WRESTLING
Courtesy of Commonwealth Games Canada
It was a profitable day on the wrestling mats for Canada. Erica Wiebe of Stittsville Ontario and Korey Jarvis of Elliot Lake Ontario have won have both won Gold and Jasmine Mian of Barrie Ontario has won a Bronze.
In the women’s 75kg weight-class, Erica Wiebe started the day strong with a 10 – 0 match win against Sophie Edwards of England. With only five wrestlers within the 75kg weight category, the competition for the women’s 75kg category used the Nordic System where each participant must fight all four of their competitors, which was ok with Wiebe, who loves this fast-paced system style.
Wiebe has described her love of the sport of wrestling.
“There is nothing else like the sweaty, physical chess match that is wrestling,” said Wiebe. “I love the tactical, technical, and gritty aspects of the sport.”
In her second bout, Wiebe wrestled Blessing Onyebuchi from Nigeria. The match was clearly dominated by Wiebe who won the match 12-2. Three-time national champion, Wiebe’s next match was against Annabel Ali of Cameroon. Ali was a silver medallist at the Delhi Games but was beaten by Wiebe at the 2013 World Championships resulting in a seventh-place finish for Wiebe. With a score of 4-2, Wiebe beat Ali, who had been described as her toughest competition for gold.
After the match, Wiebe talked about her match strategy.
“I know that no matter what happens, I can put points on the board, so I work to make something happen. Obviously the last 30 seconds I gave up some points, but it is a good warm-up for high-pressure Games like this where you leave it all on the line,” said Wiebe. “The Indian wrestler and the Nigerian both have similar styles, so I needed to outlast her and be tougher.”
In her last match of the Nordic System pool A, Wiebe battled Jyoti of India. Strong as ever, Wiebe was up by three points just before at the half-way break, jumped to nine and the match was hers, she had done it.
“When I won it was emotional, this is what I have been thinking about and dreaming about, it was awesome, to have that moment for myself, the first time that I did this at a big event,” she said after the bout with tears in her eyes. “I have never had my anthem played, so I was thinking about that before I went out there, and that is what I was wrestling for today.”
In the 125kg weight-class Korey Jarvis received a by into the quarter-finals and met Hollis Ochieng Mkanga of Kenya. Korey, showed good control and patience and quickly earned four points. By the end of the match, Jarvis was heading into the semis and had won 11-1. Chinu from England was Jarvis’ competitor in the semi-finals. At one point the score was tied at 2-2 when Jarvis took control and quickly gained momentum. He continually tuned his opponent until he had 12 points. It was a strong and dominant performance. There is no doubt what Jarvis was looking for at these Games.
“It started off in a good way, I had a good draw, focused last night and knew which athletes I would be wrestling,” said Jarvis. “I have stayed true to my game plan, which I have been working on the last couple months. I knew I would either have Africa or Nigeria in the final and I have been here before and I am looking for a better result than last time.”
In the final, Jarvis met another dominant Indian wrestler Rajeev Tomar in the ring. Both wrestlers were aggressive but looking for the right time to strike. At the half-way horn, Jarvis had the only point. In the second half, the intensity grew, but Jarvis did a great job playing between aggressive and defensive. In the end, with the only points, Jarvis won the gold.
“All I can do is thank my family, my daughter and wife Sarah, she is the one who stays at home to take care of my daughter and if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be able to be here and do what I do.”
48kg Jasmine Mian met Vinesh from India in the Semi-final as her first match. The Indian wrestler took an early lead and won the match. Mian went on to wrestle in the repechage for the bronze medal. Mian met Rosemary Nweke from Nigeria in the bronze medal final. Mian was quick and aggressive, and won the bout with a score of 13-2. Mian described the difference in her take on the two wrestling bouts.
“I was eager this morning to make that gold medal final, I was a little hesitant and not myself, and after I had a loss I woke up and said you know what, I am here and have to do the best I can, stop focusing on the outcome and wrestle my match.”
Chris Laverick (74kg) lost in the round of 32 to Melvin Bibo of Nigeria.
Wrestling continues tomorrow at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Women’s Results
48 kg – Jasmine Mian (3/7) – BRONZE
vs. Vinesh (IND) – L 1-12
vs. R. Mweke (NGR) – W 13-2
75 kg – Erica Wiebe (1/5) – GOLD
vs. Sophie Edwards (ENG) – W 10-0
vs. Blessing Onyebuchi (NGR) – W 12-2
vs. Annabel Ali (CMR) – W 4-2
vs. Jyoti (IND) – W 9-0
Men’s Freestyle Results
74 kg – Chris Laverick (/17)
vs. Melvin Bibo (NGR) – L 4-14
125 kg – Korey Jarvis (1/10) – GOLD
vs. Hollis Mkanga (KEN) – W 11-1
vs. R. Tomar (IND) – W 3-0
Detailed brackets available at: http://results.glasgow2014.com/sports/wr/wrestling.html
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SWIMMING
Source: Nathan White, Manager communications, Swimming Canada
GLASGOW, Scotland – Ryan Cochrane closed out his Commonwealth Games career by repeating as a double gold medallist to punctuate a four-medal finish for Canadian swimmers.
Cochrane won the men’s 1500-metre freestyle in 14:44.03, nearly five seconds ahead of Australian Mack Horton, adding the 1,500 to his 400-m gold. The 25-year-old from the Swimming Canada High Performance Centre – Victoria also won both gold medals at the 2010 Games in Delhi.
