mar.25.2006
Trinidad and Tobago's LeJuan Simon's season best leap of 16.59 earned him a fifth place finish in the men's triple jump final. Teammate Christopher Hercules finished two places lower (7th) with a 16.47 effort .
It was a night of high drama at the MCG as the curtain came down on the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games track and field programme .
In front of 83000 spectators Australia won both the men's and women's 4 x 400m relays.
England won the women's 400m relay.The English ladies however were disqualified for a lane violation.There were many twist and turns on the night. The Jamaican ladies were leading the race by five metres when the gold medal slipped from their hands in the baton exchange between Novelene Williams and Shellene Williams.
Earlier in the men's 4 X 100m final Australia marginally in front coming into the final bungled their hand over and did not finish (DNF). Ghana also DNF as the epidemic of baton changing snafu continued.
In the 1500m Final Australian Gold medal hopeful Craig Mortram stumbled and crashed to the ground to the despair of the home town crowd.Mortram got up with his chance of a medal effectively dashed he courageously continued to finish the race.
What a night it was at the MCG.
Meanwhile over at the Melbourne Gun Club in Lilydale T&Ts nineteen year old shooter Robert Aeurbach finsihed in 24th position in the men's skeet competition.
As the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games heads into it's final day and the closing ceremony.
Trinidad and Tobago's cyclist Emile Abraham will be the sole local in action as he take on a high class field in the 180 km road cycling race.
Among the field of 136 listed starters the Australians who took gold,silver and bronze in Manchester will hope to repeat that feat in frontof the home town support t expected to pack the 11 km course which runs through the streets of Melbourne and surrounding suburbs.