Gold Coast 2018: Australia continues to lead medals tally, India stays no 3
Gold Coast 2018: Australia continues to lead medals tally, India stays no 3 Gold Coast 2018: As the chase for medals continues unabated, first six positions in the medals tally of XXI Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast remains unchanged. The hosts Australia are close to touching 150-mark with 56 gold while second placed England has 25 gold medals in a tally of 76. Third placed India has won till end of Wednesday 24 medals, half of them gold, while Canada with eight gold medals was still placed sixth with 47 medals, including 8 gold. Australia virtually enjoys monopoly in water sports as a bulk of its medals have come from the pool. On the other hand, India draws its strength from weightlifting and shooting and now hopes to reap a rich harvest in boxing besides proving its supremacy in team events like badminton and table tennis. Canada has met with fairly good success in diving, swimming and artistic gymnastics besides athletics. India on Wednesday won a gold in shooting (Shreyasi Singh) in double trap for women besides two bronze medals in 50 m Air Pistol (Om Mitharval) and Ankur Mittal (men's double trap). India has also made confident strides in its hunt for medals in hockey, both men and women, making the semis with wins against their more fancied opponents in pool games. While women had shocked England 2-1, men too defeated England 4-3 in a thriller with two goals in last 90 seconds. Canada has failed to make semis in hockey while Australia and England have, however, are in the run for hockey medals in both sections. For Canada three-time Olympic medallist Meaghan Benfeito and her new partner Caeli McKay earned a spot on the diving podium. The pair secured silver in the women's 10m synchronized diving event, for their first Commonwealth Games medal together. Also for Canada, Django Lovett had a Commonwealth Games experience to remember, leaping to 2.30m for a new personal best and a bronze medal. The Canadian finished behind Aussie winner Brandon Starc and silver medallist from the Bahamas Jamal Wilson. In Boxing, while India's Mary Kom has entered final in 48 kg, Canada's Marie-Jeanne Parent became the first Canadian boxer to reach the podium in Australia, earning a Commonwealth Games bronze. Team Canada's beach volleyball players had a big day 7 in Australia. Both the men's and women's volleyball teams are headed to the gold medal final, taking place on day 8. In order to reach the final, Sam Schachter and Samuel Pedlow topped New Zealand while Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Pared defeated Cyprus. —PTC News
