LONDON, UK–The 2 cities bidding to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWGs) have both launched websites for their bids. The host for the 21st edition of the CWGs will be selected next November at the Commonwealth Games Federation meeting in St. Kitts & Nevis. The 20th CWGs will be held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014. Bidding for the 2018 Games are:
Gold Coast, Australia, www.goldcoast2018bid.com and Hambantota, Sri Lankawww.hambantota2018.com
Australia has won a wonderful seven gold medals in the Delhi pool at the Commonwealth Games in a night of emotion.
15-year-old Yolane Kukla among the winners.
Geoff Huegill who has lost 45kg as part of his two-year comeback to swimming completed his fairy-tale return to the pool with a gold medal and Commonwealth Games record time of 51.69sec in the men’s 100m butterfly. The second Australian, Chris Wright, was 4th in 52.66. Huegill’s time was a personal best and a faster time than he swam when he won bronze at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
15 year old Yolane Kukla won gold in the women’s 50m freestyle. Kukla, the youngest team member of the Australian team was shocked to see her name as number one at the end of the race.
In the women’s 200m backstroke Australia’s Meagen Nay won gold in a time of 2min 07.56sec, ahead of Australian teammate Emily Seebohm who won the bronze medal in 2:08.28.
Leisel Jones won Australia’s fourth gold of the night when she won the 100m breaststroke from Australian teammate Samantha Marshall who finished 2nd. This was Leisel’s 9th gold medal at a Common wealth Games, just one medal behind Susie O’Neill and Ian Thorpe who have won a record 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Australia’s next gold came from Sophie Edington in the women’s 50m backstroke. Sophie swam a games record time to win and Australia’s Emily Seebohm dead-heated for the bronze, to win her 7th medal of these games.
The Australian women’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay team won gold in 3:36.36 to defeat England (3:40.03) and New Zealand (3:42.12). Canada (3:38.91) finished in second place but were disqualified.
The seventh gold of the night came from disabled athlete Ben Austin in the S8 freestyle. His teammate Blake Cochrane finished third.
Australian Brenton Rickard shared a silver medal in the 50m breaststroke.
In the men’s 100m backstroke, Australia’s Ashley Delaney swam 54.51, to win his third bronze medal for the meet.
Kylie Palmer also won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle in a gusty swim.
In the 100m Butterfly Women Finals Final Aussie Alicia Coutts won her 3rd gold medal in a personal best time of 57.53.
100m Freestyle Men Finals Final Eamon Sullivan claimed a bronze medal.
Ellie Cole claimed a bronze medal for Australia in the Para Sport 100m Freestyle S9 Women Finals Final
800m Freestyle Women Finals Meslissa Gorman claimed a bronze medal. Australia’s Katie Goldman came 4th and Blair Evans 5th.
Night three started with a gutsy swim by Australian Ashley Delaney in the Men’s 200m Backstroke. Ashley won the bronze medal to add to his bronze in the 50m Backstroke. It was Ashley’s first International medal in a 200m Backstroke.
Gold medal girl from night one, Aussie Alicia Coutts was unstoppable again, winning the Women’s 100m Freestyle in a time of 54.09. It was her second gold medal at the Commonwealth Games for this rising star following her win in the 200IM on night one. Australian Emily Seebohm finished a close second in 54.30 for a 1-2 finish for the Aussies.
In the Men’s Para Sport 50m Freestyle, Matt Cowdrey broke the world record in a time of 25.33 to win the Gold medal. Australia’s Ben Austin was 4th and John Cochrane finished in 5th place.
The Australian girls were unstoppable in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke. Competing against the World Record holder Annamay Pierce from Canada, the Australian trio of Leisel Jones, Tessa Wallace and Sarah Katsoulis won the gold, silver and bronze medals in a clean sweep for Australia. It was an outstanding win by Leisel Jones and it took her tally of gold medals won at a Commonwealth Games to 8.
In the Men’s 50m Butterfly, comeback king Geoff Huegill swam a superb race to win the silver medal in the very fast time of 23.37, missing the gold by 0.02sec. Australian Mitchell Patterson finished in 4th place.
Emily Seebohm has had a great meet so far winning 3 medals, however her breakthrough gold medal in the Women’s 100m Backstroke was outstanding. Emily won the event and was the only swimmer to swim under 60 seconds in the event. Australia’s Sophie Edington and Belinda Hocking finished in equal 4th position.
In the Men’s 100m Breaststroke Australian’s Christian Sprenger and Brenton Rickard swam strong races to win the silver and bronze medals.
The Womens 4 x 200m Freestyle event saw Australia win the gold medal in a dominant display, and not to be outdone, the Mens 4 x 200 Freestyle also won the gold medal.
