Kenyans run to double gold, Aussies dominate cycling

Glasgow (AFP) - Kenya's Caleb Ndiku took a flamboyant 5000m gold while compatriot Flomena Daniel claimed the women's marathon title as Commonwealth Games athletics got under way Sunday without headliners Usain Bolt and Mo Farah.

Ndiku, the world indoor 3000m champion, made the most of the absence of injury-hit Olympic champion Farah to win the first gold medal on offer at the Hampden Park track.

With his hair dyed gold in expectation of victory, Ndiku triumphed in 13min 12.07sec over the 5km race with teammate Isiah Koech claiming silver in 13:14.06, with New Zealander Zane Robertson claiming bronze (13:16.52).

"I could see it wasn't going to be easy. There was a lot of tough competition and I needed to know when to attack," said the champion.

In the women's marathon, Daniel, the winner in Paris this year, led teammate Caroline Kilel to a convincing Kenyan one-two with Jess Trengrove grabbing an unexpected bronze for Australia.

Australian Michael Shelley prevented a Kenyan marathon sweep by producing a stunning final 8km to win gold with Kenya's Stephen Chemlany in second and Uganda's Abraham Kiplimo taking bronze.

In the blue riband 100m, Nickel Ashmeade, part of the gold medal-winning Jamaican 4x100m relay team from the Moscow worlds last year, clocked 10.40 seconds to win his heat.

The weight of the Caribbean island's expectations are resting squarely on Ashmeade's shoulders in the absence of Bolt, who will compete solely in the relay in Glasgow after an injury-plagued season.

Adam Gemili of England timed an impressive 10.15sec, the fastest qualifying time.

Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, could only finish third in his heat.

In the women's 100m heats, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown looked slick in winning in 11.29sec and she will be joined in the semi-finals by teammates Schillonie Calvert, who clocked the same time in nailing her heat, and Olympic silver medalist Kerron Stewart (11.35).

Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare headed the qualifying times with 11.20sec.

In the pool, world 100m freestyle champion James Magnussen added the Commonwealth Games title to his collection by edging out fellow Australian Cameron McEvoy in a time of 48:11sec.

"Obviously it wasn't the quickest time I've done in recent times, but I wasn't really focused on times tonight," said Magnussen.

Belinda Hocking had got Australia off to another flying start, taking gold in the women's 200m backstroke.

England's Siobhan O'Connor claimed her first gold of the Games and took her medal tally overall to four with victory in the women's 200m individual medley, beating reigning champion Alicia Coutts of Australia into second.

- All Blacks target Sevens gold -

Australia finished top of the medal table in track cycling as they claimed another two golds.

Stephanie Morton took home the gold for Australia in the women's sprint after seeing off compatriot and reigning champion Anna Meares in the best of three final.

Meares joined New Zealand's Gary Anderson as the most decorated track cyclist at the Games and surpassed Kathy Watt's Australian women's cycling record of seven medals.

Matthew Glaetzer claimed gold in the men's keirin to seal a successful track campaign for Australia who won 20 medals including seven golds.

It was a good day for England with Laura Trott shrugging off a kidney infection to win the 25km points race and end Australia's run of four successive wins in the event.

Sophie Thornhill and pilot Helen Scott took gold in the women's para-sport 1000m tandem time trial.

New Zealand, who were without a gold for 12 years on the track, finished with a fourth win as Shane Archbold claimed the 20km scratch race.

In rugby sevens, four-time champions New Zealand will play South Africa in the final at Ibrox Stadium later Sunday.

The all-conquering All Blacks beat Delhi silver medallists Australia 19-7 in the semi-finals, with the Springboks outpowering Samoa 35-7.

The first two shooting golds of the day both went to England.

Charlotte Kerwood took the women's double trap ahead of Shreyasi Singh of India and Rachel Parish of England, while Steven Scott was first in the men's double trap in front of countryman Matthew French and Asab Mohd of India.

Singapore stormed to victory in the women's team table-tennis competition, while South Africa won gold in the women's lawn bowls four defeating Malaysia in the final.

In weightlifting, Nigeria's Olauwatoyin Adesanmi won the women's 63kg, pushing Commonwealth number one and compatriot Obioma Okoli into the silver position.

Malaysia's world number one Nicol David secured her place in the final of the women's squash final with a straight games win over New Zealand's Joelle King.

The top seed will now meet the winner of all-English semi-final between Alison Waters against second seed Laura Massaro.