Athletics: Brunner misses medals again

8.20am

MANCHESTER - Chantal Brunner, frustrated by numerous interruptions and an annoying head wind, walked away from her third Commonwealth Games without winning a medal today after jumping within 10cm of a bronze.

The long jumper improved one place on her sixths at the last two Commonwealth Games in Victoria and Kuala Lumpur to be fifth with a best jump of 6.39m.

The other New Zealanders in action today, pole vaulter Melina Hamilton and sprinter Dallas Roberts, performed well below their best on a night dominated by endless England gold medal ceremonies and a thrilling men's 200m final won by Namibia's Frankie Fredericks.

Brunner, 32, said it was a tough night when the long jumpers were made to wait numerous times for the ceremonies and other stoppages.

"They made it as difficult as possible for us with the head wind and all the interruptions. No-one minds stopping for the victory ceremony but they could have had more consideration for the athletes," she said.

Brunner had five legitimate leaps ranging from 6.20m to a best of 6.39m with her fourth attempt. It was an improvement on her qualifying effort but still well off her personal best of 6.68m.

The event was won by Jamaican Elva Goulbourne whose winning effort was 6.70m. Third to sixth were within 11cm of each other.

"It was my third time and I was hoping to medal, I felt good and I was confident of doing it," Brunner said.

She was non-committal about attending for the Athens Olympics in two years, saying a holiday was the only thing on her mind.

"We'll see, the jury's still out on that one."

Hamilton, the only New Zealand pole vaulter left after the withdrawal of Jenni Dryburgh and the injury to Emma Draisey, cleared 3.90m with her second attempt, but she found 4m too tough.

She appeared to comfortably clear the bar twice but knocked it with her arm. Hamilton was also well off her personal best of 4.25m, a height easily cleared by Australian star Tatiana Grigorieva to set a new Games record.

Sprinter Dallas Roberts found the going too tough in the 200m semifinals, finishing eighth in a time of 21.17sec, slower than the 20.96sec he ran in his heat behind Namibia's Fredericks yesterday.

Roberts, 22, said he was "absolutely knackered" having been on the road for three months in a late bid to qualify.

"When I left Dunedin three months ago I didn't know what was in store. I was never even thinking about a Commonwealth Games semifinal," he said.

After the heroics of silver medallists Valerie Adams and Phil Jensen yesterday, New Zealand's athletics medal haul should increase tomorrow when Beatrice Faumuina defends her discus title and 50km walker Craig Barrett lines up.

- NZPA

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