Seven more on field day
Australia has added another seven gold, five silver and seven bronze medals to its tally on the third last day of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, with the track and field team leading the way with four gold.
Nathan Deakes started the day off on the right foot, setting a new Games record with his time of three hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds in the 50km walk, adding to the gold he had won in the 20knm walk earlier in the week. Christopher Erickson finished with bronze.
The night session at the MCG then exploded with Australian gold with pole vaulter Steve Hooker, long jumper Bronwyn Thompson and hammer thrower Stuart Rendell pushing Australia's tally to 13 athletics gold medals.
All three achieved Games records with Hooker vaulting 5.80, Rendell throwing 77.53 and Thompson leaping 6.97 metres. Dmitri Markov took silver behind Hooker, while Kerrie Taurima did the same behind Thompson. Eliza Stankovic finished with a bronze in the women's 800m EAD to complete a magic day for the host nation.
Australia's men's basketball team followed up the success of the women only 24 hours earlier, but had to fight hard before defeating New Zealand 81-76.
Kelvin Kerkow thrilled the fans out at the State Lawn Bowls Centre by taking out the singles gold medal over Wale's Robert Weale in a tie-breaker. He was so excited he ripped off his shirt in celebration.
The remaining gold of the day came in the men's synchronised 10m platform, where Matthew Helm and Robert Newbery won in comfortable fashion. While there was no more gold for our divers, Sharleen Stratton and Kathryn Blackshaw took silver and bronze in the women's 1m springboard and Newberry and Steven Barnett grabbed bronze in the men's 3m synchro.
The gold rush didn't continue for Australia in the shooting with Lauryn Mark losing a shoot-off and claiming silver in the women's skeet and Ben Burge claiming a bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions.
And there was bronze for the Australian team in the team event in the rhythmic gymnastics, as well as to Darren Gardiner in the open EAD powerlifting.