Two bronze medals from our Kiwi wāhine - down on the green and up in the air - were the highlights of Day 5 at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Performances of the day
Imogen Ayris had been patiently waiting for this day to come. The day she’d win a medal on a major track and field stage, and make her late dad, Barny, proud.
The 21-year-old pole vaulter had dipped out at the world champs in Oregon last month, unable to clear the bar at any height.
But in Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium today, Ayris cleanly flew over 4.45m - a season’s best - to win bronze, stealing the medal from her friend and training partner, Olivia McTaggart.
“It’s so special,” Ayris said after climbing the podium. “After my dad passed two years ago, I promised I’d make him proud, and I feel I’ve done more than that today.”
A former Metropolitan Police detective in London, then fraud investigator in New Zealand, Barny Ayris was probably his daughter’s greatest fan. He passed away from cancer in September 2020. But Imogen's mum, Bridget, was in the crowd watching this morning.
After a disappointing worlds, Ayris approached these Commonwealth Games with confidence, and was happy with her training leading into it.
With two of the favourites in the field of nine dropping out early with injuries, it put Ayris and McTaggart into a strong position to claim a medal.
McTaggart also cleared at 4.45m, but on her third attempt. So as the field thinned out, Ayris claimed bronze from her team-mate on countback.
“She put it out there when it matters and cleared that clutch first attempt,” McTaggart said. “She got it, and I’m really proud of her.” Australian Nina Kennedy won gold after clearing 4.60m.
After the disappointment of narrowly losing their semifinal, the New Zealand bowls four crushed their Fijian opponents, 17-6, to clinch bronze.
For skip Val Smith, a veteran of five Commonwealth Games, the bronze was the third medal in her career (silver in 2010, bronze in 2014). She has another chance to complete her set with gold in the triples.
The 57-year-old knew her three team-mates - Selina Goddard, Tayla Bruce and Nicole Toomey - were young, but very capable of a medal.
“The good thing we did was we came prepared for the worst, but it turned out the greens were a bit better than what we thought they were going to be,” she said.
Bronze medallist fours, from left, Val Smith, Selina Goddard, Tayla Bruce and Nicola Toomey.
The Kiwis came back from a slow start, at 0-4 down, to dominate in the final ends.
Goddard, also a fours bronze medallist in 2014, said the last year they’d spent together closely as a four, not being able to play internationally, worked in their favour: “Our friendship, connecting as a team. And that showed out on the green today.”
All four continue on in the competition, in the triples and pairs.
Quote of the day
“It sucks, it really does, that fourth place. I’ve never really understood why other athletes have been so heartbroken from fourth place, but I’ve gotta say, now I do.” - pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart
The good news
Sprinter Zoe Hobbs was oh-so-close to her personal best of 11.08s, finishing second in her 100m heat to automatically qualify for the semifinal. The 24-year-old ran 11.09s, with only four other competitors recording faster times, but with the top three from each heat making the semis, not everyone was showing all their cards.
Maddi Wesche easily qualified for the shot put final, the 23-year-old passing the automatic qualifying standard of 18m on her first attempt. Wearing her trademark shades, she barely broke a sweat with her 18.08m throw, one of three athletes who passed 18m. Wesche will throw for gold in a field of 12 at 7am on Thursday morning.
Despite a shaky batting effort, the White Ferns comfortably dispatched Sri Lanka to go two from two in the T20 competition and qualify for the semifinals. The Ferns batted first and reached 147/7, thanks to a quickfire 20 not out off eight balls from Lea Tahuhu after some middle order troubles. Suzie Bates top scored for the Kiwis with 35, and became the first player (male or female) to reach 3500 international T20 runs.
Hayley Jensen (pictured above) had a great day out, a wicket maiden for her first over setting her up for three wickets, with a brilliant economy rate of 1.25 across her four overs. Two wickets for Eden Carson (her first at international level, much to the delight of her teammates), helped keep Sri Lanka 45 runs short.
White Ferns captain Sophie Devine was pleased with how her team performed with both bat and ball. "To be able to take big wickets in the powerplay, it puts pressure on the opposition which got us in front of the game,” she said.
The Ferns face the other undefeated team in their group, England, on Friday morning to see who gets the easier run to the final. The winner is less likely to meet Australia in the semi, so both teams will be eager to finish on top.
