Day One Report
Submitted on: Sep 10, 2011
Australia moved to the top of the medal table with nine gold medals after the first full day of competition at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games on the Isle of Man although England are close behind with seven first placed finishes.
Host nation The Isle of Man won their first ever Commonwealth Youth medal with Grant Halsall’s Swimming Silver in the 200m backstroke.
Australia’s successes on the athletics track included wins for Angus Gould in the long jump who exceeded seven metres in all six of his jumps in a remarkably consistent performance. His winning jump of 7.52 was achieved in the fifth round. Women’s discus thrower Taylah Sengul also took a track and field gold in the Women’s discus.
South Africa Willem Van Schalkwyk won the Men’s high jump with a jump of 2m 03 while Australian Tom Henry took Silver, also achieving a 2m jump. Antigua and Bardudan athlete Tahir Walsh took the honours in the thrilling Mens 100m with a time of 10.50 from Chijindu Ujah (10.52) and Josh Clarke (10.53) In the Women’s 100m England’s Sophie Papps added Commonwealth Youth gold to her European Youth Olympic Festival crown with a dominant display.
It was England’s first athletics gold of the Games and, if it weren’t for a marginal following wind of +2.4m/s, her winning time of 11.53 seconds would have been a huge personal best in a breakthrough season for the Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow athlete, who led from start to finish.
After the race Sophie said: “I don’t know how to explain it. I didn’t come into this season thinking I’d even make the English Schools’. I’ve done everything I could possibly do this season and I’m really proud.”
Wales’ Ffion Price took the honours in the 1500m with a time of 4.44.14 while Kenyan Norah Tanui won the country’s first medal of the Games, in the 2000m Steeplechase, from Uganda’s Nancy Cheptegei with her Kenyan team-mate Lillian Chemweno claiming Bronze.
In the Cycling time-trial, which took place on Douglas promenade, honours in the Mens event went to Australia’s Alex Morgan while Australia also took gold in the Mens team event. England’s Hannah Barnes took the title in the Women’s event and England also triumphed in the team event.
It was double delight for England in the Mens and Women’s artistic Gymnastics with both teams achieving gold medals. Canada took the Silver medal in the Mens team event and Wales the Women’s Silver with Australia taking both bronze medals on offer.
Scotland’s swimmers made a successful start to the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games with a full set of medals at the National Sports Centre in the Isle of Man.
Craig Benson won the gold in the 100m breaststroke, with a superb personal best time of 59:63. It’s the first time Craig has gone under the one minute mark, and it was more than enough to see off Tommy Sucipto (Australia) in second place. Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison was on hand to present Scotland’s first gold medal of the Games.
However, Australia were the dominant nation in the pool with gold’s for Chris Raven (Mens 50m Butterfly), Remy Fairweather (Women’s 800m Freestyle), Ami Matsuo (Women’s 100m freestyle) and a team gold in the Mens and Women’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay.
Corey Main won New Zealand’s first gold medal of the Games in the 200m backstroke while Wales’ Ieuan Lloyd won their second gold of the day in the Mens 200m freestyle. England won two gold medals in the Pool on the first day with Matthew Johnson (Mens 400 Medley) and Georgia Hohmann (Women’s 200m Backstroke) taking top spot while Northern Ireland’s Sycerika McMahon won their first medal of this year’s Games.
Malaysia lived up to their pre-tournament favourites in the Badminton, which has now reached the quarter final stage with two representatives in each of the five classes and they will be hopeful of converting their positive start into medals today.
The boxing has now reached the semi-final stage and England has emerged as the leading nation with representatives in seven out of the eight classes and they will be looking to add to their seven gold medals and close the gap with Australia in the overall table.
