Athletics: Bownes upsets Jackson in 110m hurdles

9.00am

MANCHESTER - South Africa's Shaun Bownes spoiled Colin Jackson's Commonwealth Games farewell by winning the men's 110 metres hurdles on Tuesday.

Bownes got the decisive break when the Welshman clipped the first hurdle and held on to win in 13.35 seconds in a stunning upset.

Jackson, the 1999 world champion, finished agonisingly close, just 0.04sec behind.

He briefly lost his momentum when he hit the first barrier with his leading leg and England's Damien Greaves fell in the next lane, failing to finish, but quickly regained his stride pattern and almost caught Bownes on the line.

Jamaica's Maurice Wignall grabbed the bronze in 13.62.

By finishing second, Jackson claimed his 24th medal in major competitions, surpassing the British record of 23 he jointly shared with retired English sprinter Linford Christie.

But his narrow defeat, in what he has already said is his last season before hanging up his spikes, cost him the chance of a third Commonwealth title and the honour of being the oldest athlete in the Games' 72-year history to win gold in a track event.

"I absolutely slammed that first hurdle and from then on I was just chasing," the 35-year-old Jackson said.

"Once I got over that I was hurdling quite smoothly, that's what cheeses me off and is the most disappointing thing because I have been running well."

"I was just so close to that first hurdle and I lost it there."

Bownes, who was given a four-year ban for failing a drugs test in 1995 but allowed to return to competition in 1997, claimed his first major international title after taking bronze in Kuala Lumpur four years ago.

"I'm over the moon," Bownes said. "At the eighth hurdle I realised I was in front and I totally lost it. I looked to my left and I looked to my right and there was no Colin.

"Then I realised if I didn't keep my composure and run for the line then this medal's going to be lost."

Bownes winning time of 13.35 was just outside his career best of 13.26 but well outside Jackson's 1993 world record of 12.91, which still stands.

Jackson, who has won every major title in his career except the Olympics, will compete at next month's European championships in Munich and said he won't make the same mistake again.

"The start was very clumsy. The track was very quick and when you have got obstacles smack there in front of you, you have to make adjustments," he said.

"I just have to really concentrate on Munich and make sure I don't make those kind of mistakes at the European Championships. I can't see me doing that twice."

- REUTERS

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