OMEN
03-17-2006, 03:08 PM
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Golden girls ... Miatke and Jone
AUSTRALIA's women asserted their authority on the second night of swimming at the Commonwealth Games with two clean sweeps last night.
Leisel Jones and Danni Miatke led home double green and gold trifectas to silence a few of the critics from Thursday's opening night of pool action, winning gold in the 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly respectively.
There were solid hitouts, too, for freestyle queens Jodie Henry and Libby Lenton, too, both through to tomorrow's 100m final with Alice Mills alongside them.
But again it was a disappointing night for the men's team, looking ever weaker without the presence of Ian Thorpe, who was watching from the stands, and regular team captain Grant Hackett.
Matthew Welsh surrendered his 50m backstroke title to England's Matthew Clay, missing out on a medal altogether by finishing fourth. Teammate Andrew Lauterstein was seventh in the same race while promising youngster Nick Ffrost, 19, was dead last in his 200m freestyle relay, in which Thorpe would have swum if fit.
Overall, though, it was a happier night for the team as a whole, thanks to the female sextet of stars.
Miatke started the ball rolling for the girls, leading from the front in her event.
The Darwin teenager burst off the blocks that face the dressing rooms at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre as if she was in a hurry to get back in the showers, finishing in a Games record of 26.43sec.
Jessicah Schipper, who saw her Games record smashed by 0.12sec, finished in the silver meal position clocking 26.65sec while Mills had to share her bronze with South Africa's Lize-Mari Retief after they dead-heated in 26.78sec.
An emotional Miatke remarked that while her world championship success in this race in Montreal last year was something, last night's Commonwealth Games win was "something else".
"This crowd is just awesome. It's so exciting to be here," she said.
"I didn't feel good in the warm-up, I felt sluggish, but just followed my process.," she added, and the crowd pulled her along, too.
Jones, fourth in Manchester four years ago over the 50m breaststroke, was equally impressive in winning her first major title over the distance.
She was behind world record holder, world champion and countrywoman Jade Edmistone at the halfway mark, but clawed back the girl she described as the "queen of the 50" to take the gold in a time of 30.55sec.
Edmistone clocked 30.84sec, disappointing compared not only to her world record of 30.31sec but also her semi-final swim of 30.54sec.
"I guess I just expected Jade to win as she is the queen of the 50," Jones said.
"I just had to go out there and swim the best race I could. I have a tendency to lose control in the 50, and lose my rate, so I just went out to stay in control.
"I guess that's a good start. If I can get out fast and have good starts, that's even better."
Not noted for her raw speed, Jones, 20, was arguably a surprise winner of this event.
In third place was Tarnee White, who won the bronxe with a time of 31.26sec.
Jones now goes into her more favoured 100m and 200m breaststroke events in fine shape, with a new personal best in this sprint under her belt.
Even the women's representative in the elite athletes with disabilities class, Annabelle Williams grabbed a nugget, winning bronze in the 50m freestyle behind world record holder Natalie du Toit, of South Africa, who won gold.
Williams, who cried with joy as she paraded her medal around the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, said: "You walk out here and hear everybody screaming and it's incredible.
Stand-in team captain Giaan Rooney finished the night on a high, qualifying for her 100m backstroke final tonight with a win in her semi-final and the second fastest time of 1min 01.68sec.
Joining her will be teammates Sophie Edington, who was the quickest in 1min 01.30, and Tayliah Zimmer, who clocked 1min 02.48, the fifth fastest time behind New Zealand's Hannah McLean and England's Melanie Marshall.
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Golden girls ... Miatke and Jone
AUSTRALIA's women asserted their authority on the second night of swimming at the Commonwealth Games with two clean sweeps last night.
Leisel Jones and Danni Miatke led home double green and gold trifectas to silence a few of the critics from Thursday's opening night of pool action, winning gold in the 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly respectively.
There were solid hitouts, too, for freestyle queens Jodie Henry and Libby Lenton, too, both through to tomorrow's 100m final with Alice Mills alongside them.
But again it was a disappointing night for the men's team, looking ever weaker without the presence of Ian Thorpe, who was watching from the stands, and regular team captain Grant Hackett.
Matthew Welsh surrendered his 50m backstroke title to England's Matthew Clay, missing out on a medal altogether by finishing fourth. Teammate Andrew Lauterstein was seventh in the same race while promising youngster Nick Ffrost, 19, was dead last in his 200m freestyle relay, in which Thorpe would have swum if fit.
Overall, though, it was a happier night for the team as a whole, thanks to the female sextet of stars.
Miatke started the ball rolling for the girls, leading from the front in her event.
The Darwin teenager burst off the blocks that face the dressing rooms at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre as if she was in a hurry to get back in the showers, finishing in a Games record of 26.43sec.
Jessicah Schipper, who saw her Games record smashed by 0.12sec, finished in the silver meal position clocking 26.65sec while Mills had to share her bronze with South Africa's Lize-Mari Retief after they dead-heated in 26.78sec.
An emotional Miatke remarked that while her world championship success in this race in Montreal last year was something, last night's Commonwealth Games win was "something else".
"This crowd is just awesome. It's so exciting to be here," she said.
"I didn't feel good in the warm-up, I felt sluggish, but just followed my process.," she added, and the crowd pulled her along, too.
Jones, fourth in Manchester four years ago over the 50m breaststroke, was equally impressive in winning her first major title over the distance.
She was behind world record holder, world champion and countrywoman Jade Edmistone at the halfway mark, but clawed back the girl she described as the "queen of the 50" to take the gold in a time of 30.55sec.
Edmistone clocked 30.84sec, disappointing compared not only to her world record of 30.31sec but also her semi-final swim of 30.54sec.
"I guess I just expected Jade to win as she is the queen of the 50," Jones said.
"I just had to go out there and swim the best race I could. I have a tendency to lose control in the 50, and lose my rate, so I just went out to stay in control.
"I guess that's a good start. If I can get out fast and have good starts, that's even better."
Not noted for her raw speed, Jones, 20, was arguably a surprise winner of this event.
In third place was Tarnee White, who won the bronxe with a time of 31.26sec.
Jones now goes into her more favoured 100m and 200m breaststroke events in fine shape, with a new personal best in this sprint under her belt.
Even the women's representative in the elite athletes with disabilities class, Annabelle Williams grabbed a nugget, winning bronze in the 50m freestyle behind world record holder Natalie du Toit, of South Africa, who won gold.
Williams, who cried with joy as she paraded her medal around the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, said: "You walk out here and hear everybody screaming and it's incredible.
Stand-in team captain Giaan Rooney finished the night on a high, qualifying for her 100m backstroke final tonight with a win in her semi-final and the second fastest time of 1min 01.68sec.
Joining her will be teammates Sophie Edington, who was the quickest in 1min 01.30, and Tayliah Zimmer, who clocked 1min 02.48, the fifth fastest time behind New Zealand's Hannah McLean and England's Melanie Marshall.
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