Sultana Frizell Profile image

Commonwealth Games: Frizell fantastic as Canada returns to winning ways

After a day without gold Canada returned to the top of a couple of Commonwealth Games podiums on Monday getting results in athletics and swimming.

Olympian Sultana Frizell was peerless in the women’s hammer throw at Hampden Park where the athletics events are being held. Frizell broke the Commonwealth Games record three times, her best throw covering a distance of 71.97 metres for the gold. Julia Ratcliffe of New Zealand and England’s Sophie Hitchon were two and three metres, respectively, behind the Canadian.

The win marked Frizell’s second straight Commonwealth Games hammer throw title.

Staying trackside, another power athlete made the podium for Canada. Tim Nedow in the men’s shot put secured a bronze medal, his best distance of 20.59 metres arriving on his fourth attempt. The event winner, O’Dayne Richards of Jamaica, set a Games record (21.61) and New Zealand’s Tom Walsh (21.19) came second.

Over at the pool Audrey Lacroix had a tremendous finish in the women’s 200m butterfly to overcome England’s Aimee Willmott and Maddie Groves of Australia. Lacroix was 0.48 seconds behind Willmott at the 150m split before emerging victorious with a time of 2:07.61. Lacroix is a two-time Olympian (Beijing & London).

Another Olympic swimmer, Brittany MacLean, won her second medal in Glasgow, taking bronze in the 800m freestyle on Monday. Her time of 8:20.91 improved the national record by four seconds. Earlier in the Games MacLean was part of the 4x200m women’s freestyle relay silver medal winning team.

A pair of bronze medals for Canada arrived in weightlifting. Marie-Josee Ares-Pilon (69kg) and Pascal Plamondon (85kg) helped bring Canada’s medal total to 24 (nine gold, three silver) by the end fifth day of competition.

Although Canada was shut out of gold on Sunday, the country did earn a pair of bronze medals through cyclist Remi Pelletier-Roy (20km scratch) and swimmer Hillary Caldwell (200m backstroke).

Canada is in pole position to win the gold in decathlon on Tuesday as Damian Warner leads the pack halfway through competition after day one. His 100m time of 10.29 in the 10-event clash destroyed the Games best record formerly held by British legend Daley Thompson at 10.37 (watch).