By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
England's Darren Campbell (right) looks across to Jamaica's Asafa Powell as they cross the finish line in the men's 4x100 metres final at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester yesterday. England won gold in a time of 38.62 seconds, with Jamaica taking silver in the same time. - Reuters
MANCHESTER, England:
A DAY which began with much fanfare, ended up horribly wrong for Jamaica as the curtain came down on track and field competition at the XVII Commonwealth Games yesterday.
Lacena Golding-Clarke and Vonette Dixon more than made up for the absence of injured national record holder Brigitte Foster by taking gold and silver in the women's 100m hurdles final. Then the women's and men's sprint relay teams mined silver and Trecia Smith won bronze in women's triple jump in a national record 14.32m.
The men's and women's 4x400m quartets were strong favourites for gold and both looked well on the way before disaster struck twice and both teams ended up DNF (did not finish).
Allison Beckford had run a magnificent first leg in the women's race making up the stagger on the entire field. She, however, ran into a static Lorraine Fenton at the start of the second leg and the latter's right shoe came off half-way. Fenton took the baton and went a few paces before walking off the track still trying to fit on her shoe.
Both Beckford and veteran Sandie Richards who was down to run the final leg in what is almost sure to be her last Commonwealth Games were angry and close to tears after the event and declined interviews. Fenton had meanwhile left for the dressing rooms in company with third-leg runner Debbie-Ann Parris.
Many members of the Jamaican contingent here felt Fenton should have thrown off both running shoes and completed the lap. Australia took advantage of Jamaica's misfortune to win the gold in a Games record 3:25.63. England took silver in 3:26.73 and Nigeria were third in 3:29.16.
Less than 30 minutes later men's 400m gold medallist Michael Blackwood dropped the baton while in the lead 50 metres out on the final leg of the 4x400m. Blackwood had collected the baton in front after an impressive third leg by Danny McFarlane and seemed to be just holding the twin challenges of England's Daniel Caines and Welshman Matthew Elias when he suddenly lost his grip on the baton.
Blackwood said later that the baton was hit from his grasp when the athletes came very close together in the finals stages of the event. Unlike the women, the men appeared to take the mishap in stride and Blackwood was consoled by his teammates Sanjay Ayre, Brandon Simpson and McFarlane.
England got gold by a whisker in 3:00.40 ahead of Wales in a national record 3:00.41 with Bahamas (3:01.35) getting bronze.
Earlier Golding-Clarke said she came into the Games with high hopes but gold was not on her mind.
"I am so happy. It's my first major gold. In 1998 I was fourth in the long jump and now I am first after only switching seriously to hurdling this year," added Golding-Clarke.
There were more than a few boos in the City of Manchester Stadium after England were awarded the men's 4x100m gold ahead of Jamaica. It appeared to the naked eye that Jamaica's Asafa Powell had pipped England's Darren Campbell on the line but the photo-finish judges thought otherwise. Both teams finished in 38.62 with Australia third in 38.87.
The runners felt they were robbed.
"As far as I could see we won," second leg runner Dwight Thomas said.
"The replay showed that I was ahead at the finish line," Powell added.
Olympic and World Champions Bahamas continued their winning ways taking gold in the women's sprint relay in a Games record 42.44. Jamaica ran a weakened team because of injury to Beverly McDonald and it took a storming last leg by 100m silver medallist Veronica Campbell to earn silver in 42.73. England got bronze in 42.84.
Mardrea Hyman was sixth in the women's 1500m final won in 4:05.99 by England's Kelly Holmes.
Track and field team manager Bernie Panton was satisfied with Jamaica's performance describing it as their best ever at the Commonwealth Games.
"Unfortunately, we waited until the last day to have our mishaps but it's the best Commonwealth Games we have ever had. The coaches did well and the athletes also did very well and as manager I am very pleased.
We had some unusual events that we took part in for the first time, the hammer and the decathlon which was won so convincingly by Claston Bernard. We were also fifth in both men's and women's high jump which is a breakthrough."
The track and field contingent won 14 medals - four gold, six silver and four bronze. This is eight more than the won four years ago in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Jamaica's contingent here is still competing in cycling, netball, badminton, swimming, table tennis and shooting.
JAMAICANS IN ACTION TODAY
BADMINTON
Men's doubles round of 32: Charles Pyne and Alexander Haddad
CYCLING
Men's 20km Scratch race final: Horace Mcfarlane, Chris Tavares-Finson
SWIMMING
800m freestyle heats: Janelle Atkinson
100m butterfly heats: Tamara Swaby
TABLE TENNIS
Men's singles Pools play: Peter Moo Young, Gavin Hylton, Chris Marsh
