Golden weekend doubles tally

By ALAN PERROTT and NZPA

Leilani Rorani and Glen Wilson won New Zealand's first Commonwealth Games squash gold medal in the mixed doubles final late last night.

The pair were too good for Malaysian combination Nicol David and Beng Hee Ong, cruising to a 15-11, 15-9 win in just over half an hour.

For Rorani, of Hamilton, it was her first Games medal after missing out in Kuala Lumpur four years ago while Wilson, of Wellington, improved on the bronze he won in 1998 in the same event with Sarah Cook.

Other New Zealand athletes were set for a rousing finish to their Games campaign after the team almost doubled their medal haul at the weekend.

A rich vein of form boosted the total medal tally to 36 and the gold medal count to seven - one more than the Kuala Lumpur Games with one day of competition remaining. Hopes for further glory overnight rested with the rugby sevens, netball, triathlon, table tennis and badminton.

But it was weightlifter Nigel Avery who did most to dispel the gloom of the All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup defeat with his two golds and one silver, almost matching lifter Darren Liddel's golden triple four years ago.

His record-breaking performance followed golden deeds on the cycling track by Sarah Ulmer in the women's 3000m individual pursuit and Greg Henderson in the men's point race.

In New Zealand's most successful 36 hours of the Games, the team collected five gold, three silver and 14 bronze medals across six sports, giving them a total of 36. and seventh place on the medals table.

Evergreen table tennis player Li Chunli will leave the Games as this country's most decorated competitor.

The 40-year-old yesterday added a silver in the women's doubles and a bronze in the mixed doubles alongside Peter Jackson. She won a team bronze last week and was guaranteed one more from overnight finals.

In another blow for experience, 33-year-old Toni Jeffs repeated the bronze she won at Kuala Lumpur in the 50m freestyle.

Some controversial decisions favoured New Zealand competitors.

Bowler Mike Kernaghan won his quarter-final in contentious fashion after the umpire picked up the shot bowl of Australian Steve Glasson on the third-to-last end, giving Kernaghan a four-shot swing.

The Australian team could not appeal.

New Zealand weightlifter Terry Hughes benefited from a drug bust when he was promoted to two bronze medals in the 62kg division after Indian silver medallist Krishnan Madasamy tested positive for the steroid nandrolone.

Full coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/manchester2002

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