Commonwealth Games: Smit and Hamblin off the pace in 800m final

Angie Smit and Nikki Hamblin were unable to live with a sizzling pace in the women's 800m final and finished fifth and seventh respectively at Hampden Park this morning.

Kenya's Eunice Suml, last year's world champion, won the gold medal in 2mn 00.31 from Scottish heroine Lyndsey Sharp (2:01.34) and Uganda's Winnie Nanyondo, who took bronze in 2:01.38.

Smit finished a creditable fifth in 2:01.94 while Hamblin, who spotted the field a sizeable advantage early on and had to work hard to catch up, was seventh in a season best 2:02.43.

''That first 200m they went out pretty hard," Smit said.

''That's why I sat back a bit but left myself a lot of work to do on the second lap. If I'd gone out hard I might have blown up."

Her time was a shade slower than she'd hoped, but, at 22, it has given her plenty of confidence for the years ahead.

This was Hamblin's fifth race of the meet - after two 1500m runs and three 800m efforts - and her legs had a message for her.

''The race really starts at 600m and unfortunately my legs said no. We've given you everything we've got," Hamblin laughed.

Hamblin has talked about her desire to run her race as she wants rather than have tactics of the others dictate terms.

''I'm not quite there with the first 200m but that's okay because I know it will come back."

For Hamblin this is the start of her return after a two-year injury layoff.