MELBOURNE, March 23: Australian former world champion Jana Pittman fulfilled expectations when she raced away with the Commonwealth Games 400 metres hurdles gold medal on Thursday. Pittman’s successful defence of her Manchester Games title four years ago came on a night when Sherone Simpson upset her Jamaican compatriot and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell to win the 200 metres.

Pittman, received a huge roar from her home crowd of 83,000 and rode a wave of emotion around the Melbourne Cricket Ground track to win by almost the length of a cricket pitch.

Pittman set a Games record of 53.82 seconds. England’s Natasha Danvers Smith took the silver in 55.17 and Scotland’s Lee McConnell bronze in 55.25.

South African Louis van Zyl also set a new Games record and career best time of 48.05 in winning the men’s 400 metres hurdles.

Jamaica scored another sprint double following Asafa Powell and Sheri-Ann Brooks’s success in the 100 metres when Simpson and Omar Brown won the 200 metres women’s and men’s titles.

South Africa earned their second gold of the night when Anika Smith won a drama-packed women’s high jump final.

Smith equalled her personal best of 1.91 metres to win the gold, with Welshwoman Julie Crane second with 1.88.

Crane pulled out of an attempt at 1.91 metres just as she reached the bar and then argued with officials who ruled it a foul jump.—Reuters