Kiwis suffer upset but win medals in shooting and boxing

9.00am

MANCHESTER - Medals slipped from New Zealand's grasp at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday as the women's hockey team suffered an upset semifinal defeat and most of the nation's hotshots disappointed at the Bisley shooting range.

It was the day when New Zealand was banking on its shooters, who usually help lift New Zealand up the medal table.

Nadine Stanton added silver in the women's double trap singles to her gold in the pairs. She was beaten by 15-year-old English prodigy Charlotte Kerwood, who shot seven more targets out of 160 than Stanton.

New Zealand was looking for something more from four-times gold medallist Stephen Petterson in the smallbore rifle prone event, pistol shooter Greg Yelavich -- the most medalled Kiwi in the Games' history -- and Tania Corrigan and Jocelyn Lees -- who won five medals between them at the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998. None of them reached the dais at the Games' Bisley range.

Petterson found defending his title a second time too difficult and he finished fourth. Yelavich did not make the final in the men's 50m pistol event.

The previously unbeaten New Zealand women's hockey team went down 1-2 to India in a dramatic semifinal.

New Zealand were expected to cruise through to the final and at least a silver medal against Australia. Now they have to pick themselves up off the floor to play off for a bronze medal.

Captain and goalkeeper Helen Clarke slumped to her padded knees after the hooter and tears streamed down her face. She was not the only one crying. Coach Jan Borren, usually a hard taskmaster, had a wry smile of disbelief.

Level at 1-1, the Indians controversially had a penalty stroke taken away from them. Umpire Dawn Henning awarded it but then twice warned Jyoti Kullu for delaying her stroke before blowing for a free hit to New Zealand.

Indian captain Surja Waikhom was green-carded, when she led a mass Indian protest at Henning's stroke reversal and was sinbinned shortly afterwards for dissent.

India's winner came from a penalty corner with eight minutes remaining.

It was no consolation that Australia were later upset 1-2 by England in their semifinal, as the Blue Sticks now have to play off against the Olympic and Commonwealth champions for the bronze medal.

The weather was miserable at the Heaton Park bowling greens, but before play was abandoned for the day the New Zealand women's pair of Sharon Sims and Jo Edwards easily won their quarterfinal against Australia to be assured of at least a bronze medal.

There was never a better time to pay back the Aussies for beating the Kiwi pair in the Asia Pacific championships last November.

Edwards said she and Sims let neither the scandal caused by disabled triple player John Davies nor the rain distract them.

"We've come here to do bloody well and win a gold medal, so our thinking is, if things are thrown in front of you that aren't quite right, laugh it off, of flick it out of your mind and get on with the business in hand," Edwards said.

Sarah Ulmer was another New Zealand woman showing a ruthless streak in Manchester today. She claimed a new Commonwealth record, personal best and a crucial psychological advantage in winning the women's cycling pursuit qualifying session.

The defending champion had watched Australians Alison Wright and Kathy Bates take turns breaking the record, before clocking three minutes 32.504 seconds for the 3000m.

The Australians' performances had only served to motivate Ulmer.

"It set off a few alarm bells, I didn't expect them the times to be that fast," she said.

"I knew I'd have to pull something special out to qualify fastest and that sort of stuff brings out the best in you. I don't think I'd have done a PB if I didn't have to."

Auckland welterweight Daniel Codling had to settle for a bronze medal when outpoined by Australia's Daniel Geale in the semifinals. Codling won the first round but then could not get his combinations through Geale's defence and the Australian took a 27-15 points decision.

Feilding heavyweight Shane Cameron also found his semifinal opponent too classy -- the referee stopping the contest against Jamie Douglas in the second round after the Canadian had raced ahead on points. Cameron will also get a bronze medal as a losing semifinalist.

- NZPA

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