AUSSIE SWIMMERS TAKE GOLD MEDAL TALLY TO 12 IN INDIA

Posted in Swimming

Pune, India, October 17: Australian swimmers, led by Sydney's Jared Christie-Goldthorpe have added five more gold medals to their tally, taking their overall total to 12 gold after the second day of the 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India.

Christie-Goldthorpe smashed the Games record to win the 200m backstroke in 2:01.28 - to lower fellow Australian Leigh McBean's Games mark of 2:04.05 set in Edinburgh in 2000.

He later took his personal gold medal tally to four when he combined with Edward McKendry, Alastair Bell and Ryan Napoleon to win the 4x200m freestyle relay - taking a whopping six seconds off the Games record, also set by Australia in 2000.

Napoleon, who won the 200 metres freestyle on day one, finished second in 50.66 with Thomas Barrett third (51.05) in the 100m freestyle, behind India's Khade Vir Dhaval (49.47).

Central Coast (NSW) rising star Lachlan Staples also joined the gold diggers with a very impressive Games record swim in the 100m butterfly, which saw him lower New Zealand Olympian Corney Swanepoel's 2004  Games record.

Staples clocked an impressive 53.63 to take 0.27 secs off Swanepoel's mark.

Other gold medals went to Merindah Dingjan (56.99) who was just 0.32 outside 2004 Olympic gold medallist Jodie Henry's 2000 Games record in the 100m freestyle and Newcastle's Jessica Legge who claimed her second gold medal of the Games, clocking 1:10.73 in the 100m breaststroke - adding gold to her day one victory in the 50m breaststroke.

Adding to Australia's medal tally were:

Kenneth To (silver in the 200m individual medley in  2:06.08) and silver in 1:04.62) and Liam Kinneally (bronze in 1:05.69) in the men's 100m breaststroke;

  • The Australian 4x200m freestyle  relay team of Phoebe Cater, Kacey Pilgrim, Dingjan and Jessica Ash (silver in 8:16.32);
  • Amy Smith (silver in 59.78) and Ash (bronze in 1:00.42) in the women's 100m butterfly;
  • Bridgette Taylor (bronze in the women's 200m backstroke in 2:16.38) and;
  • Pilgrim (silver in 2:19.77) and Jessica Legge (bronze in 2:20.77) in the women's 200m individual medley.

The Australians have now amassed a total of 12 gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals. - Ian Hanson