Aussies command podium at the pool
The Australian team has continued its traditionally strong presence at the Commonwealth Games by winning three of the five swimming gold medals up for grabs on the first day in Delhi.
Kylie Palmer claimed the first gold medal by a body length in the 200m freestyle as she pushed ahead of Jazmin Carlin in the final lap. British swimmer Rebecca Adlington came in third to claim the bronze.
Alicia Coutts then managed an upset in the 200m medley by finishing in front of team mate Emily Seebohm. Seebohm, who was awarded silver for her swim, lacked the speed and power needed to claim gold in the breaststroke leg. Coutts was able to capitalise
on Seebohm’s weakness and came from behind to end the lap a body length clear.
The men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay team was then able to win back their gold medal status by beating defending champion South Africa to the finish with a 1m30s lead. The British team put in a strong effort but were just not able to catch the Aussies and
finished a close second.
Australian swimmer Ryan Napoleon was just shy of winning gold in the men’s 400m freestyle final and held the lead 100m out. But it was Canadian Ryan Cochrane who will go home with the gold after snatching the lead by 0.11 of a second.
Napoleon said that he was “really happy just to make the final, let alone get a silver medal” after he was initially banned from the games following a failed drug test and then suffered a case of food poisoning the night before his race.
After the first day of the games, Australia is at the top of the medals table with another gold medal won by the men’s gymnastics team.
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