(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Mitstead went one better than four years ago in New Delhi as she finished the 98km course well clear in a time of two hours 38 minutes and 43 seconds.
Lizzie Armitstead of England celebrates as she crosses the line to win the women’s cycling road race at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday. — Getty Images
Lizzie Armitstead struck further gold for England in the women’s cycling road race as the final day of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games got under way on Sunday.Armitstead went one better than four years ago in New Delhi as she finished the 98km course well clear in a time of two hours 38 minutes and 43 seconds.
Fellow English rider Emma Pooley finished 25 seconds behind to finish second and add to the silver she won in the time trial.
A photo finish saw South Africa’s Ashleigh Pasio claim bronze just ahead of Australia’s Tiffany Cromwell
England started the day already assured of top spot in the Games medal table for the first time since 1986 dethroning Australia.
Armitstead’s victory increased England’s lead to 165 in total with 57 gold while Australia have 132 in total of which 45 are gold.
Meanwhile Welsh rider Geraint Thomas won gold in the gruelling men’s 168km men’s road race.
Thomas who won bronze in the time trial survived suffering a puncture with just 6km to go to finish in a time of four hours 13 minutes and five seconds.
A sprint finish saw New Zealand’s Jack Bauer claim silver while Scott Thwaites took bronze for England.
High praiseThe Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were hailed on Sunday as a “stand-out” event by organisers who insisted the movement comprising largely former British colonies was well and truly alive.
A combination of the high quality of sports on show a well-defined legacy plan the home nation’s success top-class venues and friendly reception offered by 15000 volunteers and the city’s residents helped make the Games a success according to Mike Hooper CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation. “These have been great Games and in my view the stand-out Games in the history of the movement” said Hooper.
Bringing together more than 4000 athletes from 71 nations including 53 former British colonies — the rest mainly territories or dependancies in 17 sports the Commonwealth movement remained strong with high expectations for the next Games in Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018 he added.
“The spirit of these Games has continued to endure.”
The federation Hooper said was “delighted with the Glasgow Games and they’re all very excited about the future of the movement going forward to Gold Coast and beyond”.
“We’ve got 37 nations on the medal tally one more than in Delhi and that’s a very good outcome for the Games movement” Hooper said. “With 52 medals Scotland has at least doubled its tally from Delhi. To finish fourth overall on the medals tally is a great outcome for our hosts and it really has contributed to ensuring that these Games will be truly remembered as fantastic.
“Congratulations to England as well. Its position atop the medal table has been guaranteed. I’m sure the Australians will now come out hard in Gold Coast in four years’ time to regain top spot.”
Hooper praised the public for embracing the Games before the announcement of top-drawer names such as Usain Bolt or Mo Farah saying that one million tickets had been sold before any potential line-ups had been revealed.
In the first 10 days of competition he said there had been 142 Games records and nine world records.
“What an amazing 11 days” added Lord Smith of Kelvin chairman of the Glasgow 2014 organising committee who was quick to praise Scottish politicians for deferring talk on next month’s independence referendum.
“I think all politicians have kept politics out of this. We’re apolitical and we stay that way.
“I think people have behaved very well over this. I have not detected any politics throughout my six-and-a-half years of actually chairing these Games.” Glasgow 2014 chief executive David Grevemberg an American hailed the “sensational support” in Glasgow. “That wall of sound we absolutely wanted to create has created the perfect stage for athletes in this sports-focused Games. Glasgow and all the fans that came to support these Games delivered” he said.
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