Canada inches closer to India in medals tally
Canada moved up two slots to take fourth position behind India as Australia and England reiterated their first and second positions in overall medals tally in XXI Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast on Thursday.
India won two gold, three silver and three bronze medals while Canada added four gold, seven silver and two bronze medals to dominate day 8 at the Games on Thursday.
While India's total tally swelled to 31 with 14 gold medals, Canada has taken its gold haul to 12 in a tally of 60. Australia touched 156 with 63 gold medals while England has 28 gold in a tally of 87.
Rich medal hauls apart, India had the disappointment of not making the gold medal round in women's hockey even after putting up a magnificent fight against the hosts and defending champions Australia. India lost by a second half goal. While India plays the bronze medal, Canada plays for fifth and sixth position in women's hockey.
Interestingly Thursdays medal glut brought athletes from India and Canada face to face with each other. In wrestling, for example, if Rahul Aware defeated Steven Takahashi for gold in 57 kg category, Diana Wiecker defeated Babita Kumari in the gold medal match in 53 kg category.
Other than these medal contests, Sushil Kumar won gold for India in 74 kg category while Olympic champion Erica Wiebe of Canada was able to defend her Commonwealth Games title, taking gold in the 76kg category. Jevon Balfour took bronze in 74kg for Canada.
Christabel Nettey was crowned a Commonwealth Games champion, after claiming gold in long jump with a leap of 6.84 metres. Aaron Brown raced to silver in the men's 200m, clocking 20.34 seconds.Shawn Barber also claimed a silver of his own, after clearing 5.65m in pole vault.
in track and field, India also got its first two medals, a silver and a bronze. Seema Punia and Navjeet Dhillon took second and third positions in discus throw for women.
Besides Tejaswini Sawant for India a Silver in 50 m rifle prone.
Team Canada topped the women's beach volleyball podium thanks to a stellar tournament fromMelissa Humana-Parades and Sarah Pavan. The pair topped the Australia hosts in two straight sets to win the gold medal final. On the men's side Samuel Pedlow and Sam Schachter took the Aussies to three sets, finishing the tournament with a silver.
Hayley Smith became Team Canada's first cyclist to reach the Gold Coast podium to finish third in the women's mountain bike behind a pair of English riders.
Philippe Gagne (3m) and Meaghan Benfeito (10 m) both clinched individual diving silvers on day 8 of the Commonwealth Games. For Opening Ceremony flag bearer Benfeito this marked her second silver in two days.
Katherine Uchida continued Canada's gymnastics success, earning a silver medal in the women's individual all-around.
