Glasgow 2014: DAY 11: Australia finish with a flourish, England and Wales take road race gold medals as Commonwealth Games come to a close



Australia's men have won every Commonwealth hockey tournament

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Australia enjoyed a successful as the Commonwealth Games came to a close today, but still had to settle for second on the medals table.

The team from Down Under completed a double in hockey, with their men's team beating India 4-0 in the final, a day after their women beat England.

Their victory ensured Australia's 100% record in men's hockey gold is maintained - they have won every Commonwealth tournament since the sport was added to the programme in 1998.

They also regained the netball title from reigning champions New Zealand, winning 58-40.  Australia now have bragging rights in this sport too, having won three gold medals - one more than great rivals New Zealand.

They also picked up the final with David Palmer and Cameron Pilley picking up the men's doubles in squash, with Palmer picking up double gold, having won the mixed doubles with Rachael Grinham, with both victors  defeating teams from England.

Joy for husband and wife Chris & Gabby Adcock (Guardian Sport)

 

England sealed their place on top of the medal table by taking two more gold medals on the final day of action.

Husband and wife badminton players Chris and Gabby Adcock won an all English final in the mixed doubles, beating team-mates Chris Langridge and Heather Oliver 2-0. They became the first married pair to win the title and add Commonwealth gold to the national title they won earlier this year.

In this morning's first action, Lizzie Armitstead took the first gold of the day in the women's road race from team-mate Emma Pooley. The 25-year-old won silver in both the Delhi Games and London 2012 so this becomes her biggest achievement on the road.

Wales' Geraint Thomas wins road race (Team Sky)

Wales celebrated the final day with gold in the men's road race for Geraint Thomas, the country's fifth of the Games as they finished 13th on the medal table - the same position as in Delhi four years ago, but with two more gold medals.

Thomas - who also won bronze in the time trial - survived late drama with a puncture with 6km left to run to take gold ahead of New Zealand's Jack Bauer and Simon Thwaites of England.

Malaysia's women's double winners (Starsport)

Malaysia won both doubles titles in badminton to take home half of the six gold medals available in the sport, but even this impressive performance failed to match their success in Delhi.

Tan Wee Kiong and Goh Wei Shem won the men's competition with Vivian Hoo Kah Mun and Woon Khe Wei taking the women's doubles.

Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland wins silver

Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour lost to Canada's Michelle Li but still made history by being the first woman from her country to make a Commonwealth badminton final.

She was easily beaten in the end, but had the honour of picking up her country's 53rd and final medal of a record breaking Games as they finished in fourth in the medals table.

Glasgow 2014: DAY 5: Scotland guarantee best ever Games with bowls success, Jamaica take athletics gold, Malaysia enjoy best day

Scotland's history makers Alex Marshall and Paul Foster (@_dpaj)

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By Steven Oldham 

It was only a matter of time before Scotland beat their eleven gold medals from Melbourne 2006 given their successful start to Glasgow 2014, and, with six days left, they achieved this today with victory in bowls as Alex Marshall and Paul Foster won the men's pairs.

The pair romped to an easy 20-3 victory over Malaysia and in doing so secured their place in Scottish folklore as the athletes who confirmed a historic best for the country.

Libby Clegg's victory in the T12 100m in para-sport athletics was another milestone matched, as Scotland now have 33 medals from this Games - matching their best ever total haul from a single Commonwealths.

Nicol David playing England's Laura Massaro (@starsport_my)

Malaysia enjoyed their best day of Glasgow 2014 so far, picking up gold in both squash and badminton.

World number one Nicol David beat English challenger Laura Massaro to take the women's squash event while they again outperformed the English in the mixed team badminton event, meaning both David and the badminton team retain the titles they won in Delhi four years ago.

Kemar Bailey Cole wins the 100m ahead of Adam Gemili (@sportsnet)

Jamiacan gold medals are like buses; you wait ages for one then two turn up at once.

Predictably, both came in athletics - Kemar Bailey-Cole won the 100m, and O'Dayne Richards took the shot put.

Veronica Campbell-Brown had to settle for silver in the 100m sprint, with team-mate Kerron Stewart third. Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare won the race.

Welsh swimmer Jazz Carlin (Getty Images)



Swimmer Jazz Carlin became the first women in 40 years to win a Commonwealth event for Wales as she took the 800m freestyle.

She took her first Games title ahead of New Zealand's Lauren Boyle and Brittany Maclean and now has Commonwealth gold, silver and bronze.

This was Wales' third gold this Games  in three different sports - swimming, judo and rhythmic gymnastics.

English discus thrower Dan Greaves (@spogo)

England had another successful day with titles in the pool, squash and athletics.

