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Change of approach brings Distin new consistency

Published:Sunday | August 7, 2022 | 12:12 AMKeith McGhie - Contributor
From left: Silver medallist Eleanor Patterson of Australia, gold medallist Lamara Distin of Jamaica, and bronze medallist Kimberly Williamson of Jamaica, pose with their medals on the podium of the women’s high jump during the athletics competition in t
AP photo
From left: Silver medallist Eleanor Patterson of Australia, gold medallist Lamara Distin of Jamaica, and bronze medallist Kimberly Williamson of Jamaica, pose with their medals on the podium of the women’s high jump during the athletics competition in the Alexander Stadium at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, yesterday.

LAMARA DISTIN stunned new World Champion Eleanor Patterson, unexpectedly claiming Jamaica’s fourth gold medal of the Commonwealth Games in the women’s high jump.

Distin cleared 1.95 metres at her first attempt and then watched as Australian Patterson, who cleared a staggering seven centimetres more to take gold in Eugene, knock the bar off three times.

Patterson blamed herself for “not performing on the day”, but Distin, who was ninth at the World Championships, was superb, entering the competition at a relatively low 1.76m, faltering with a solitary first-time failure at 1.92m, before going on to take gold – her first major senior championship success – with the following height.

Another Jamaican flag was in evidence on the victory lap as Kimberley Williamson snatched the bronze medal on count-back from England’s Morgan Lake with a jump of 1.92m – both failing to clear the next height up.

The task was made marginally easier by the withdrawal of Australia’s other vertical jumps star Nicola Olyslagers with a calf injury.

“My approach was a major problem for me last year, so I’ve worked hard on it, allowing me to be more consistent,” said an exuberant 22-year-old, who is rocketing up the world rankings.

In the meantime, the Jamaican sprint relay team of Kemba Nelson, Natalliah Whyte, Ramona Burchell and Roneisha McGregor comfortably qualified for today’s 4x100m relay final ahead of India and Scotland, with Nigeria, England, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, plus Ghana, making it through from the second semi-final.

The men’s 4x100m team were non-starters in qualifying.