Kelly Sotherton celebrated heptathlon gold at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, on this day in 2006.
Sotherton, then aged 29, won what proved the sole major title of her career to give England a fourth of six athletics golds at the Games.
Having seen her commanding lead after five events almost cut in half following a poor javelin display, fourth place in the final event, the 800 metres, was enough to seal overall victory.
She finished with 6,396 points, 98 ahead of Australian silver-medallist Kylie Wheeler, while 20-year-old team-mate Jessica Ennis, who had been a point ahead of Wheeler heading into the 800m, took bronze with 6,269.
Despite becoming champion, Sotherton expressed unhappiness over her performance, particularly her showing in the javelin – her best of 32.04m was more than a metre down on the 33.09m which ultimately cost her a world championship bronze medal in Helsinki the previous year.
“At the moment I’m disappointed, not for gold but for my points total,” she said.
“I had a rubbish day today, my javelin is just getting worse. I have no words to describe how gutted I am at letting myself down.
“But when I stand on the top step of the podium and listen to the national anthem for the first time ever I think I’ll realise I have achieved something quite good today.
“I just wanted to win and get across the line to become Commonwealth champion.”
Sotherton had claimed heptathlon bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and further bronzes were earned from the heptathlon at the Osaka 2007 World Championships and Beijing 2008 Olympics, as well as the 4x400m relay at the latter.
Sotherton, who announced her retirement in 2012, did not receive the Beijing medals until 2018, having been upgraded following disqualifications.
On this day in 2018: Scotland’s Katie Archibald wins Commonwealth Games gold
Scotland’s Katie Archibald added Commonwealth champion to her long list of accolades on this day in 2018.
Archibald, an Olympic, world and European champion in various disciplines, took gold in the women’s individual pursuit in Brisbane, having broken the Games record in a blistering qualifying session.
Her only previous Commonwealth medal was the bronze she won on home soil in the points race in Glasgow four years earlier.
Archibald, then aged 24, said before racing began gold was the only colour she wanted and swiftly delivered, covering the 3,000m distance in three minutes 26.088 seconds to beat Australian Rebecca Wiasak.
She had set the record at 3:24.119 in a qualifying session which saw three riders go under the previous record set by England’s Joanna Rowsell Shand in Glasgow.
“It means a lot, especially in the individual pursuit because it’s not an Olympic event,” said Archibald. “2014 always stands out as a big year for Joanna Rowsell to kind of echo, because she had the title and the Games record.
“You look at the success she carried from that point in her career. I’d be very proud.”
Fired up by his sister’s performance, Archibald’s brother John then added another medal to Scotland’s tally with silver in the men’s 4,000m individual pursuit as England’s Charlie Tanfield clinched gold.
“I watched her heat run and the pressure was on her,” said John Archibald.
“The Commonwealth Games record went and they all went better than her personal best so she had her back against the wall but she pulled out and delivered on the day and that got me going.”
Guyana seals dominant victory in Mixed 4x400m Relay on Day 2 of Carifta Games
The excitement at the 2024 Carifta Games in Grenada reached a fever pitch as Guyana clinched a thrilling victory in the mixed 4x400m relay, sealing their triumph in the final event of the day. However, controversy loomed as Jamaica, initially finishing third, faced disqualification pending a review, prompting considerations of a protest from their management.
In a display of exceptional teamwork and determination, Guyana’s team, comprising Malachi Austin, Narissa McPherson, Dh Neilson Gill, and Tianna Springer, clocked an impressive time of 3:23.51, securing the gold medal and igniting celebrations among their supporters.
Following closely behind, Grenada, represented by Elisha Williams, Joshiem Sylvester, Cheffonia Houston, and Kemisha Dominique, delivered a commendable performance, finishing with a time of 3:29.19 to claim the silver medal.
Trinidad and Tobago, featuring Keone John, Kyah Hyson, Jaden Clement, and Kadija Pickering, rounded out the podium, clinching the bronze medal with a time of 3:31.24.
Earlier in the day, athletes showcased their talents in various events, adding to the spectacle of the Carifta Games. In the Girls Long Jump Under 17, J'kaiyah Rolle of Bahamas soared to victory with a jump of 5.77m, closely followed by Jamaica's Sashana Johnson and Belize's Brooklyn Lyttle, who leaped out to marks of 5.74m and 5.73, respectively.
In the Under 20 Boys Javelin Throw, Kaden Cartwright of Bahamas impressed with a winning throw of 67.34m, while Grenada's Rayvohn Telesford (67.34) and Dominica's Addison Alickson James (65.57m) secured second and third place, respectively.
Chrystophe Calliste of Grenada emerged victorious in the Boys Triple Jump Under 17 with a leap of 14.67m, beating out Jamaica's Amani Phillips ( 14.18m) and Bahamas' Davon Davis (14.16m) for the top spot.
The Girls Heptathlon saw an extraordinary tie for the gold medal between Jamaica's Kimeka Smith and Guadeloupe's Clémentine Carias, both amassing a total of 4699 points. Bahamas' Aaliyah Evans secured the bronze medal with a total score of 4181 points.
As the sun set on Day 2 of the Carifta Games, the atmosphere crackled with anticipation for the upcoming Day 3, promising more exhilarating performances and thrilling moments on the track and field.
Feels like the right time – Claudia Fragapane retires from gymnastics
Five-time Commonwealth Games champion Claudia Fragapane has announced her retirement from gymnastics at the age of 26.
Fragapane, who also won two World Championship medals including being part of the team that claimed an historic bronze in 2015, said it was “the right time” to leave the sport.
The Bristol athlete shot to fame when she won four golds at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, and later found a whole new fanbase when she competed in the 2016 edition of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Fragapane told British Gymnastics: “It feels like the right time. I’m really happy with my career, gymnastics has been my whole life for as long as I remember, but now I’m ready to flick over a new chapter.
“I started gymnastics at six years old, and from my first session at Bristol Hawks I said ‘I want to go to the Olympics’. I don’t think I knew how hard that would be at the time.
“But I absolutely loved the competitive side of gymnastics, I loved working hard to achieve what I wanted to. Once I started to get selected for squads, I just had this hunger to achieve more and more, and be the best I could be.”
Fragapane realised her Olympic dream when she competed at the 2016 Games in Rio. After recovering from a series of serious injuries, she won her fifth Commonwealth Games gold medal as part of the Great Britain women’s team in Birmingham in 2022.
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