Road cyclists push Australia past 40 gold
Australia has moved past 40 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games after cyclists Cameron Meyer and Katrin Garfoot claimed time trial titles.
Track cycling world champion Cameron Meyer has returned to the road with instant success as he and Gold Coast local Katrin Garfoot won their time trials and pushed Australia past 40 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.
Meyer dominated the hills and heat of the 38.5km Currumbin road circuit, finishing in 48 minutes 13.04 seconds to reel in New Zealand's early pacesetter, dual Olympic rowing gold medallist Hamish Bond, who ended up with bronze.
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German-born Garfoot was equally dominant in the women's 25.5km race, winning in a time of 35:08.09, nearly a minute ahead of New Zealand's defending champion Linda Villumsen.
With nine world titles and three Commonwealth Games gold medals on the track, Meyer's road success dates back to the 2011 Tour Down Under and the team time trial stage of the 2013 Tour de France.
But, after missing out on his favoured 40km points race on the velodrome this week, this is his first Games gold on the road, two weeks after deciding to take on the individual time trial on the Gold Coast.
"I broke my collarbone in the last road race I did (two-and-a-half years ago), and that put me off, but I'm really happy I gave it a second shot," he said.
Meyer and Garfoot's victories took Australia to 41 gold medals halfway through day six of competition, 18 clear of second placed England on the medal table.
"There's so much motivation going around after the first week with other athletes winning gold," said Meyer.
But Australia's success has been heavily reliant on swimming and cycling which account for 32 - or 78 per cent - of the gold medals.
With swimming finishing on Tuesday and only four more medals to come in cycling, the host nation will have to turn to other sports to retain its dominance, with big hopes for medals in team events and athletics.
Long jumper Henry Frayne has smashed the Games record in the qualifying round at Carrara Stadium on Tuesday with a leap of 8.34m, while teenager Joseph Deng and Luke Mathews qualified in impressive style for the men's 800m final.
Deng justified the decision by Athletics Australia to use their discretionary powers to select him ahead of the experienced Jeff Riseley, finishing third in the quickest of the three opening-round heats in one minute 45.72 seconds.
Mathews was second in his heat 1:46.53 behind Botswana's reigning champion Nijel Amos.
Rising sprinter Riley Day clocked 23.71 in her heat to join fellow Australians Maddie Coates and Larissa Pasternatsky in Wednesday's 200m semis.
Meantime, shooter Elena Galiabovitch won her second medal of the Games with silver in the women's 25m pistol.
Australia is guaranteed some more boxing bronze medals, at least, after Skye Nicolson and Jason Whateley both moved into the semi-finals.
Nicolson survived a quarter-final scrap against Cameroon's Christelle Aurore Ndiang in the women's 57kg division, while Whateley booked a his spot with a split decision over Northern Ireland's Damien Sullivan in the 91kg division.
Gold medal favourites the Kookaburras have clinched a spot in the hockey semi-finals after cruising to a 4-0 win over Canada.
The host nation did all their damage in the first quarter on Tuesday, taking full advantage after Canadian midfielder Mark Pearson was yellow-carded for a poor challenge.
Australian forward Dylan Wotherspoon scored twice in as many minutes not long after before Jeremy Hayward added a third from a penalty corner just before the first break.
Trent Mitton completed the rout with a reverse hit midway through the fourth quarter.
The result lifts Australia equal with New Zealand on nine points and with an identical plus-13 in for-and-against in their pool ahead of their final group match against the Black Sticks on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the Hockeyroos will meet India for a shot at a fourth straight Commonwealth Games gold medal after cruising to a 2-0 win over Scotland in their final pool match.
Jodie Kenny's first-quarter flick was the only difference for 41 minutes on Tuesday night until Grace Stewart scored on the counter to give Australia some breathing space.
The Hockeyroos faced the prospect of having to face top-seeded England with a loss against Scotland, but were never seriously threatened as they denied the 23rd-ranked nation any real chances at goal.
And both Australia's men's and women's beach volleyball teams are guaranteed to play off for a medal after advancing to the semi-finals.
Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar dispatched Rwanda's Charlotte Nzayisenga and Denyse Mutatsimpundu 21-9 21-8 at Coolangatta Beach on the Gold Coast.
And the men's team of Chris McHugh and Damien Schumann were 21-12 21-14 winners over Patrick Lombi and Abubakar Kamara from Sierra Leone.
with AAP
