Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage in the javelin at the Commonwealth Games (© Getty Images)
World champion Faith Cherotich’s Games record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, a wind-assisted 12.33 by Devynne Charlton in the sprint hurdles and Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage’s victory over a stacked men’s javelin field were among the highlights of the third, fourth and fifth days of athletics at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Cherotich produced the standout performance on Wednesday (29), dominating the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 9:01.76.
The Kenyan broke away from the field during the closing stages and crossed the line almost four seconds clear of England’s Elise Thorner, who earned silver with a 9:05.45 PB. Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, the Olympic champion in 2021, took bronze in 9:09.96.
Faith Cherotich on her way to winning the Commonwealth title (© Getty Images)
Charlton was similarly commanding in the women’s 100m hurdles final on Thursday (30). The three-time world indoor champion powered away from the field to win in a wind-assisted 12.33 (2.5m/s).
Jamaica’s Megan Simmonds finished second in 12.41 and Nigeria’s defending champion Tobi Amusan was third in 12.60. Amusan had earlier produced the fastest performance of the competition, clocking a wind-assisted 12.19 in the heats, but Charlton proved strongest when the medals were decided.
There was another high-quality performance in the men’s javelin, where Sri Lanka’s Pathirage defeated one of the strongest fields assembled at the Games.
Pathirage took control of the competition with an 89.75m throw in round two. India’s 2021 Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra responded with 85.83m to take silver, while his teammate Yashvir Singh produced a personal best of 85.41m to secure bronze.
The depth of the field was underlined by the athletes who finished outside the medals. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters placed fourth, world champion Keshorn Walcott was sixth and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished ninth.
Hodge breaks Games record, Davies makes history
Adaejah Hodge had already made her mark on the women’s 200m by setting a Games record of 22.01 in the semifinals.
The British Virgin Islands sprinter returned for the final and duly secured the title, pulling clear during the second half of the race to win in 22.07. Trinidad and Tobago’s Shaniqua Bascombe followed her home in 22.35.
South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile dipped below 20 seconds to take the men’s title. He won in 19.96, finishing comfortably ahead of Nigeria’s Udodi Onwuzurike, who clocked 20.09.
Georgia Hunter Bell reversed the result of last year’s World Championships to win the women’s 800m.
The English athlete hit the front during the closing stages and continued to draw away in the home straight, winning by more than a second in 1:59.51. Kenya’s world champion Lilian Odira took silver in 2:00.58.
Two days after winning the 10,000m, Australia’s Rose Davies returned to the track and completed a historic distance double.
Davies held off compatriot Jessica Hull in the closing stages of the women’s 5000m, crossing the line in 14:44.53 to become the first woman to win both the 5000m and 10,000m at the same Commonwealth Games.
O’Connor wins heptathlon as Victor retains decathlon crown
World silver medallist Kate O’Connor dominated the women’s heptathlon, winning by almost 300 points.
Representing Northern Ireland, O’Connor built a commanding advantage across the seven events and finished with 6569. England’s Jade O’Dowda took silver with 6278.
The men’s decathlon was far closer, as Grenada’s Lindon Victor successfully defended his title following a close contest with Canada’s 2021 Olympic champion Damian Warner.
Victor was in fifth place at the half-way stage, but threw a Games decathlon best of 53.52m in the discus on the morning of the second day. A 4.70m clearance in the pole vault moved him into the lead, and he held it to the end to win with 8096.
Warner, winner of the Commonwealth title when the Games was last held in Glasgow 12 years ago, finished just 60 points behind with 8036.
Australian teenager Isaac Beacroft produced a well-timed finish to win the men’s 10,000m race walk. The 19-year-old, who is still eligible for the U20 age group, battled Kenya’s Stephen Ndangiri Kihu throughout the closing stages before pulling ahead to win in 38:45.51.
Kihu took silver just over a second later in 38:46.57, while Canada’s world champion Evan Dunfee claimed bronze.
