Going for gold - Commonwealth Games Day 8

After dramatic semi-finals this morning, a golden opportunity awaits for two former Moreton Bay residents at the Commonwealth Games - and they may be joined by a third tonight.

Ella Connolly, the former Deception Bay Little Athletics club member, will go for gold tomorrow at 6.45am AEST in Birmingham.

The 22-year-old who was congratulated this morning by her former school St Eugene College at Burpengary (see below), made it through this morning’s 200m semi-finals by the narrowest of margins.

“I’m so pumped. It is crazy. It feels good,” Connolly said on Channel 7 afterwards. “I feel like I executed a good race.”

Connolly led off the bend and was second in 23.41 seconds, a fraction ahead of third placed Hima Das, of India, who clocked 23.42 seconds.

With the top two from each of three semis going straight into the final, with the two fastest losers, Connolly made automatic qualification by 0.01 of a second.

Her semi-final was won by Christine Mboma of Namibia, in 22.93 seconds.

Jacinta Beecher, a former member of Bracken Ridge Little Athletics, was ironically 0.01 of a second faster than Connolly in her semi – but did not qualify.

The 24-year-old was fourth in her semi-final in 23.40 seconds, but Gina Bass, of Gambia (23.10) and Beth Dobbin, of Scotland (23.28), went into the final as the two fastest losers from all three semis.

Connolly and Beecher are in Australia’s 4x100m relay squad which starts its campaign in the heats tomorrow night at 9.15pm AEST.

Shootout success

Renee Taylor, the former Redcliffe junior, will be going for gold with the Australian Hockeyroos at midnight tomorrow (AEST) after a dramatic semi-final victory at the Commonwealth Games.

The Aussies, who were hit by injuries, took a first-quarter lead this morning, but India equalised in the final quarter, sending the match to a penalty shootout.

There Australia handled the shootout pressure magnificently with Rosie Malone, Kaitlin Nobbs and Amy Lawnton scoring the first three penalty shots, as India missed all theirs.

Taylor, a midfielder who played two years for the peninsula club’s under 11s, had three shots without success in normal time which finished 1-1 - the first goal Australia had conceded at the Games.

England await in the Commonwealth Games final at midnight on Sunday AEST after beating New Zealand 2-0 in a penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 draw in normal time.

Semi showdown

Former Pine Rivers netball junior Steph Wood will be aiming to help the Australian Diamonds into the gold medal match tonight.

Australia face England at 11.30pm AEST in the second semi-final, looking to bounce back from the shock defeat by Jamaica in their final pool match.

The first semi-final sees Jamaica take on New Zealand at 6pm tonight AEST.