Sawyers puts heartbreak behind her to claim gold

England's Jazmin Sawyers was finally able to put previous disappointments at major championships behind her by winning the women's long jump at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The 32-year-old bounced back from serious injury to celebrate a gold medal on a night when there was a silver for England's mixed 4x400m relay team and a bronze for pole vaulter Owen Heard.

Sawyers finished just outside the medals in fourth place at the previous games in Birmingham four years ago, failed to qualify for the final of the 2023 World Championships and was then forced to miss the 2024 Olympics.

She had to undergo surgery after rupturing her Achilles tendon on her take-off leg and so, rather than competing in Paris ended up commentating for the BBC.

But the Stoke-on-Trent born athlete put all those setbacks behind her on a memorable evening at Scotstoun with her fourth jump of 6.93m proving to be enough to claim the gold medal ahead of Nigeria's Ruth Usoro (6.87m) and Brooke BuschKuehl of Australia (6.80m).

"It hasn't properly hit me how this is the thing I've been telling myself all the horrible bits are for," she said.

"The feeling is overwhelming. I will do the horrible bits 100 times over, I'll do it and do it and do it. This is amazing."

Sawyers will now turn her attention to competing for Great Britain at the European Championships in Birmingham, which start on 10 August, but is keen to hang on to the memories Glasgow has given her.

"Twelve years ago almost to the day, I won a silver here in Glasgow (2014 Commonwealth Games) at my first major championships. It was a shock silver and I've held Glasgow close to my heart ever since," she added.

"It was the start of my career and so sensational and I had the time of my life. I take that as one of the best moments of my entire career, but when you've done that there's only one thing to do which is to upgrade."

Nielsen guides England to mixed relay silver

A superb anchor leg from Lina Nielsen helped England to a silver medal in the mixed 4x400m relay in Glasgow.

It looked as though England could miss out on the medals altogether as they completed the final changeover with Nigeria's Ella Onojuvwevwo well in front.

But Onojuvwevwo finished third as she tired down the final 100m and was reeled back in by eventual gold medallists Jamaica and England's Nielsen.

"We knew the Nigerians and Jamiacans would be big threats," said Nielsen.

"The crowd got me going for the last 70 or 80 metres - my 400 metres have really improved this year and I trusted my training."

Heard upgrades to a bronze medal

Owen Heard jumped just one centimetre short of his personal best to secure a bronze medal for England in the men's pole vault.

The 24-year-old finished in fifth place on his Commonwealth Games debut in 2022 but showed an impressive level of improvement as he came third with an effort of 5.70m.

Gold medallist Kurtis Marschall of Australia set a new games record with 5.85m while South Africa's Kyle Rademeyer took the silver, reaching the same 5.70m mark as Heard but finishing ahead of the Englishman on countback.

"I was in silver then bronze then nearly cleared a PB to go back up to silver," said Heard.

"It was a really good standard of competition, maybe even the best standard of Commonwealth pole vault ever. Me and the boys we put on a good show."

He will now make his Great Britain debut at the European Championships.

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