Australia’s superstar swimmers helped lift the doping gloom which had descended upon their weightlifting colleagues as action at the 18th Commonwealth Games got under way on Thursday.
A total of 11 gold medals were to be decided with five in the pool on the opening day and the host nation’s swimmers put down their marker by qualifying fastest into three of four finals.
They were Craig Stevens in the 400m freestyle, Travis Nederpelt in the 200m butterfly and Brooke Hanson in the women’s 200m individual medley.
Stevens, who only made the Australian team last week when world record holder Ian Thorpe withdrew with a virus, was fastest qualifier into the 400m freestyle final with 3:51.26.
Nederpelt was more than 2,5 seconds faster than his rivals to seize the favourite’s tag in the men’s 200m butterly final.
In stark contrast to their swimmers’ early form, the host nation found themselves at the centre of an embarrassing and potentially damaging drugs storm.
Australia’s sports minister claimed that pills, syringes and vials were found in several rooms used by the country’s weightlifting team at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra.
A cleaner discovered the needles on Tuesday while a second forensic sweep of rooms at the Canberra institution on Wednesday uncovered the tablets.
Substances found were being tested under the supervision of the Australian Sports Anti Doping Agency (ASADA) and results were expected later in the day.
”The rooms that were involved, I’m advised, were occupied by members of the Australian weightlifting team, but we will have to wait and see the outcome of the investigations before we can make any further comments on that,” said Sports Minister Rod Kemp.
However, Australian team chef de mission John Devitt said it was unfair to link the issue with Australian weightlifters, saying athletes from other countries were also using the AIS facilities.
”There were other teams in the institute while they were there — I don’t know who, but they were there at the same time,” said Devitt.
The mood of organisers would have darkened further when defending 100m champion Kim Collins was ruled out of the athletics competition after failing to shake off a groin injury.
South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi then became the second defending champion to skip the Games due to an ankle injury he suffered in the world indoor 800m final in Moscow last Sunday.
The rugby sevens got under way with Tonga producing the only surprise beating medal contenders South Africa 26-19.
The South Pacific islanders fully deserved their win and were led superbly by inspirational captain Tevita Tu’ifua who scored a hat-trick of tries.
Badminton giants Malaysia and Singapore got their quest for gold medals off to a flying start with a series of comfortable victories.
Singapore’s Aaron Tan and Frances Fan Liu had the distinction of being the first athletes in action at the Games.
Playing in the mixed team event, they overpowered the South African pair of Lance James and Claire Edwards 2-0 in just 24 minutes.
Defending women’s singles champion Li Li of Singapore, world ranked 17, brushed off the challenge of South Africa’s Kerry-Lee Harrington in a singles match in the mixed team event.
Malaysia had an equally impressive start with the pairing of Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui demolishing minnows Fiji 2-0 in barely 15 minutes.
Women’s world number 12 Wong Mew Choo of Malaysia needed less than 20 minutes to send Karyn Whiteside of Fiji packing in their showdown.
Later on Thursday, the women’s 500m time trial, men’s 1 000m time trial and men’s 4 000m individual pursuit will be decided in cycling.
Other medals up for grabs are in weightlifting and gymnastics. Basketball, hockey, lawn bowls, squash and table tennis events were also getting under way. – AFP
