Our triumphant Games’ girls

COMMENT

By Phil Bushby

THE 2006 Commonwealth Games are over and before we know it the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will be on our doorsteps.

As expected host country Australia dominated the Melbourne Games winning a record number of 221 medals - 84 gold, 69 silver and 68 bronze.

A brilliant representation of Illawarra athletes (four from the north and three from the south) were sensational in bringing home six medals - five gold and one silver.

It was a performance that made one proud to live in our wonderful City and made watching on television all the more compelling and exciting.

The gold were won by 38-year-old Coledale marathon runner Kerryn McCann, who defended her marcrown in such exciting and dramatic circumstances; Ben Kersten, 25, (Kiama) a tremendous effort to win the 1km time trial; Karen Murphy, 31, (Blackbutt) who teamed with Lynsey Armitage to take the women's lawn bowls pairs title; Rochelle Gilmore, 25, (Stanwell Tops) as a member of our cycling road race team; and Brendan Joyce (Wollongong) who was assistant coach of the Aussie basketball team.

Rochelle Gilmore won her second medal - a silver - in the cycling points race final to complete a mighty fine Games.

Jamie Lee Hoebergen, 18, of Woonona was not given a start in Australia's gold medal winning 4x400m relay team. The team was awarded the race after England was disqualified in controversial circumstances.

Jamie was originally named in the team and she must have been heart broken.

She earlier contested the 400m individual race and reached the semi final stage.

Our last representative, Petrina Price, 21, of Bulli finished equal 9th in the high jump after recording a best jump of 1.78m far below her PB of 1.93m.

The gold medal was won with a jump of 1.91m.