A big relief for Seebohm as she gets gold

Australia's swimmers dominate in Delhi with medals and Commonwealth records.

Emily Seebohm of Australia, yellow cap, is congratulated by England’s Gemma Spofforth after winning the 100m backstroke.

NEW DELHI // After winning a silver and a bronze in her first two races, Australia’s Emily Seebohm finally broke through for her first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games last night.

In one of the Australia’s six golds on the night, Seebohm, who had hoped to win eight gold medals but faltered in her first race, won the 100-metre backstroke in a Commonwealth record time of 59.79 seconds.

“It is a big weight off my shoulders,” Seebohm said. “I was never going to win eight gold medals. I knew that myself. I didn’t expect it to be such a big deal in the media ... I did something for myself, I won a gold for me.”

The Australians, who also won both 4x200-metre freestyle relays in Commonwealth record times, have 10 gold medals halfway through the six-night swimming programme.

Gemma Spofforth of England, the world champion and world record holder in the 100 backstroke, finished second to Seebohm and Julia Wilkinson of Canada took bronze.

Alicia Coutts of Australia, who beat Seebohm in the 200 individual medley on Monday, won her second gold in the 100-metre freestyle. And she beat Seebohm again to do it, finishing last night’s race in 54.09 seconds.

“I was really nervous before the race ... to pull this off, it’s fantastic,” Coutts said.

Asked where she gets her confidence, she replied: “I really don’t know. I have terrible difficulty in believing in myself.”

Leisel Jones, the dual Beijing Olympics gold medallist, won the 200-metre breaststroke. It was Jones’s eighth career gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Annamay Pierse of Canada, the world champion and world record holder in the event, was fifth. Pierse is coming back from a layoff due to a magnesium deficiency in her body.

Jason Dunford of Kenya won gold in the 50-metre butterfly in 23.44 seconds, edging Australian Geoff Huegill.

Roland Schoeman of South Africa, who was trying to win the event at his third Commonwealth Games in a row, took the bronze.

“I was ahead most of the way, I just didn’t get my hands on the wall first, which is a rookie mistake to make,” said Schoeman.

England, winners of two gold medals on Tuesday to begin a brief challenge to Australia, added a third yesterday when James Goddard triumphed in the men’s 200 backstroke to open the evening finals.

Cameron van der Burgh, the South African, won the men’s 100 breaststroke and Australian Christian Sprenger took silver. Fellow Aussie Brenton Rickard, the world record holder, won the bronze.

“It was a quality field with Brenton and Christian, and I know they both race fast,” van der Burgh said. “I went out fast early and made a really good time.”

Australia’s Matthew Cowdrey won gold and broke his own world record in the Paralympic 50-metre S9 event in 25.33 seconds.

Simon Miller of England was second and Prasanta Karmakar of India was a popular winner of the bronze.

Nine golds were presented last night when the 5,000-seat swimming complex was more than two-thirds full, its biggest crowd yet.

* Associated Press