Swimmer Ollie Hynd completed the grand slam and added Commonwealth gold to his collection, which already includes Paralympic, European and world titles, by winning the SM8 200m medley. 18-year-old Sophie Taylor took the 100m breaststroke final, having won her semi final and been the fastest in the heats. 

Discus thrower Dan Greaves secured his country's first gold medal in athletics by winning the F42/44 final ahead of Wales' Aled Davies and Nigeria's Richard Okigbazi.

Nick Matthew retained his Delhi 2010 title by winning an all-English final in the men's squash against team-mate James Willstrop. Peter Barker's bronze meant the English completed a clean sweep of the podium, with Laura Massaro also winning silver.

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DAY 5 DIGEST IN 60 SECONDS...

• Northern Ireland edged closer to the top prize by picking up silver in the men's triples bowls competition
• Cameroon won their first gold medal of the Games, and first since the 2002 Games, as weightlifter Marie Fegue takes victory in the 69kg weight class.
• Singapore continued their dominance in table tennis, adding the men's team event to the women's title they took on day 4
• Medal table leaders Australia continue to add to their medal tally, winning gold in shooting and swimming
• Canada's Sultana Frizzell retained her hammer title from Delhi 2010 and beat her own Games record in the process

Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Squash

By Steven Oldham

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Since debuting at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games in Malaysia, squash has quickly become a core sport at the Commonwealths and receives its highest potential audience at the Friendly Games.

Despite failed attempts to join the Olympic programme, squash remains a viable contender to eventually join the Games and was only denied access to the 2020 edition last year by the reprieve of wrestling.

Fast-paced, energetic and exciting, squash has been described as the ultimate workout - testing and exerting arms, legs and torso all at once.

WHEN?

With five separate competitions to get through, squash is set to be played on every day of competition from July 24-August 2.

WHERE?

Six new permanent courts at the Scotstoun Sports Campus in west Glasgow will host the preliminary matches, while the medal matches will be played on a purpose-built glass show court.

WHO?

England and Australia are the two traditional powers in Commonwealth squash, both taking home seven gold medals each. Could 2014 see either nation taking a lead for the next four years heading into the Gold Coast Games in Australia?

Nick Matthew is the one of the stars of world squash. The Englishman - chosen as his team's flagbearer for Wednesday night's opening ceremony - has won three of the last four World Opens and is currently ranked second in the world behind France's Gregory Gaultier. He already holds two Commonwealth golds from the Delhi Games in singles and doubles.

Pakistan have missed out on many Commonwealth golds due to the sport's late introduction to the Games. Janaghir and Jansher Khan dominated the game in the 1980s, but they have failed to live up to their past in the modern era. Only six countries have won Commonwealth tournaments (England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scotland and Malaysia.)

Malaysia were the last country to add their name to this list, with Nicol David taking the women's singles last time out in Delhi. She is well used to silverware - a seven time World Open champion in eight years, and is ranked number one in the world. She is back to defend her title, but may face competition from England's Laura Massaro, who will look to take momentum from winning her first World Open earlier this year.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Five tournaments at Glasgow 2014 - men's and women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles
• Squash courts are encased by four walls, with lines breaking the court into three - two service areas and the front half closest to the wall
• After service, the ball can hit any of the walls,  but cannot touch the floor after being hit before hitting the front wall, otherwise this player loses a point. 
• International squash uses the PARS scoring system - point-a-rally scoring, where the winner of each rally, regardless of serve, scores the point.
• The first to eleven points wins a game, with a two point margin needed, so games can't finish 11-10. Play continues until one player has a two point advantage.

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England flagbearer Nick Matthew in action (telegraph.co.uk)

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3,000 serving Armed Forces workers to benefit from Glasgow 2014's Tickets for Troops scheme

By Steven Oldham

Men and women serving in the UK's Armed Forces are to be offered free tickets for various events at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The scheme - billed as 'Tickets for Troops' - will see 3,000 tickets on offer to serving Forces personnel to watch the boxing, badminton, powerlifting, squash and rugby sevens events.

Tickets for Troops forms part of a wider goodwill initiative between Glasgow 2014 and event partners to make the Games accessible to as many people as possible.

20,000 tickets are now to be given away, with a quarter of those going to disadvantaged young people who will experience a day out at the Games. Those creating a lasting legacy from the Games will also be rewarded.

Distribution of the tickets will be handled by charity Tickets for Troops, which looks to reward servicemen and women's hard work and time spent away from their loved ones.

Commonwealth Games Scotland Chairman, Michael Cavanagh, said:

“The ticketing goodwill initiative is a great programme and fantastic way to ensure that tickets are going to the most deserving people in our communities including our servicemen and women and to allow them to enjoy the Games.”

It's a timely announcement, with Armed Forces Day just two days away.