Steven Lewis eked past Luke Cutts in an all-English jump-off to secure pole vault gold at the Glasgow 2014, last night.
Having won bronze in 2006 and bagged silver in Delhi four years ago, the 28-year-old completed the Commonwealths set on a bright evening at Hampden Park.
The British champion’s jump of 5.55 metres – 27cm shy of his personal best – proved enough after a tense clash with countryman Cutts.
Neither managed to clear 5.60m in their three allotted leaps, so the gold was decided with a jump-off.
Having both again failed to clear 5.60m, the bar was lowered five centimetres and, having seen Cutts fall short, Lewis managed to secure gold – the perfect response to losing lottery funding at the end of last season.
Earlier, Isobel Pooley rose to the occasion on the penultimate night of athletics winning high jump silver with a personal best of 1.92 metres.
The 21-year-old entered the final as an outsider, having been outjumped this year by heptathletes Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Morgan Lake. However, Pooley shone as she cleared her first five jumps at the first attempt, including a personal best of 1.92m.
Australian teenager Eleanor Patterson eventually snuck ahead with a jump of 1.94m to take gold, with Pooley taking silver ahead of St Lucia’s Levern Spencer on countback.
There was more English medal joy in the women’s discus as Jade Lally’s season best of 60.48m secured bronze, while the 4 x 400m relay teams progressed with ease.
Emily Diamond, Shana Cox, Margaret Adeoye and Christine Ohuruogu qualified for the women’s final today in three minutes 27.88 seconds – the fastest time of the night.
“It was nice to finally get out there,” Ohuruogu said.
“I’ve been stuck inside for the last week. The roar (when handed the baton) was so cool. I didn’t miss the individual 400m to be honest, I really didn’t.
“It’s the first championship I’ve ever done in 10 years where I’ve just sat and watched. I’m glad I passed it up.”
4x100m heats
• In last night’s 4x100m women’s heats, the Maltese quartet covered the distance in 46.75 to finish in sixth place from eight starters.
Medals table
G | S | B | Tot | |
England | 48 | 48 | 43 | 139 |
Australia | 39 | 40 | 44 | 123 |
Canada | 30 | 14 | 30 | 74 |
Scotland | 17 | 14 | 17 | 48 |
India | 13 | 23 | 15 | 51 |
New Zealand | 13 | 11 | 15 | 39 |
South Africa | 12 | 10 | 16 | 38 |
Kenya | 7 | 8 | 4 | 19 |
Nigeria | 7 | 6 | 13 | 26 |
Jamaica | 7 | 4 | 7 | 18 |