Kiwis tagged 'tin medallists'

Defending double trap champions Teresa Borrell (left) and Nadine Stanton were among our fourth placegetters. Picture / Mark Mitchell

At noon yesterday the XVIII Commonwealth Games hit their halfway point with the New Zealand team already tagged the "tin medallists" - those finishing a place outside the real thing.

And unless things take a dramatic turn New Zealand could be looking at its worst return since the 26 medals from the Brisbane Games in 1982. But had all, or at least some, of the 22 New Zealanders who have finished one spot out of the medals done a tad better, things would be so different.

The track cycling team, who were expected to contribute to funding agency Sparc's hope of six medals for their sport, came up short but can boast six fourth placings.

Swimming too have had their share of disappointment with athletes in eight events just a place out of the medals.

Debbie Tanner took fourth in the triathlon but with teammates Sam Warriner and Andrea Hewitt ahead of her that was a commendable effort.

The badminton team too came up one short as did a couple of shooting pairs.

Sarah Ulmer's unfortunate withdrawal from yesterday's road time trial was almost certainly another medal lost.

The next few days give hope of a kick-start in the medal stakes.

Valerie Vili takes high hopes into the shot put circle tonight, the netball team hold the same golden hopes for Sunday.

Shelley Kitchen, already with a bronze in the squash singles, is rated a chance to add at least one, probably two, more as the women's and mixed doubles are decided.

The bowlers, disappointed with their start, still have good chances of medals in the men's and women's singles and women's pairs.

Weightlifter Keisha-Dean Soffe is a realistic hope as are the mixed doubles badminton pairing of Dan Shirley and Sara Runesten-Petersen.

Nick Willis is a chance in the 1500m at the track while world mountain running champion Kate McIlroy would only need a small improvement to go close in the 3000m steeplechase tonight. Stuart Farquhar is a real contender in the javelin.

Stung by their mediocre start, the shooters can expect a better return in their individual events with two or three realistic medal chances.

The women's hockey team too are still in the thick of it as are the men's and women's basketball teams.

Cycling road races are always regarded as lotteries but, should she recover, Ulmer and Greg Henderson carry high hopes for more medals on Sunday as the Games close.

Allowing for a surprise or two in table tennis and badminton, the count could continue to grow and maybe double towards a final count of 30 - reasonable enough but a far cry from what was expected.


Close but yet so far

New Zealand's fourth place finishers:

Athletics: Beatrice Faumuina (discus), Brent Newdick (decathlon).

Badminton: Team event.

Cycling: Jason Allen (individual pursuit), Fiona Carswell (500m time trial), Tim Gudsell (scratch race), Melissa Holt (road time trial), Ali Shanks (individual pursuit), Justin Grace, Nathan Seddon, Adam Stewart (team sprint).

Shooting: Teresa Borrell/Nadine Stanton (double trap pairs), Borrell (women's trap), Alan Earle/Jason Wakeling (25m rapid fire pistol pairs).

Swimming: Zoe Baker (50m breaststroke), Dean Kent (400m individual medley), Hannah McLean (50m backstroke, 100m backstroke), Corney Swanepoel (100m butterfly), Lauren Boyle, Alison Fitch, Helen Norfolk, McLean (4x100m freestyle relay), Lisa Daniels (synchronised swimming), McLean, Annabelle Carey, Elizabeth Coster, Fitch (4x100m medley relay)

Triathlon: Debbie Tanner.

Weightlifting: Grant Cavit (94kg class) Richard Patterson (77kg class).