It’s a similar situation for the Silver Ferns, who meet defending netball champions England next.
Coach Dame Noeline Taurua is happy with her team going into the telling march, after their comprehensive 80-24 victory over a spirited Trinidad and Tobago this morning.
Taurua has seen “some massive shifts and growth in each individual” in Birmingham so far - particularly impressed with her shooters. All four made the court again T&T, and put up a massive 87 shots, with 92 percent accuracy (even when the Trinidad defenders used the Harrison Hoist).
The Ferns could have fallen into the trap of losing their game plan when they were up 43-11 at halftime, but they kept up the intensity right through. Defenders Kelly Jury and Sulu Fitzpatrick were in stellar form, anticipating play. No surprise, England’s Roses were watching the game intently.
The not-so-good news
It’ll be bronze at best for our squash queen, Joelle King, after she lost her semifinal 3-1 to Canada’s Hollie Naughton. King won the first game 11-7 but the second game was full of uncharacteristic errors and a deflated King left the court down 3-11. The third game was closer, but by the time they took the court for the fourth match, King looked fatigued and dejected, going down 1-11.
On her way out of the stadium, a dejected King told Sky Sport she didn’t feel she got in the zone for the match, and wasn’t sharp enough mentally after her emotionally testing match the day before.
It won’t be an easy medal for King either, up against Birmingham local Sarah-Jane Perry in the battle for bronze - a repeat of the 2018 Gold Coast gold medal match, a feisty encounter that King won 3-2.
The New Zealand 3x3 basketball team go home empty-handed after losing their bronze play-off to Australia,15-13.
Led by Jillian Harmon, who was one of the most dominant shooters in the competition, the Kiwis took an early 10-6 lead. But then they were shut down by the Aussies, who went on a 9-1 scoring spree. If there was any consolation, Kiwi Kalani Purcell topped the key assists in 3x3’s Games debut.
The Black Sticks didn’t bring their A game to their clash with perennial rivals Australia last night, going down 1-0. Although possession was equally shared, the Australians were faster and sharper. A penalty stroke goal from Kaitlin Nobbs was all that separated them on the scoreboard, though.
They still have a strong chance of defending their 2018 Games title, now needing a victory over the winless South Africa to make the semifinals.
Swimmer Eve Thomas was disappointed in her fourth place in the 800m freestyle final, dominated by the Australians. Thomas tried to stick with the Aussie trio for the first 50m but the pace was scorching, with Ariarne Titmus setting a new Games record. She has another chance to catch them in the 400m freestyle.
Hazel Ouwehand was unhappy with her sub-par form in the pool today, too, missing out on the 50m backstroke final.
Featherweight boxer Erin Walsh is out of the Games, after losing on points to Nigeria’s Elizabeth Oshoba in the round of 16.
In the 87kg weightlifting, Hayley Whiting started strong, looking delighted with her 93kg snatch, but couldn’t improve with her second and third attempts. With only one successful lift in the clean and jerk of 116kg, Whiting bowed out with a sad smile, finishing fifth with a combined total of 209kg.
Sarah says
Sarah Cowley Ross will have her eyes locked on the pool tonight, with Tokyo Olympic finalist Erica Fairweather lining up in the 400m freestyle alongside teammate Eve Thomas. “She’ll be looking to add to a hugely successful swimming campaign in Birmingham and push for the podium.
“And at Alexander Stadium, shot putter Maddi Wesche has a real opportunity to be on the podium - will she be wearing the sunglasses? Wesche is a big-game competitor who’s not afraid to launch personal best bombs in the sixth round.”
Who's up next
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3
LAWN BOWLS: NZ v South Africa (pairs), 7.30pm; NZ v Niue 10.30pm
JUDO: Moira Koster vs Hayley Mackey; Sydnee Andrews, 9pm
SWIMMING: Erika Fairweather, Eve Thomas, 400m freestyle, 9.40pm (potential final Thursday 7.45am)
THURSDAY AUGUST 4
LAWN BOWLS: NZ v England (triples), 2am
SQUASH: Joelle King (bronze medal match), 3am
ATHLETICS: Zoe Hobbs, 100m semifinal, 6.35am (potential final 8.45am); Maddi Wesche, shot put final, 7.05am
BEACH VOLLEYBALL: NZ vs Canada, 8am
