MELBOURNE, 20 March 2006 — Asafa Powell, the fastest man on earth, made his first appearance on the track, but it was two marathon runners who really brought the Commonwealth Games to life yesterday.
On an extraordinary day when the Commonwealth’s sporting axis was tipped upside down, Englishman Simon Burnett took out the blue-riband swimming event and cyclist Mark Cavendish provided the Isle of Man with their first gold medal in 20 years.
Scotland also won another gold in the pool, their fourth in as many days, as well as winning the team sprint at the velodrome, while a South African who was at the center of a bizarre doping case last year, won the women’s javelin.
Australia won five of the 21 gold medals decided yesterday to raise their four day total to 28. England also won five to lift their total to 13 and open up a gap over third-placed India, whose lone shooting gold took them up to eight. The Scots’ two golds raised their total to six, one ahead of South Africa and two in front of Canada, who each won two golds as well on Sunday.
Isle of Man, Tanzania, Wales and Ghana all collected their first gold medals of the Games on Sunday. Jamaica could win their first today if Powell’s effortless display in the heats of the 100m was any guide of what’s to come.
The world record holder hardly broke out of a jog as he sailed through his second heat in 10.29 seconds, raising the prospect of a sub-10 second run in the final.
