GLASGOW: Sprint legend Usain Bolt was preparing to make his eagerly-awaited Commonwealth Games bow on Friday while pint-sized gymnast Claudia Fraga­pane became England’s best performer at a Games in 84 years.

Bolt runs in the 4x100m relay heats having opted out of the 100m and 200m, won by Jamaican teammates Kemar Bailey-Cole and Rasheed Dwyer respectively.

His appearance comes just two days after he allegedly made disparaging remarks about the Commonwealth Games -- claims he vehemently denied. Olympic champion Sally Pearson goes for the 100m hurdles title while world champion Eunice Sum will be favourite in the women’s 800m.

Kenyan dominance is likely to come in the men’s 3000m steeplechase where double Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi is chasing a second Commonwealth gold eight years on from his success at Melbourne 2006.

Ugandan Moses Kipsiro is back to try and defend his 10,000m title, having already lost his 5,000m title earlier in the Games.

There are also finals in the women’s high jump and discus, and the men’s pole vault.

The afternoon belonged to 16-year-old Fragapane who stands at just 4ft 6ins (1.37m) but made history by adding the floor gold to her wins in the vault, individual all-around and team events. The last Englishwoman to win four gold medals in a single Commonwealth Games was Joyce Cooper at Hamilton in 1930. “As a child I was so bubbly, jumping around everywhere in my house. My mum just wanted to get me doing something and straight away I just loved gymnastics,” said the teenager.

“I like the determination needed and I wanted to progress. “Scotland claimed their 11th title in Glasgow courtesy of their lawn bowls men’s fours and gymnast Daniel Purvis in the men’s parallel bars.

In the pool, Jack Laugher and Chris Mears beat Australia’s Grant Nel and Matthew Mitcham in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard for England’s 45th gold.

Later Friday, Tom Daley teams up with James Denny in the men’s synchronised 10m platform. The England star won at the Delhi 2010 Games with Max Brick and placed fourth in the event at the London Olympics.

In women’s boxing, Nicola Adams says she is full of confidence heading into Saturday’s flyweight final where she will be looking to add Glasgow gold to her Olympic title. The Englishwoman booked her place in the final by beating Canada’s Mandy Bujold in Friday’s semi-final.

Standing between Adams and a gold medal is Northern Ireland’s Michaela Walsh after she saw off Pinki Rani of India in their semi-final.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2014