HURDLES DISAPPOINTMENT FOR ALLAHGREEN
By Ian Gordon, PA Sport
Diane Allahgreen's hopes of giving England a medal-winning start to the final
day of athletics ended in disappointment as she finished fourth in the
Commonwealth Games 100metres hurdles final in Manchester on Wednesday night.
The 27-year-old clocked 13.01 seconds to miss out on the medals having
shattered her personal best with a time of 12.92secs in the heats.
Jamaica's Lacena Golding-Clark struck gold in 12.77secs from team-mate Vonette
Dixon (12.83), with Nigeria's Angela Atede third in 12.98. England's Julie Pratt
finished sixth.
Liverpool-born Allahgreen's failure left England on 18 medals - six gold, five
silver and seven bronze - from the action in the £110million City of Manchester
Stadium.
The total is still 13 shy of their final tally from the last Games in Malaysia
four years ago.
And even with 12 more finals left tonight the English athletes will need an
incredible medal charge if they are going to match their total from Kuala
Lumpur.
But defending champion Ashia Hansen put herself firmly on course for gold in
the triple jump when she beat the Games record she set in 1998 with her first
effort.
The 30-year-old Birchfield Harrier - who had two cuddly toys, including a
tiger, as her runway marker - soared to 14.49metres to break the record by
17cms.
Hansen was clearly in superb form as she broke the record again with her second
round jump, this time producing a season's best of 14.66m to extend her lead.
The world indoor record holder will become the only English athlete to
successfully defend their individual title if she wins.
Tullett was thrilled to take silver and said: "I'm just so pleased.
"I kept thinking I had the belief that I could actually do it when it
mattered, over the last 200 metres, and I'm really pleased."
Pattinson said: "I got in a really rough position and just fought my way
out.
"I'm pleased with the bronze. I'm satisfied."
Canada's Chantal Petitclerc won the 800m wheelchair final in 1:52.93 from the
Australian duo of Louise Sauvage (1:53.30) and Eliza Stankovic (1:54.20).
Wales' multiple Paralympic gold medallist Tanni Grey-Thompson was fourth in
1:55.71 with England's Deborah Brennan and Rachel Potter sixth and seventh.
While disappointed to miss out on a medal, Grey-Thompson said: "I'm just so
happy to have gone fast. Fourth was good enough for me.
"I think I was really, really stressed out. It was probably the best race
I've done in 18 months or so. It was just nice to be back."
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