Wales sprint team trio win Commonwealth gold published at 19:05 BST
19:05 BST
Image source, Team Wales
Wales have won Commonwealth Games gold in the women's team sprint at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome by beating England in the final.
The Welsh trio of Emma Finucane, Rhian Edmunds and Lowri Thomas defeated Katy Marchant, Sophia Capewell and Rhianna Parris-Smith in a new Commonwealth Games record time of 46.760s.
Wales had set the fastest time in qualifying to set up the gold medal race and delivered the ultimate upgrade on the bronze medal the same trio won in Birmingham in 2022.
It was the 18th medal for Team Wales with three gold, six silver and nine bronze.
This was the third medal for Wales on the opening night of track cycling after silver for Para-cyclist James Ball and his guide Matt Rotherham and bronze for the women's team pursuit.
Unfortunately the men's trio of Lewis Oliva, Steffan Lloyd and Ioan Hepburn could not compete in the team sprint event bronze medal race.
Hepburn made the start line but pulled out after having medical advice.
Trinidad and Tobago were awarded the bronze medal.
Wales women's team pursuit claim bronzepublished at 17:03 BST
17:03 BST
Image source, Getty Images
Welsh cyclist Ciara Oliva celebrated coming out of retirement as part of the team pursuit bronze-medal winning squad in Glasgow.
Oliva, 36, rode with Megan Barker, Jessica Roberts, Anna Morris at her third Games and finished on the podium by beating England in the race for third place.
Wales had qualified third fastest in a time in the morning session and then defeated England's Josie Knight, Grace Lister, Madelaine Leach and Abigail Miller in the afternoon programme. That success came just minutes after Wales Para-cyclist James Ball claimed a silver.
Oliva had initially finished competitive cycling after the 2018 Gold Coast games following a career where she won World and European Championship medals and was the unused Team GB rider at the 2016 Olympics in the squad that won gold.
After having her three children with her cycling husband Lewis, both riders decided to return to the track for the Games in Glasgow.
"It means everything, the whole comeback was worthwhile and means so much to me and to my family," said Ciara.
"To be riding alongside these girls is the biggest honour, they're absolutely awesome, it's just amazing."
Lewis Oliva will compete in the men's bronze medal sprint race, alongside Steffan Lloyd and Ioan Hepburn, later this evening.
The men's team pursuit quartet of Rhys Britton, Rory Gravelle, William Roberts and William Salter just failed to reach the podium after losing the bronze medal race against New Zealand.
Wales now have 17 medals with two gold, six silver and nine bronze.
Para-cyclist Ball claims silver in Glasgowpublished at 16:45 BST
16:45 BST
Image source, Getty Images
Welsh Para-cyclist James Ball claimed silver in the Commonwealth Games men's tandem 1,000m time trial in Glasgow.
Ball, alongside his pilot Matt Rotherham, matched the silver he won in Birmingham four years ago with great rival Neil Fachie from Scotland taking the gold.
It was a third successive Commonwealth Games second place in this event for Ball.
"It is pretty special to equal to what we did in Birmingham four years ago," said Ball.
"We have to be proud of what we've done today. We gave it everything on the track and I was on the floor for 20 minutes afterwards."
Fachie had effectively come out of retirement for this event and now has six Commonwealth Games golds and one silver to his name.
Ball, from Ponthir, had won Wales' first medal and first gold medal in Birmingham four years ago.
He competes in tandem races as an athlete with a visual impairment and is a multiple world champion across the tandem sprint events, also winning a gold at the 2024 Paralympics in the tandem B kilo alongside his pilot Steffan Lloyd.
The rivalry between Fachie and Ball is long-standing. Fachie won gold in this event four years ago, while the results were reversed in the tandem sprint.
Fachie beat Ball to Paralympic gold in the delayed 2020 games that were held in 2021 in Tokyo. Rotherham was Fachie's pilot that day.
Ball and Rotherham will have a chance to defend their sprint title on Saturday.
Rotherham, who hails from Bolton, said: "I spent three days learning the Welsh national anthem and I'm gutted I didn't get to sing it today.
"Hopefully we will do on Saturday."
Wales now have 16 medals with two gold, six silver and eight bronze.
Salmon and Owen keep medal hopes alivepublished at 14:28 BST
14:28 BST
Image source, Team Wales
Daniel Salmon and Ross Owen are still in medal contention in the mens pairs with a comeback, must-win victory over Guernsey.
Ian Merrien and Jason Greenslade took the lead with a 4-3 victory in the opening set.
After trailing 2-0 and 4-3 in the second, a superb shot from Owen in the fifth end gave Wales a 5-4 win in the second to keep them in the match.
Wales won the tense one-end tie-break to get back to winning ways.
The victory leaves them third in their six-team group with unbeaten leaders Malaysia their next opponents on Friday.
Finalist Henrich gives mother a birthday presentpublished at 13:49 BST
13:49 BST
Image source, Getty Images
Charlotte Henrich gave her mother a birthday to remember by qualifying for the 400m final in her first Games.
