Athletes take 7 medals at 2018 Commonwealth Games

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Nicholas Hough, Angela Ballard, Enid Sung, Anja Stridsman, Nicola McDermott, Katie-Rae Ebzery and Belinda Snell.

These seven individuals, current or former members of the Elite Athlete Program and Sydney University community, won medals representing Australia at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. 

A tremendous feat for each of these outstanding athletes, these seven medals – three gold, one bronze and three silver, contributed to Australia’s 198 medal count. 

The first medals came on day six at Carrara Stadium with Nicholas Hough finishing 3rd in the 110m hurdles final with a PB of 13.38 to take bronze.


Photo Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Shortly after, in the women’s T54 1500m final, Angie Ballard finished 2nd (3:36.85) to win silver

Then, on day 10, Nicola McDermott recorded a PB of 1.91m to win bronze in the women’s high jump.

With 13 Sydney University Athletics Club representatives competing at the Games, the track and field program saw athletes produce a plethora of other outstanding results. 

In the women’s 100m Hurdles final, Michelle Jenneke finished 4th, and Angus Armstrong finished 5th in the Pole Vault final, clearing 5.35m

Anneliese Rubie finished 3rd in the women’s 400m semi-final, running a PB of 51.51 to qualify for the final. In the final, she finished 7th. A few days later, in the Women’s 4x400m, Anneliese Rubie and team ran a SB (3:27.43) to finish 5th.

In the men’s 4x100m relay, Rohan Browning and Josh Clarke finished second in their heat with a season best to qualify for the final, running a SB of 38:58 to finish 4th, just outside the medals. 

In the 100m preliminary event, Rohan Browning progressed to the semis, ranking third in his heat with a time of 10.29. Unfortunately Josh missed out, clocking 10.56. In the semi, Rohan again finished third with a time of 10.29 however narrowly missed out on the event final (despite recording the same finish time as second place.)

Madeline Hills finished 8th in the 10,000m final with a time 32:01.04, and 10th in the 5000m with a time of 15:46.92. Hills also made news for a tremendous act of sportsmanship on day five. 

James Nipperess finished 9th in the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase, and in the 400m hurdles, Ian Dewhurst finished 3rd in his heat with 49.84, just missing out on the final. 

In the men’s 800m, Josh Ralph narrowly missed out on the final, finishing 3rd in his heat with 1:47.76, then in the 4x400m, the Australian team with Josh Ralph finished 3rd with a final auto-qualification (3:04.22) to be given a DQ.

In the women’s 200m semi, Larissa Pasternatsky finished 4th in what was her first senior international competition. Pasternatsky has had a phenomenal season running personal bests at 100m and 200m and capped this off by making her debut in the green and gold. 

Outside of Carrara Stadium, Enid Sung performed exceptionally in the rhythmic gymnastics to win another medal for Australia.

Sung scored a total score of 47.450 (13.450 hoop; 11.150 ball; 12.100 clubs; 10.750 ribbon) to qualify for the Individual All-Around Final.

This score saw her and Australian teammates, Danielle Prince and Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva win bronze in the Rhythmic Gynmastics Team Final, producing a combined score of 120.800.

Enid Sung came painfully close to claiming her second bronze medal in so many days, finishing the Individual All-Around Final with 50.725 points, 0.775 points off third place. 

In the individual apparatus finals, Enid Sung finished 4th in the hoop final, 8th in clubs and 6th in ribbon.

Boxer Anja Stridsman defeated India’s Sarita Devi to progress to the semi-final in the women’s 60kg. She then defeated New Zealand’s Troy Garton and England’s Paige Murney in the final bout to claim the gold medal for Australia. 


Photo Credit: Anja Stridsman via the Herald Sun

The Australian Opals, with Brydens Sydney Uni Flames Belinda Snell, Katie-Rae Ebzery and Coach Cheryl Chambers, had a flawless campaign to win the gold medal for Australia in women’s basketball.

The gold medal game marked Belinda Snell’s last for Australia after she announced her retirement at the representative level. She picked up nine points, four rebounds and two assists, while Katie Ebzery scored 6 with six rebounds and seven assists. 


Photo Credit: Basketball Australia

Kane Townsend was part of the Australian team that defeated Kiribati 3 matches to nil in Table Tennis. Townsend partnered Heming Hu in the doubles to come out victors 11-8; 11-6 and 11-2 against Kiribati.

In a best of five matches, the last two singles contests were not required. Australia then took on Scotland, winning, 3-0, and Sri Lanka, 3-0 to progress to the quarterfinal, which they lost to Nigeria, 3-1. 

Unfortunately the Australian pair of Kane Townsend and David Powell were beaten in the men’s doubles by Singapore duo Yew En Koen Pang and Shao Feng Ethan Poh, 3-0. The game scores were 11-3, 11-8 and 11-7 which marked the end of Kane’s impressive Commonwealth Games campaign.

Sarah Roy finished an impressive 5th in the women’s road race, maintaining a top-five position through each split and throughout the entire 112.2km circuit (six laps of the 18.7 kilometre circuit around Currumbin Beach). Also in the cycling, Ashlee Ankudinoff, member of the former NSWIS Sydney Uni Road Cycling Team, won gold in the Women’s 4000m Team Pursuit. 

Congratulations to all 19 academic athletes on a phenomenal campaign. 

See a full breakdown of athlete results HERE.

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