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South African swimmer Chad Le Clos moved closer to Commonwealth Games immortality with another gold medal performance, the gymnastics all-around finals went down to the wire in both men's and women's competitions, the para and mixed triathlons were filled with drama, and India's weightlifting gold rush continued on Day 3 of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Le Clos adds to Commonwealth legacy
South Africa’s Chad Le Clos won gold in the 200m Butterfly for the third consecutive Commonwealth Games.
The gold was Le Clos’ 16th medal at a Commonwealth Games, making him the second most successful athlete ever at a Commonwealth Games.
"No one has done the triple before so I feel like the Michael Phelps of the Commonwealth (Games) - I'm happy.
Chad Le Clos holds up his gold medal after winning the 200m Butterfly. Photo: Getty.
Backstroke rivalry continues
Canada’s Kylie Masse edged Australia’s Emily Seebohm by just 0.03 seconds in a heart-stopping 100m backstroke final. Seebohm led the whole race and looked set to win her third consecutive 100m Commonwealth Games title, before being beaten at the wall by the smallest of margins. The Australian was under Masse’s world record split at the turn, but the Canadian powered home to claim the gold and a new Commonwealth Games record.
"I know she always goes out quite fast,” Masse said of Seebohm.
“I knew she was going to be right there. We were going to be there together. I had no idea how close she was at the end until I got out of the pool and I looked up at the times.
“She's an incredible swimmer."
Australia's Emily Seebohm embraces Canada's Kylie Masse after the 100m backstroke final. Photo: Getty.
Men's All Around Gymnastics – England continue dominance
Nile Wilson secured England's third consecutive Commonwealth Games men's individual all-around gymnastics gold with a score of 84.950 points.
The final was decided on the very last apparatus, as only 0.25 points separated the top-three gymnasts heading into the horizontal bar at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday.
After five of six apparatus, it was Wilson's teammate James Hall who led the standings, with Wilson and Rio 2016 Olympic all-around finalist Marios Georgiou both in second place. Georgiou was the first one up on the last event, but after a good routine and an all-around total of 83.750, was quickly outscored by Hall (83.975).
England's Nile Wilson celebrates his All Around gold medal. Photo: Getty.
Women's All Around Gymnasics – Canada's first since 2002
Elsabeth Black claimed Canada's first women's all-around Commonwealth Games gold medal since Kate Richardson in Manchester 2002 by just 0.4 of a point ahead of Australia's Georgia Godwin.
"I just wanted to show what Canadian gymnastics is all about,” Black said.
“I still had some mistakes, but it's a big step up from last time (coming fourth in the all-around at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games)."
Canada's Elsabeth Black on her way to gold. Photo: Getty.
Mixed team relay – Not so gentle
Australia continued its dominance of the triathlon mixed team relay by adding the Commonwealth Games crown to last year’s world championship title at the Southport Broadwater Parklands on Saturday.
Ashleigh Gentle helped lead her country to victory with a key performance in her leg of the Triathlon, making up a 15 second deficit on the bike leg before pulling away on the run to set up a dominant 52 second win over England.
Jake Birtwhistle had the honour of crossing the finish line in first place, in a combined time of 1:17.36, but it was Gentle's third leg battle with Jessica Learmonth which was the game changer.
Para triathlon - Jones transition goes swimmingly
Para triathlete Jade Jones couldn’t swim 18 months ago, but on Saturday she swam, cycled and raced, becoming the first women’s Para Triathlon champion in Commonwealth Games history.
Jones competed at the London and Rio Paralympics and Glasgow Games as a wheelchair racer, but decided to take up para triathlon after watching the inaugural Olympic event in Rio.
There was one challenge - the swim.
“I couldn’t swim come November 2016 and that’s when I started to learn,” Jones told GC2018.com.
Read our feature story with Jones.
England's Jade Jones makes history winning the first women's para triathlon gold medal. Photo: Getty.
Beveridge joins hero on podium
Australia's Nic Beveridge was inspired to take up triathlon after watching Bill Chaffey compete. Just six years later, he made it onto the podium alongside his hero.
Beveridge won silver in the GC2018 Para Triathlon, just behind England's Joseph Townsend and ahead of Chaffey in the 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run circuit.
Beveridge led after the swim before Townsend moved from sixth into first position during a courageous cycle. Chaffey crashed on the fourth cycle lap, having to cycle one-handed for the remainder of the leg.
India continue weightlifting surge
Sathish Kumar Sivalingam won the gold medal in the men's 77kg division at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre on Saturday.
It was India’s third gold medal in weightlifting and fifth medal overall from the weightlifting platform.
Sathish Kumar Sivalingam of India competes during the Men's 77kg Weightlifting Final. Photo: Getty.
Timed to perfection
Australia's Kaarle McCulloch claimed the gold medal in the women's 500m time trial at the Anna Meares Velodrome.
It was the race Meares made famous and was fitting that a fellow Australian would win the gold in the velodrome named after the Australian cycling champion.
Australia's Stephanie Morton claimed the silver, with New Zealand’s Emma Cumming taking bronze.
Australia's Kaarle McCullough celebrates with the Australian flag. Photo: Getty
