Commonwealth Games rocked by awful scenes in 100m heats

Commonwealth Games viewers were left shattered after Eswatinian sprinter Ayanda Malaza collapsed during the 100m heats due to an injury.

A wheelchair was required to help the 19-year-old off the Birmingham track, after he appeared to injure his hamstring while at top speed.

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Already looking slightly uncomfortable after Nigeria's Godson Oke Oghenebrume got off to a false start, Malaza tumbled to the ground in pain on the second start.

Clutching at his leg as he lay on the track, Malaza was left in tears after his years of dedication to the sport unravelled at the worst possible moment.

Medics quickly arrived to treat the teenage speedster, but it would appear his venture to the Games is all but over.

It was a more positive day on the 100m track for Australian hope Rohan Browning though, who blasted his way into the semi-finals with a time of 10.10 in his qualifying heat.

It was the fourth fastest time overall, a reassuring sight for the 24-year-old after a difficult outing at the World Championships in Eugene last month, in which he failed to qualify for the semis.

Fellow Australian Jake Doran also advanced to the semis on Wednesday in 10.39.

"I have struggled a bit on the circuit this year and the losses really started to pile up," Browning said.

"But I knew I had a run like that in me.

"I stumbled out of the blocks and it was far from the perfect race (but) it's by far my best run of the year."

There was a tricky cross breeze at the Alexander Stadium for the opening session of the track and field, which made Browning's time even more impressive.

The disappointment at the earlier world championships had rocked Browning's confidence, but he said it had been a case of mind over matter.

"There's always that humiliation element when you get run out in the heats but you just try to bounce back from it and not take it to heart," said Browning, who went within a whisker of becoming the second Australian to break the 10-second mark when he stopped the clock at 10.01 at last year's Tokyo Olympics.

"Just trust that the form is there, it's just in the execution.

"I think I've tapped into a good vein of form for these championships."

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Reigning national champion Doran was also pleased to advance to the semis in second spot in his heat behind reigning Commonwealth champ Akani Simbine from South Africa (10.10).

"I was thinking to myself I can cut the jets here and then thought actually there is a Jamaican (Nigel Ellis) next to me so I probably should run through the line," said Doran.

"I'm just happy to finish that race in one piece and get ready for tomorrow."

Yupun Abeykoon of Sri Lanka was the fastest qualifier in 10.06.

Five-time Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah from Jamaica clocked the equal-quickest time of 10.99 in the opening round of the women's 100m.

Australians Naa Anang (11.37) and Bree Masters (11.41) also advanced.

Australian record holder Catriona Bisset did extremely well to finish second in a stacked heat of the women's 800m in 2:00.40 behind England's Olympic and world championships silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson and qualify automatically for Saturday's final.

Georgia Griffith was eliminated despite running 2:00.36, her fastest time of the year.

Gold Coast Commonwealth Games silver medallist Henry Frayne needed only one jump of 7.85m to progress straight through to the men's long jump final on Wednesday.

Fellow Australian Chris Mitrevski did it tougher, needing a final-round effort of 7.76m to advance.

India's Murali Sreeshankar had the best qualifying leap of 8.05m.

Matthew Denny cruised through men's discus qualifying with 64.63m and shapes as the man to beat in Thursday's final.

With AAP

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