Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
Left: Jamaica's Trecia Smith on her way to an easy victory in the women's triple jump at the Commonwealth Games yesterday. Right: Jamaica's Maurice Wignall (left), gold medallist in the men's 110m hurdle final, carries the national flag as compatriot Christopher Pinnock walks alongside at the Commonwealth Games yesterday. - REUTERS PHOTOS
MELBOURNE:
HOT FAVOURITES Trecia Smith and Maurice Wignall made winning look ridiculously easy on yesterday's sixth day of competition at the XVIII Commonwealth Games here.
Without much of a sweat, Smith added Commonwealth gold to the world triple jump title she won in Helsinki last year.
Wignall, by far the highest rated man in the 110m hurdles field, confirmed his current class with a facile victory in the obstacle event.
The two gold medals, a silver from Maurice Smith in the decathlon and Novlene Williams' bronze in the women's 400m brought Jamaica's tally at the Games to eight and seventh overall in the medal standings. Smith quit the triple jump competition after four rounds. Her reason was that she felt a slight niggle, 'nothing serious'. It could have been due to boredom.
MODEST FIRST LEAP
Her first leap was, by her standards, a modest one, but none of her rivals could get close to it. She then had two leaps of 14.04m and 14.39 and began her celebration midway the competition. Silver medallist Otonye Iworima of Nigeria had a best of 13.53m while England's Nadia Williams got up to 13.42m for bronze.
The modest London-based Smith said victory was not as easy as it looked.
"It is surely not as hard as my other competitions, but I could have made mistakes," Smith said.
Running against a minus 1.1 metres per second wind Wignall won in 13.26 for his first gold medal at a major meet.
He was happy with his victory which he described as the greatest of his career.
"I am particularly pleased with the 13.26. It is fast for this time of the year and it indicates that there is a lot to come," he said. Scotland's Chris Baillie took silver in 13.61 just edging out England's Andrew Turner, 13.62. Jamaica's second finalist, Chris Pinnock, was fifth in 13.67.
Wignall said he kept looking for someone to surge forward, but nobody came as he won by almost five metres.
Maurice Smith engaged in a ding-dong struggle throughout the final day of the gruelling decathlon with Englishman Dean Macey and Australia's Jason Dudley. Macey prevailed despite injury with a final points tally of 8,143. Smith got silver with 8,074 while Dudley got bronze with 8001.
In the final event yesterday, former national champion Novlene Williams, 51.12, took bronze behind England's Christine Ohuruogu 50.28 and World and Olympic champion Tonique Williams of the Bahamas, 50.76. National champion Shericka Williams was fifth in 51.81.
Two Jamaican men will line up in today's 400m final. National champion Lansford Spence appears to have rediscovered the form which took him to victory at the National Stadium last June as he powered to victory in the first of three semi-finals.
Spence won in 45.32 beating England's teenage star Martyn Rooney who clocked 45.35. Jermaine Gonzales advanced as one of the fastest losers after clocking a
personal best 45.38 for third in the second semi-final. Australia?s John Steffenson won in an event leading personal best 45.05 with Grenada?s Alleyne Francique second in his season best 45.36.
Veteran Davian Clarke was a disappointing fourth in 45.74 in the last semi-final but he made no excuses.
?I felt a bit flat after travelling here from halfway around the world at the World Indoors but other athletes like Francique were there,? Clarke said. The heat was won by Christopher Brown of the Bahamas in a season-best 45.24
Kemel Thompson won his heat, Dean Griffith was an automatic qualifier while Ian Weakley emerged as one of the fastest losers as all three Jamaican men advanced to the 400m hurdles semi-finals. Thompson, an American resident since age 12, has been in Australia competing for some time and he showed this in no uncertain manner, easing to victory in heat four in 49.89.
Griffiths registered a faster time, 49.69, but had to play second fiddle to South Africa's Alwyn Myburgh who won heat one in 49.34.
Weakley struggled in the last 50 metres of heat three and was relegated to fourth over the last hurdle. His 50.50 was the 12 fastest, however, and it earned him a place in Wednesday's semi-finals. Matt Elias of Wales won the heat in 49.77.
In cycling, Iona Wynter did not face the starter for the women's individual time trial. Jamaica Olympic Association press officer Earl Bailey said she was ill but should recover in time for Sunday's road race. Tinga Stewart placed 37th in the men's race. His time, 59:11.55, was 10 minutes 34.26 seconds behind the winner, Nathan Oneil of Australia. Oneil's winning time was 48:37:29.
MEDALS TABLE
| Country | | | G | | S | | | B | Total |
| Australia | 53 | 47 | 41 | 141 |
| England | 21 | 25 | 20 | 66 |
| India | 14 | | 9 | | | 4 | 27 |
| Canada | 11 | 20 | | 16 | 47 |
| South Africa | | 9 | | 4 | | 10 | 23 |
| Scotland | | | 8 | | 6 | | | 9 | 23 |
| JAMAICA | | | 4 | | 2 | | | 2 | 8 |
| Malaysia | | | 3 | | 3 | | | 4 | 10 |
| New Zealand | | | 2 | | 4 | | 10 | 16 |
| Nigeria | | | 2 | | 3 | | | 2 | 7 |
| Kenya | | | 2 | | 3 | | | 1 | 6 |
| Wales | | | 2 | | 1 | | | 6 | 9 |
| Singapore | | | 1 | | 2 | | | 3 | 6 |
| Cyprus | | | 1 | | 1 | | | 1 | 3 |
| PNG | | | 1 | | 1 | | | 0 | 2 |
| Isle of Man | | | 1 | | 0 | | | 1 | 2 |
| Pakistan | | | 1 | | 0 | | | 1 | 2 |
| Ghana | | | 1 | | 0 | | | 0 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | | | 1 | 0 | | | 0 | 1 |
| Tanzania | | | 1 | 0 | | | 0 | 1 |
| Bahamas | | | 0 | | 2 | | | 0 | 2 |
| Cameroon | | | 0 | | 1 | | | 2 | 3 |
| Bangladesh | | | 0 | | 1 | | | 0 | 1 |
| Malta | | | 0 | | 1 | | | 0 | 1 |
| Nauru | | | 0 | 1 | | | 0 | 1 |
| N. Ireland | | | 0 | | 1 | | | 0 | 1 |
| T&T | | | 0 | | 0 | | | 2 | 2 |
| Fiji | | | 0 | | 0 | | | 1 | 1 |
| Seychelles | | | 0 | | 0 | | | 1 | 1 |
