Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
CAMPBELL
MELBOURNE:
PARALYMPIAN TANTO Campbell won a predictable gold while Jermaine Gonzales pocketed a surprising bronze in the men's 400 metres as Jamaica climbed to a record five gold medals at the XVIII Commonwealth Games here yesterday.
Jamaica, which competed at the Games for the first time in 1934, had never previously won more than four gold medals at a single staging of the multi-sport event. The country won four gold medals at the 1958, 1970, 1998 and 2002 renewals of the Games.
The island's medal tally for 2006 now stands at 10 - five gold, two silver and three bronze. They are second in track and field behind hosts Australia who have six gold, seven silver and eight bronze medals.
Campbell, an amputee at birth, had placed third in the men's seated discus at the last Paralympic Games in Athens and was a heavy medal favourite here.
"I was prepared to come here and try and win the championship, but I really did not have gold on my mind, as the other competitors were unknown to me," Campbell said.
The daytime warm weather suited him here and he revelled in the sunshine.
"In Athens we performed early in the morning and it was cold and that affected my performance, but I like it here," Campbell said after hurling the discus 34.48m to bag the gold medal. Canada's Jacques Martin, 32.28m, was second and India's Ranjith Jayaseelan, 29.88m, got the bronze.
OVERJOYED
Gonzales was overjoyed with his personal best time and bronze medal.
"It's still early in the season and I have run my PR (personal record) so I could not ask for anything more," he said. The gold went to Australian showman John Steffenson who ran a personal best 44.73.
Grenada's Alleyne Francique took silver in 45.09.
National champion Lansford Spence ran his worst race of the three rounds to finish tied for seventh in 45.79.
In the women's 3,000m steeplechase final, Mardrea Hyman placed a distant ninth behind World, now Commonwealth champion, Dorcus Inzikuru of Uganda.
Kemel Thompson continues to look like gold in the men's 400m hurdles. In a flawless display he won his semi-final heat in 48.71, becoming the only man to go below 49 seconds after two rounds of the event here.
Thompson was accompanied into the final by Dean Griffiths who placed fourth in semi-final one which won in 49.04 by South Africa's Alwyn Melburg. Griffiths clocked 49.98. Ian Weakley was eliminated after posting 49.83 for fifth in semi-final two.
Jamaica will be represented by Shevon Stoddart in the women's 400m hurdles final. In an event which is only being run over two rounds, Stoddart placed a distant second in heat two of the qualification in 57.14.
The heat was won by England's Natasha Davers Smith in a season best 55.47. Gold medal favourite and 2002 champion, Australia's Jana Pitman, clocked 55.04 to lead all qualifiers into the final.
BATTLE ROYAL
Olympic champion Veronica Campbell and fellow Jamaican Sherone Simpson appear set for a battle royal in the women's 200m final.
Simpson's coach, Stephen Francis, has picked Simpson to run below her personal best 22.52 in the final and it should be one of the races of the Games.
Campbell won semi-final one in 23.23, beating 100m gold medallist Sheri-Ann Brooks, 23.39.
Simpson went faster in semi-final two, clocking 23.18 to clip Cydonie Mothersill, 23.19 with South Africa's Geraldine Pillay third in 23.29. Mothersill ran the fastest time, 23.11, in the first round heats.
The women's 200m final was set for this morning (5:40 a.m. Jamaica time).
Jamaica could also dominate the men's 200m final. Chris Williams, a World Championships silver medallist in the half lap race in 2001, heads to the semi-finals with the fastest time after winning the opening second-round heat in 20.48 from Stephan Buckland of Mauritius, 20.54. Omar Brown captured the second heat in 20.58 for the third fastest time.
Ainsley Waugh clocked a slow 21.03 for fifth in the third heat, but still went to the semi-finals as one of the four fastest losers.
GOOD LEAP
Defending long jump champion Elva Goulbourne qualified for the final with her first attempt, a good leap of 6.55m to top group A. The leading qualifier was home girl Bronwyn Thompson with an outstanding 6.71 in Group B.
Kenia Sinclair, a medal favourite for the 800m, had no problems in getting to the semi-finals. She won heat four in 2:04.44 from England's Marilyn Okoro, 2:05.01. Sinclair's main rival, 2002 champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique, won heat five in 2:03.11. Scotland's Susan Scott returned the fastest time, 2:02.03 in heat one.
