Fragapane and Whitlock claim third golds each
GYMNASTS Max Whitlock and Claudia Fragapane both won their third gold medals of Glasgow 2014 yesterday as England consolidated their place at the top of the Commonwealth Games leaderboard.
Rebecca Downie added the Commonwealth title to her European crown by taking first place in the uneven bars.
With gold medals already secured in the all-around and team competitions, Whitlock assumed centre stage in the men’s floor final and Fragapane the vault.
A fourth gold proved a bridge too far for Whitlock, 21, although he earned silver in the pommel horse behind Scotland’s Daniel Keatings, as Louis Smith claimed bronze.
“I was really happy with the floor and pommel,” said Whitlock, who competes again today. “I’m starting to feel a bit tired now but I’m going to focus on the parallel bars final.”
Fragapane revealed she was feeling tense before competing although the 16-year-old insists the emphasis was on having fun. “I was still buzzing from the competition,” she said. “I felt a bit of pressure but I wanted to enjoy the vault.”
Diver Jack Laugher, 19, missed a second gold after taking silver in the men’s 3m springboard, with Jazmin Sawyers posting the same result in the women’s long jump.
On a night where Botswana’s Nijel Amos stunned Olympic champion and world record holder David Rudisha in the 800m, six-time Paralympic champion David Weir won gold in the men’s T54 1500m.
Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare was trailed by red and white vests in the women’s 200m as unrelated Jodie and Bianca Williams ran personal bests to take silver and bronze.