Commonwealth Games 2022 LIVE: Laura Muir storms to 1500m gold after England win women’s hockey title
Follow day 10 at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with 45 gold medals up for grabs
A thrilling penultimate day at Birmingham 2022 has delivered more action to this thoroughly entertaining Commonwealth Games, with 45 gold medals in total set to be dished out by the end of the evening.
Tonight was all about Laura Muir, and the Scotland star produced a brilliant kick to win gold in the women’s 1500m final, adding to her 800m bronze from the previous evening. Later, a wide-open men’s 800m final, was won by Kenya’s Wyclife Kinyamal ahead of Australia’s Peter Bol, with England’s Ben Pattison taking bronze.
Eilish McColgan added to her 10,000m gold with a gutsy silver in the 5,000m and there was further joy as England’s women wrapped up the action at the Alexander Stadium with a dramatic gold in the 4x400m final. It was short lived, however, after the team was disqualified following a lane infringment.
Earlier, home-town hero Matt Hudson-Smith was left disappointed when forced to settle for silver in the men’s 400m, while Victoria Ohuruogu was more upbeat, grabbing a silver in the women’s 400m final. There was drama in the 4x100m relay finals, with England men and Nigeria women prevailing.
In the afternoon, a dramatic men’s cycling road race saw Geraint Thomas fall just short with a late push to break the lead group, leaving New Zealand’s Aaron Gate to sprint clear and win a fourth gold at these Games. And in the result of the day, England pulled off a shock to stun Australia and win Commonwealth gold in the women’s hockey final. Follow all the action throughout the evening below:
Another issue for Geraint Thomas!
Bad to worse for Geraint Thomas - he’s desperately gesticulating to the car behind him, furiously shouting into his radio and presumably in need of assistance. Clearly something on his bike is bothering him, but his speed so far has been strong. If he stops, that’ll be that, surely, for his medal hopes.
Dennis leads with Thomas still in the medal mix despite crash
Dan Bigham is fastest through the first time check! He looks strong, the Englishman, technically perfect as always as he looks to add another medal after securing team pursuit silver on the track.
But Bigham isn’t top for long - Rohan Dennis is flying! When he gets it right, there are few purer sights on a time trial bike and he is more than 30 seconds up on the rest of the field after 8.9km of the 37.4km course.
Here comes Geraint Thomas. What’s the damage? There or there abouts with Bigham, Aaron Gate and Fred Wright, as well as the unfortunate Lukas Plapp, who dropped out of contention earlier after an untimely late mechanical.
Geraint Thomas crashes!
Disaster for the Welshman! Oh, an early error from Geraint Thomas and down he goes! Thomas came in to a corner slightly too quick, overcooking the turn and sliding in to the barriers as he tried to right his line.
Sadly, it’s a familiar tale for the accident-prone rider, who enjoyed an oddly incident free tour. That almost certainly ends his hopes of gold if Dennis’ legs are good - thankfully he is back on his bike, but he’ll have 30 seconds or so to make up.
Geraint Thomas vs Rohan Dennis?
But it would be a real surprise if both Geraint Thomas and Rohan Dennis don’t both end up on the podium. Both riders are underway with the whole of the field now out on course.
Golden Gate goes again
Next out of the start ramp is New Zealand’s Aaron Gate, who has hot-footed it up from the Lee Valley VeloPark after winning individual and team pursuit gold on the opening weekend of these Commonwealth Games. A gold is probably out of his reach here, but Gate has won national and continental time trial titles before, and might have an outside shot at a medal.
Scotland’s John Archibald follows Gate down, before aerodynamically-obsessed Englishman Dan Bigham sets off - the 30-year-old works for Ineos as a race engineer and is the holder of the British hour record. He is also the partner of Joss Lowden, who was a slightly disappointing 12th in the women’s time trial earlier less than a week on from finishing the Tour de France Femmes.
Second raft of riders underway in men’s time trial
It looks a gorgeous afternoon in Wolverhampton, and the second group of men’s time triallists are making their way down the burgundy paths of West Park and on to the Black Country streets.
Fred Wright is getting comfortable in the leader’s chair, the likeable Londoner chewing the ear off of Lukas Plapp and Owen Doull alongside him - presumed favourites Rohan Dennis and Geraint Thomas begin in about ten minutes.
Tom Dean revels in home crowd after record-breaking Games
One English athlete has already made history at Sandwell during these Commonwealth Games, with Tom Dean’s haul of seven medals a record for the nation. Dean rather enjoyed the atmosphere inside the rather impressive aquatics centre.
“The crowd has been unlike any sporting arena for swimming I’ve experienced, and I doubt I ever will again,” the double Olympic gold medal-winning freestyler said. “It was so special, so electric. The roof came off that place every time an England team or an English swimmer walked out. It was just incredible.”
Shixin Lee tops preliminary phase of men’s 1m springboard
No qualification on the line, but a good chance for the male divers to settle in on the 1m springboard and test their limbs are in good working order ahead of this evening’s final. Jack Laugher started slowly at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, making two errors on his first three dives, but his second three dives were much more solid, and he progresses fourth.
Australia’s Shizin Lee, a double world champion in this discipline when a representative of China, topped the standings. He and Laugher completed the podium at this year’s Worlds in Budapest behind young Chinese star Wang Zongyuan. The final starts in about four hours - 18.05 BST.
Jake Wightman savours status as world champion after winning 1500m heat
Jake Wightman admitted being introduced as the new world champion was just the boost he needed to kick his Commonwealth Games campaign into gear.
It’s just 16 days since Wightman claimed 1500m gold in Oregon and he admits emotions have been spinning ever since.
But it was back to business in Birmingham as he won his heat to advance to Saturday’s showpiece final, a high-quality highlight of the athletics programme here.
James Toney reports from the Alexander Stadium as Wightman began with a solid heat:
‘That’s the most it’s sunk in’: Jake Wightman savours status as world champion
Wightman was back in action on Thursday at the Commonwealth Games for the first time since his win in Eugene
Diving underway at Sandwell Aquatics Centre
The Sandwell Aquatics Centre is the only entirely new venue of these Commonwealth Games, but the organisers required a first-rate venue for a busy programme of swimming and diving. The action in the 50m pool concluded last night, requiring a donning of the disposable overshoes and a hurry across the complex to the diving pool, where action has begun.
The men’s 1m springboard divers are the first to do battle, with eleven competitors doing battle in a preliminary round to decide which...eleven men are in the final.
Yes, all entrants will go through, meaning it is only start order to be determined in this first round.
England’s Jack Laugher has won this title at the last two Commonwealth Games.
Jack Laugher has poignant reason for wanting to shine at Commonwealth Games
The 27-year-old diver will be a flagbearer for Team England at the opening ceremony
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