Aussies vault to final as Johnson misses medal

Three Australians will compete in the women’s pole vault final on Saturday night after qualifying easily at the MCG tonight.

Aussies Kym Howe, Tatiana Grigorieva and Grigorieva’s 15-year-old niece Victoria Parnov made the top 12 easily, with Howe vaulting 4.2 metres and Grigorieva and Parnov reaching the height of 4.1 metres.

Other Aussies to qualify for finals were Sally McLellan and Fiona Cullen who both finished third in their respective heats of the women’s 100m hurdles and will feature in tomorrow night’s final.

Australian sprinter Patrick Johnson came fourth in a tight men’s 200m final, after earlier qualifying third in his semi-final.

Johnson looked in trouble coming around the bend, but fought hard to put himself in the medal mix, with a photo needed to separate the top four.

In the end, Jamaica’s Omar Brown got the gold in a time of 20.47, with silver medalist Stephen Buckland of Mauritius registering the same time and Jamaican Chris Williams edging Johnson out for bronze.

In the men’s 400m hurdles final, Australian Brendan Cole finished fifth, with South Africa claiming a quinella thanks to Louis Van Zyl’s victory in a Games record time of 48.05 seconds and Alwyn Myburgh coming in second. Jamaica’s Kemel Thompson took out bronze.

The women’s high jump was taken out by 19-year-old South African Anika Smith, who leapt a personal best of 1.91 metres to beat out Wales’ Julie Crane, who took silver.

Bronze was shared between Jamaica’s Karen Beautle and Angela McKee, who couldn’t be separated on countback after their jumps of 1.83 metres.

Aussies Claire Mallett and Ellen Pettitt also reached 1.83 metres, but weren’t in the running for a medal due to previous failed attempts. The other Australian, Petrina Price, could only muster an effort of 1.78 metres.

In the men’s 800m final, Kenya’s Alex Kipchirchir Rono won gold in a time of one minute and 45.88 seconds, ahead of gutsy Canadian Ancharaf Tadili who beat Kenyan John Litei Nkamasiai on the line.

Australia’s Nicholas Bromley finished sixth and was never a threat.

No Australian’s qualified for tomorrow night’s women’s 800m final, with Elizabeth Allen and Suzanne Walsham finishing eighth and sixth in their respective heats. Track legend Mozambique’s Maria Mutola qualified fastest with a time of one minute 59.03 seconds.

In the last track event of the night, Jamaica capped off a wonderful night with Sherone Simpson taking out the women’s 200m in a time of 22.59 ahead of compatriot Veronica Campbell and South Africa’s Geraldine Pillay.

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