COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2006
SA's one-two in 400m hurdles
Brad Morgan
23 March 2006
South Africa claimed a one-two in the men's 400 metres hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Thursday, with LJ van Zyl and Alwyn Myburgh finishing in the gold and silver medal positions.
Van Zyl was the slowest man out of the blocks, but came back strongly to run a Games record of 48.05 seconds, overhauling his compatriot down the straight.
Myburgh, who finished seventh in the Athens Olympics, ran a season's best 48.23 to comfortably secure silver ahead of Jamaica's Kemel Thompson, who finished in 48.65.
Another South African, Ter de Villiers, finished seventh.
Following in Hestrie's footsteps
South Africa's successes in field events continued as 19-year-old Anika Smith followed in the footsteps of Hestrie Cloete by winning the women's high jump.
Smith equalled her personal best of 1.91 metres to finish three centimetres clear of Wales' Julie Crane. Third place went to Karen Beautle of
Jamaica.
Back on the track, sprinter Geraldine Pillay added a bronze medal in the 200 metres to the silver medal she won in the 100 metres.
Running in lane eight, Pillay ran superbly to claim third behind the Jamaican duo of Sherone Simpson and Veronica Campbell in a time of 22.92 seconds.
Shooting silvers
South Africa's shooting team won two more medals, both of them silver.
Esmari van Reenen was squeezed out of first place by India's Anuia Jung in the women's 50 metres rifle prone. She finished on 670 points to the 670.7 of Jung.
Byron Swanton, whose sister Diane won gold in the women's trap, finished second in the men's double trap.
India's Olympic silver medalist Rajyavardhan Rathore successfully defended the title he won four years ago in Manchester, while William Chetcuti of Malta won bronze. Former Olympic champion Russell Mark of Australia had to settle for fourth.
Chauke in flyweight
final
South Africa is assured of at least two more medals, both of them in the boxing ring.
Jackson Chauke reached the flyweight final when he beat Uganda's Martin Mubiri on points on Thursday. He faces England's Don Broadhurst, who eliminated Jitender Kumar of India, for the gold medal.
Welterweight Bongani Mwelase, who won gold at the 2005 Commonwealth Boxing Championships in Glasgow, stopped Botswana's Moabi Mothiba in the second round of their quarterfinal contest to reach the semi-finals. Both losing semi-finalists win bronze medals.
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