75.