New Zealand’s record gold medal haul and a potential half-century total could both be raised on the penultimate day of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
A flurry of minor medals headed by Julia Ratcliffe’s silver in the hammer throw on day nine boosted the Kiwi tally to 44 including 17 golds, with the promise of more to come on Sunday night (NZT).
Two strong teams of women and men cyclists take on the respective road races from 7pm, both with genuine medal chances and the rare prospect of riding as a team like the major nations can at Olympics and world championships.
Rui Vieira/AP
Georgia Williams of New Zealand won bronze in the time trial, and teams up with her compatriots for the women’s road race.
If there’s no gold on the road, the New Zealand record 17-gold haul from Auckland in 1990 will most likely be broken by squash giants Joelle King and Paul Coll who play English duo Alison Waters and Adrian Waller in the mixed doubles gold medal match at 6am (NZT).
Before then, King teams up with Amanda Landers-Murphy in the women’s doubles semifinal against Malaysia for the right to play for gold on the final day of the Games on Monday night.
Before midnight the Black Sticks women (against India) and the White Ferns cricketers (against England) play for bronze after narrow semifinal defeats.
Javelin thrower Tori Peeters (10.35pm) is rated a strong medal chance on the final day at the track, the Silver Ferns face a tough one against hosts England for bronze and women’s beach volleyballers Alice Zeimann and Shaunna Polley also have a bronze medal match against Vanuatu at 7am after a narrow semifinal loss to Canada.
Kiwis in action on day 10 of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday (all NZT, * denotes if qualified):
Cycling, road
7pm: Women’s road race (Henrietta Christie, Niamh Fisher-Black, Ella Harris, Mikayla Harvey, Georgia Williams)
11.30pm: Men’s road race (Shane Archbold, Jack Bauer, Patrick Bevin, Dion Smith, Aaron Gate, Corbin Strong)
Hockey
8pm: Women’s bronze medal match – Black Sticks v India
Cricket
9pm: Bronze medal match – White Ferns v England
Diving
9.05pm: Men’s 10m platform preliminary (Nathan Brown, Luke Sipkes)
10.44pm: Women’s 3m springboard preliminary (Maggie Squire)
Athletics
10.20pm: Men’s 10km race walk final (Quentin Rew)
10.35pm: Women’s javelin final (Tori Peeters)
Squash
11pm: Women’s doubles semifinal (Joelle King, Amanda Landers-Murphy) v Malaysia
(Monday, August 8)
Netball
12.30am: Bronze medal match – Silver Ferns v England
Diving
4.35am: Men’s 10m platform final* (Nathan Brown, Luke Sipkes)
6.10am: Women’s 3m springboard final* (Maggie Squire)
Squash
6am: Mixed doubles gold medal match (Paul Coll, Joelle King) v England
Beach volleyball
7am: Women’s bronze medal match (Alice Zeimann, Shaunna Polley) v Vanuatu
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