BY ELTON TUCKER, STAR Sports Editor
MELBOURNE, Australia
PARALYMPIAN TANTO CAMPBELL won the men's seated discus throw to lift Jamaica to a record five gold medals at the XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
Jamaica which competed at the Games for the first time in 1934 has never previously won more than four gold medals at a single staging of the multi-sport event. The country had previously won four gold medals at the 1958, 1970, 1998 and 2002 renewals of the Games.
The island's medal tally for 2006 now stands at 10, five gold, two silver and three bronze. They are second in track and field behind hosts Australia who have six gold, seven silver and eight bronze medals.
Jermaine Gonzales clocked a personal best 45.16 to earn a surprising bronze in the men's 400m final.
Campbell, an amputee from birth, had placed third at the last Paralympic Games in Athens two years ago and was a heavy medal favourite here.
"I was prepared to come here and try and win the championship but I really did not have gold on my mind, as the other competitors were unknown to me," Campbell said shortly after hearing the National Anthem and seeing the Jamaican flag raised for the fifth time inside the massive Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
He added: "I am pretty happy. I was looking to get a personal best but that did not happen but I have earned a gold for Jamaica."
His winning distance was 34.48 metres achieved on his second throw. Canada's Jacques Martin, 32.28m, was second and India's Ranjith Jayasalan (29.88m, got the bronze.
Gonzales was overjoyed with his personal best time and bronze medal.
"It's still early in the season and I have run my PR (personal record) so I could not ask for anything more," he said.
Kemel Thompson continues to look like gold in the men's 400m hurdles. In a flawless display he won his semi-final heat in 48.71, becoming the only man to go below 49 seconds after two rounds of the event here.
Thompson was accompanied into Thursday's final by Dean Griffiths who placed fourth in semi-final one which won in 49.04 by South Africa's Alwyn Melburg. Griffiths clocked 49.98. Ian Weakley was eliminated after posting 49.83 for fifth in semi-final two.
Jamaica will be represented by Shevon Stoddart in the women's 400m hurldes final. In an event which is only being run over two rounds Stoddart placed a distant second in heat two for the qualification in 57.14. The heat was won by England's Natasha Davers Smith in a season best 55.47.
Gold medal favourite and 2002 champion, Australia's Jana Pitman, clocked 55.04 to lead all qualifiers into Thursday's final.
Olympic champion Veronica Campbell and fellow Jamaican Sherone Simpson appear set for a battle royal in the women's 200m final.
Simpson's coach, Stephen Francis, has picked her to run below her personal best 22.52 in the final but it should be one of the races of the Games.
Campbell won semi-final one in 23.23 beating 100m gold medallist Sheri-Ann Brooks, 23.39.
Simpson went faster in semi-final two clocking 23.18 to to clip Cydonie Mothersill, 23.19 with South Africa's Geraldine Pillay third in 23.29. Mothersill ran the fastest time, 23.11, in Wednesday morning's first round heats.
The women's 200m final is set for Thursday morning (5:40 a.m. Jamaica time).
Defending long jump champion Elva Goulbourne qualified for the final with her first attempt, a good leap of 6.55m to top group A. The leading qualifier was home girl Bronwyn Thompson with an outstanding 6.71 in Group B.
Kenia Sinclair, a medal favourite for the 800m, had no problems in getting to Thursday's semi-finals. She won heat four in 2:04.44 from England's Marilyn Okoro, 2:05.01. Sinclair's main rival, 2002 champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique, won heat five in 2:03.11. Scotland's Susan Scott returned the fastest time, 2:02.03 in heat one.
A magnificent basketball-style shot with just ticks left on the clock carried Jamaica to a nailbiting 54-54 draw in the Group Two of the netball competition at the XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Wednesday evening.
Australia led by as many as eight goals with just over five minutes to go but the Jamaican girls clawed their way back with crucial interceptions and accurate passes as the host team got tired near the end.
The result left Jamaica on top of the group. They are tied on seven points, three wins and a draw, with Australia but have a far superior goal percentage of 208.37 (264 for and 127 against) to Australia's 187.17 (280-150).
Goal shooter Elaine Davis who scored 37 of her 39 attempts injured her knee during the match and may be out of today's final group match against Samoa. Forbes scored 17 from 19 attempts in the draw. Australia led by as many as eight goals with five minutes to go but captain Oberon Pitterson said they maintained their cool.
"We just took it one goal at a time," she said on Wednesday night after watching possible semi-final opponents New Zealand beat England 55-40.
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