“Consistency is always wanting to be the best in the world. I think I’ve been chasing that dream for a lot of years and I think I’ve been really proud of my results here to show that I can keep getting better even in my mid-20s,” the two-time Olympic medallist said.
It was an historic medal for Canada: the country’s 100th gold in Commonwealth Games history. Cochrane, who plans to retire after the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, said he wanted to go out on top at his last Commonwealth Games.
“I used knowing that this was my last Commonwealth Games as a huge motivator going into the race. When it started to get hard at about 1,200 metres I kept telling myself, ‘This is one of your last chances to have a kick at this race.’ It can be really hard and it can be shocking when you can count down the races you have left, but with that being said I think I used it to my benefit this time,” Cochrane said.
Canada took three other medals on the final day of swimming competition.
The women’s 4x100-m medley relay team capped the evening with a bronze medal to bring Canada’s total to 11. The team of Sinead Russell, Tera Van Beilen, Katerine Savard and Sandrine Mainville combined for a time of 4:00.57.
Swimming Canada High Performance Director John Atkinson pointed out that the 11-medal total was one more than Canada won in the pool at the 2010 Games in Delhi.
“We also had 50 finalists in all, again more than Delhi with a younger team, so that goes to show what we said before the competition started about the athletes that are going to be here in 2016, 2018 and 2020,” Atkinson said.
“Tonight what can we say? Ryan Cochrane, double gold medallist, great achievement. Brooklyn Snodgrass getting on the wall for the bronze medal. Aurelie Rivard in the S10 200 IM and finishing the night off with our fourth medal of the evening in the women’s 4x100 medley relay meant that it was the best night of the meet for the team and we finished off strong.”
The men’s medley relay just missed adding another medal,
as Russell Wood, Richard Funk, Evan White and Yuri Kisil finished
fourth at 3:36.61.
Meanwhile, Brittany MacLean of Etobicoke, Ont., was fifth in the
women’s 400-m freestyle at 4:06.53. Montreal’s Sam
Cheverton was eighth in 4:09.85.
Complete results: http://results.glasgow2014.com/
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ATHLETICS
Source: Emily Hoope, Coordinator, Marketing and Communications, Athletics Canada
Glasgow, SCO - Jim Steacy of Lethbridge, Alta., and Damian
Warner of London, Ont., won gold in the hammer and decathlon
respectively tonight while Kate Van Buskirk of Toronto, Ont., won
bronze in the women's 1500-metres.
Jim Steacy also got to feel what it's like to step on top of the
podium by winning gold in the men's hammer throw with a throw of
74.16-metres on his second attempt. "It's unbelievable, this is a
dream come true to finish off the season", notes Jim. "It has been
a long time coming, just amazing. I won the 2007 Pan American Games
so it has been a long time. The crowd noise is a major part, the
atmosphere is fantastic, and it was just so much fun. It is
something I thrive on, the noise, the atmosphere, when the fans get
engaged like that, it's hard not to do well and as soon as you get
a throw out you are just going for broke and see what happens."
Kate Van Buskirk completed the medal hat trick with bronze in
the women's 1500-metres. The field was still bunched with
200-metres to go when Kate made her big move. Her official time was
4:09.41. "Coming into the stadium and seeing it packed like that, I
mean, it was packed for the heats nevermind the final, you really
can thrive off that crowd. This was the first time in my life that
I wasn't nervous, I wasn't nervous last night, I wasn't nervous
today and I think I was just so amped up and excited and grateful
for the opportunity to be here I am just really happy with how it
all played out."
Hot on Kate's heels was Nicole Sifuentes of Winnipeg, Man., who
finished fourth in 4:10.48.
After four events in the heptathlon Brianne Theisen-Eaton of
Humboldt, Sask., leads the way with 3939 points, just behind her is
Jessica Zelinka of London, Ont., with 3744. Brianne clocked 13.18
seconds in the 100-metre hurdles, leapt 1.84 metres in the high
jump, threw the shot put 13.71-metres, and clocked 23.41 in the
200-metres. Jessica ran the hurdles in a Games best of 12.83
seconds, high jumped 1.69-metres, registered 13.65-metres in the
shot put, and crossed the line in the 200-metres in 24.00. Tomorrow
the women will complete the heptathlon with the long jump, javelin
and 800-metres.
None of the Canadian men advanced out of the 400-metres
semi-finals. Daundre Barnaby of Brampton, Ont., Philip Osei of
Toronto, Ont., and Michael Robertson of Williamstown, Ont., all
finished sixth in their respective heats.
In the heats of the T54 wheelchair 1500-metres Diane Roy of
Sherbrooke, Que., came out strong winning her heat in 3:52.83 to
qualify for Thursday's final. Josh Cassidy of Ottawa, Ont., and
Alex Dupont of Claranceville, Que., qualified to the men's final,
both finishing second in their respective heats in 3:29.81 and
3:20.14.
Earlier in the day Chanice Taylor-Chase of Ajax, Ont., finished
second in her 400-metre hurdles heat in 57.23 seconds for automatic
qualification to Thursday's final. Noelle Montcalm of Belle River,
Ont., was third in her heat in 56.72 seconds, which was fast enough
to take her through to the final as well.
Brandon McBride of Windsor, Ont., qualified for the men's
800-metres semi-finals with a time of 1:49.29 in the heats