England takes gold in men’s and women’s 4x100m relays
England added two gold medals to their total on Tuesday as both the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams took first place in their finals at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
The men’s team consisted of Ryan Scott, Leon Sylvanus Ronald, Marlon Devonish, and Mark Anthony Lewis-Francis. They didn’t start as well as the Jamaican team, with England posting a 0.197 second reaction
time compared to the Jamaicans' 0.182 reaction time, but they were still able to finish in front with a time of 38.74. The Jamaican team finished with a time of 38.79.
“This was my last chance to win something this season, my last race of the year, and I got a gold. Absolutely amazing,” said Devonish after the race.
As Lewis-Francis, silver medallist in the 100m last Thursday, took the baton for the final stretch he was five yards behind the Jamaicans, who were leading the race. But a strong finish by Lewis-Francis
powered the English team to a come-from-behind victory.
India took third place front of their home crowd with a time of 38.89.
Shortly before the men’s final, the women’s team, which consisted of Katherine Endacott, Montell Douglas, Laura Turner, and Abiodun Oyepitan, had breezed their way to a gold medal of their own. Again the
English squad had a bit of a slow reaction time, 0.195 compared to Ghana’s time of 0.166, but by the finish line the English team was over a second ahead of Ghana with a time of 44.19. Ghana took second with a time of 45.24.
India claimed another bronze as the women’s team finished in third with a time of 45.25.
"It's amazing. It's great to win gold. I haven't done a relay for six years. Going home with two medals is amazing," said Oyepitan, who anchored the English team.
The women’s team displayed textbook baton passing, possibly a sign that the coaching of UK Athletics head coach, Charles Van Commenee, is starting to pay off.
“Charles gave us a kick up the backside but it did us good, so that one’s for Charles,” said Douglas.
Van Commenee is known for tough love tactics with his athletes, and has publically stated his displeasure with his relay teams for making mistakes passing the baton.
Both the men’s and women’s 4x100 teams failed to make the finals at the European Championships earlier this year, prompting a public scolding from Van Commenee.
"The women were a disgrace and the men were not much better," Van Commenee said at the time.
There’s no doubt he’ll be pleased with his teams’ results at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
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