Henrich finished second in her heat in a time of 52.13 seconds behind Nigeria's Ella Onojuvwevwo to qualify eighth fastest for Saturday afternoon's final.
Earlier there was delight for Ava Lloyd, who is also on Games debut, when she qualified for the final of the women's mile with a personal best time of four minutes 31.21 seconds.
But there was disappointment in the same event for athletics co-captain Melissa Courtney-Bryant, who finished seventh in her heat, a spot outside the qualification places.
The 32-year-old was touch and go to make the start line in the first place after injury-hit preparations.
Wales women's team sprint cyclists to race for gold published at 13:36 BST
13:36 BST
Image source, BBC Sport
Wales women's sprint team set a new Commonwealth Games record in qualifying to set up a gold medal race against England this evening.
The team of Emma Finucane, Rhian Edmunds, Lowri Thomas finished fastest in qualifying in a breathtaking time of 46.972 seconds.
They will ride at 18:15 BST at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, with at least a silver medal guaranteed, an upgrade on the bronze the same trio won in Birmingham in 2022.
The men's trio of Lewis Oliva, Steffan Lloyd and Ioan Hepburn also qualified for the bronze final against Trinidad and Tobago at 18:20 BST.
They finished fourth fastest in qualifying with a time of 44.075 seconds.
Wales will race against England for bronze in the women's 4000m team pursuit at 16:36 BST as they qualified third fastest.
The team of Megan Barker, Jessica Roberts, Anna Morris and Ciara Oliva finished their heat in a time of 4:15.514, five seconds quicker than the Welsh quartet in Birmingham in 2022.
The men's team also qualified for the bronze race after they finished fourth fastest in a time of 3:55.552.
The team of Rory Gravelle, William Salter, Rhys Britton, William Roberts will take on New Zealand at 17:28 BST.
"Yeah it was alright, probably the fastest we've gone as a team so we can't really be angry with that," said Britton.
"I think we'd have liked to go faster and we probably can go faster but the main thing is we got into a medal ride-off.
"So I think we can be happy with that and hopefully bring a medal back to Wales."
Image source, Team Wales
Image caption,
Ciara Oliva (front) came out of retirement to ride with Megan Barker, Jessica Roberts, Anna Morris at the Commonwealth Games
Wales in action on day seven of Commonwealth Gamespublished at 08:52 BST
08:52 BST
Image source, Team Wales
Wales managed to secure a gold, two silver and bronze on day six of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, so what does day seven hold in store?
We bid farewell to swimming where Wales claimed six of the official 15 medals so far, but the track cycling programme starts in the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome where the main hope of success will be.
Olympic champion Emma Finucane begins the first of her scheduled four events in the women’s team sprint alongside Rhian Edmunds and Lowri Thomas, with the men’s squad of Ioan Hepburn, Steffan Lloyd and Lewis Oliva also in action.
Both team pursuit squads will go for podium positions with the women’s squad of Megan Barker, Anna Morris, Ciara Oliva and Jess Roberts, especially, hoping to add to the medal tally.
Para-cyclist James Ball won Wales’ first gold in Birmingham four years ago and will be hoping for another medal.
He competes in tandem races as an athlete with a visual impairment and is a multiple world champion across the tandem sprint events, also winning a gold at the 2024 Paralympics in the tandem B kilo alongside his pilot Steffan Lloyd.
Today he will compete with Matthew Rotherham, his Commonwealth pilot of four years ago, in the men's tandem B 1000m time trial final.
Elsewhere Team Wales will compete in non-medal events, bowls, athletics, and netball, while weightlifter James Wales will complete the Wales campaign in that sport in Glasgow in the men's 110+kg final.
Athletics
12:05: Ava Lloyd and Melissa Courtney-Bryant, women's mile heats
12:45: Charlotte Henrich, women's 400m semi-finals
20:45: Justin Davies, men's 800m semi-finals
Bowls
11:20: Daniel Salmon and Ross Owen, men's pairs, Wales v Guernsey
19:15: Amy Williams, women's singles, v Mildred Mkandawire
Netball
19:00: Jamaica v Wales
Track cycling and Para-track cycling
10:15: Megan Barker, Anna Morris, Ciara Oliva and Jess Roberts, women's 4000m team pursuit qualifying (bronze final at 1636, gold final at 1643)
10:56: Rhys Britton, Rory Gravelle, Will Roberts and Will Salter, men's 4000m team pursuit qualifying (bronze final at 1728, gold final at 1735)
12:18: Emma Finucane, Lowri Thomas and Rhian Edmunds, women's team sprint qualifying (bronze final at 1810, gold final at 1815)
12:37: Ioan Hepburn, Steffan Lloyd and Lewis Oliva, men's team sprint qualifying (bronze final at 1820, gold final at 1825)
16:08: James Ball and Matthew Rotherham, men's tandem B 1000m time trial final