Athletics - Glasgow2014

31st July 2014

Hampden Park, Glasgow

Hampden Park, Glasgow - site of the 2014 Commonwealth Games athletics.

Scotland's Angus McInroy reached the final of the discus,
but even his furthest throw of 54.12m was way below
his season's best, and he finished in 12th place.

This little motorised van ferried the discus back to the throwers.
I wonder how much Richard Branson paid to sponsor it.

I saw Shara Proctor perform just one jump
at the London2012 long jump qualifying event.
 Here I saw even less of the lady as she
pulled up injured during the run-up to her first attempt.

Christabel Nettey of Canada took the bronze medal in the Women's long jump event.

This pic perhaps gives an impression of the difficult
conditions endured by the athletes (and officials).

Marlyne Ngo Ngoa making a splash.

English long-jumper Lorraine Ugen who finished the final
in fifth place with a season's best distance of 6.39m 

We were treated to the Women's 1500 (T54) event, which was won by Australian Angie Ballard.
The two Scots in this group are
Meggan Dawson-Farrell (rear) and Samatha Kinghorn (front).

Panorama of Hampden Park - 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The final of the Men's 800m was won by Nijel Amos of Botswana, taking
gold from a clearly still some way from full fitness David Rudisha.

The final hurdle of the Men's 400m Hurdles final,
although all of the medal winners are out of shot.
Here we have, left to right:
Niall Flannery (England)
Christian Cuevas-Morton (Nigeria)
Boniface Macheru (Kenya)
Richard Yates (England).

Jamaican Annsert Whyte was left in crumpled heap on the track after
clattering into the third hurdle from the finish in the 400m Hurdles Final.
He had been in the silver medal position at the time.

Eilidh Child - final of the Women's 400m Hurdles at Glasgow 2014

The final of the Women's 400m Hurdles at Glasgow 2014

Conclusion of the Women's 400m hurdles final.

Eilidh Child - Glasgow 2014

Eilidh Child - Glasgow 2014

Am I the only one who finds it ever so slightly
disappointing to see flags drooping at a medal ceremony?
Surely some flag-viagra in the form of a wind
machine would enhance the spectacle immeasurably.

The start of the Women's 200m final...

...won with consummate ease by one of the stars of the games Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria.

The girls negotiate a forest of obstacles in the first heat of the 100m Hurdles event.
Left to right we have:
Demeteria Edgecombe (Bahamas)
Raja Azhar (Malaysia)
Ugonna Ndu (Nigeria)
Kierre Beckles (Barbados)
Tiffany Porter (England)
 

Hampden Park really shone this evening, with the raising of the pitch
by two metres bringing the action so much closer to the fans.
Pity about the rain, though.