GLASGOW — England increased its lead in the gold medal race at the Commonwealth Games when divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears won the synchronized 3-meter springboard and two gymnasts won individual apparatus events.
At the Royal Commonwealth Pool at Edinburgh, about an hour’s drive east of Glasgow, Laugher and Mears won England’s 45th gold with nearly three days of competition remaining. It was Laugher’s second gold of the games — he won the individual 1-meter springboard on Wednesday.
Australia, which led the medal standings for most of the first week after dominating in the swimming pool, had 36 golds. It has won the gold-medal race at every Commonwealth Games since 1990.
England padded its lead later in the day when gymnast Claudia Fragapane won the women’s floor — her fourth gold of the games — and Nile Wilson the men’s horizontal bar.
Canadians won two of the five individual apparatus finals — Scott Morgan gold in the men’s vault and Elsabeth Black the beam. Daniel Purvis of Scotland won gold in the men’s parallel bars.
In women’s field hockey, defending champions Australia beat South Africa 7-1 to advance to Saturday’s gold medal final against England, which beat New Zealand 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the score was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation
"The team showed real character in the shootout," England coach Danny Kerry said. "Georgie Twigg asked to take the first one and I think it was really brave of her to do that, and set the tone for the others to follow."
Later, at Hampden Park, Usain Bolt was scheduled to run for Jamaica in the 4×100-meter relay heats. There was also anticipation about the crowd’s reaction, after the world’s fastest man reportedly made disparaging remarks about Glasgow and the games this week. If Jamaica qualifies for the final, Bolt would run again on Saturday on the final night of athletics.
In other games news:
MEDAL STRIPPPED: A 16-year-old Nigerian weightlifter was stripped of her gold medal after a positive doping test. Chika Amalaha tested positive for diuretics and masking agents after winning the 53-kilogram (117-pound) division last Friday, becoming the youngest female to win a weightlifting title at a Commonwealth Games. Her "B" sample also came back positive and the Commonwealth Games Federation said Amalaha had been disqualified and had returned her gold medal, which now goes to Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea.
EBOLA TEST NEGATIVE: Games officials said a Sierra Leone cyclist passed tests for the Ebola virus and competed. "There is no Ebola in the athletes’ village," a games statement said. "We can confirm an athlete was tested for a number of things when he fell ill last week, including Ebola. The tests were negative and the athlete competed in his event on Thursday." Officials called sensationalist British newspaper headlines and stories irresponsible. Another Sierra Leone cyclist was possibly missing, but the team and games organizers were not yet concerned about Mohamed Tholley, who pulled out of the time trial on Thursday and was entered in the road race on Saturday.
BRING BACK HEADGUARDS?: English boxer and Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan says protective headguards should be reinstated for amateur boxers. Last year, the International Boxing Association decided to do away with headguards for male amateurs, saying they contributed to concussions because boxers were allowed to continue after non-apparent head injuries. "I would say headguards need to come back, especially when you’ve got fighters who are fighting nearly five times a week," Khan said. "You might get cut in the first day … a head clash, you might be the favourite to win the tournament." The association said it will assess the new rule and number of head cuts and injuries after the games.