Miller, Ratcliffe improve from silver medals four years ago in Scotland; Williams repeats as women’s triple jump winner

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Nick Miller, a 2016 NCAA Division 1 outdoor champion at Oklahoma State, set meet and British records in the men’s hammer throw with his victory Sunday at the Commonwealth Games at Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia.

Miller produced a fourth-round throw of 263 feet, 4 inches (80.26m), improving on his previous personal best March 31 at the Stanford Invitational by more than six feet to take over the world lead.

Miller, who captured silver at the 2014 event in Glasgow, Scotland, became the first British male thrower to secure hammer gold at the Commonwealth Games since 2002.

Julia Ratcliffe, a 2014 Division 1 champ at Princeton, prevailed Tuesday in the women’s hammer throw competition with a fifth-round effort of 229-5 (69.94m).

Ratcliffe earned silver four years ago, but made history by becoming the first New Zealand female athlete to capture hammer gold at the Commonwealth Games since the event was added in 2002.

Another former NCAA outdoor champion, Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams, repeated as the women’s triple jump winner Tuesday with a personal-best 48-0.50 (14.64m) in the sixth round to overtake countrywoman Shanieka Ricketts, who opened the competition with a leap of 47-7.75 (14.52m).

Williams, who secured the Division 1 title in 2009 at Florida State, extended Jamaica’s streak at the Commonwealth Games to four consecutive triple jump gold medals, after Trecia Smith won titles in 2006 and 2010.

Ronald Levy added another gold medal for Jamaica with his victory in the 110-meter hurdles in a world-leading 13.19 seconds.

After placing second in 2014 in Scotland, New Zealand’s Tom Walsh not only captured men’s shot put gold with a mark of 70-3 (21.41m), but set the meet record 73-8 (22.45m) in qualifying. Walsh still boasts the world-leading put with a 74-4.50 (22.67m) on March 25 in Auckland.

Michelle-Lee Ahye became the first female track and field athlete from Trinidad and Tobago to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, securing the 100 title in 11.14. Botswana swept the men’s and women’s 400 gold medals.

Isaac Makwala ran a world-leading 44.35, just off the 2014 meet record of 44.24 by Grenada’s Kirani James. Amantle Montsho clocked the second-fastest women’s 400 this year, prevailing in 50.15.

South Africa has accumulated three gold medals, including a pair of meet records from Caster Semenya in the women’s 1,500 and Luvo Manyonga in the men’s long jump.

Manyonga saved his best jump for last with a world-leading leap of 27-7.25 (8.41m) in the sixth round Wednesday.

Semenya, who already ran the fastest times in the world this year in the 800 and 1,000, added the 1,500 to that list Tuesday by clocking 4:00.71 to break the 1984 South African record of 4:01.81 set by Zola Budd.

Akani Simbine earned the men’s 100 title Monday in 10.03.

Australia has also earned multiple gold medals, including Kathryn Mitchell setting a javelin meet record Wednesday with a world-leading 226-1 (68.92m) throw in the first round.

Dane Bird-Smith set a meet record in the 20-kilometer race walk by clocking 1:19.34, with Jemima Montag prevailing in the women’s 20-kilometer race walk in 1:32.50. Brandon Starc secured a men’s high jump title with a 7-7.25 (2.32m) clearance for the host country.

Uganda has earned a pair of distance gold medals, with Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei securing the men’s 5,000 title in 13:50.83 and Stella Chesang winning the women’s 10,000 in 31:45.30.