XVIII Commonwealth Games-Still no medal for Seychelles |20 March 2006

In boxing at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Alvin Gabriel cleared his first hurdle in the welterweight (69-kg) division, winning on points – 16-8 – against the much taller MJ Lantan in 16th final.

He will next fight Indian Vijender who won his first fight by RSCOS (Referee Stopped Contest Outclass) with 00.15 left in the third round.

A win against his Indian opponent will push Gabriel into the quarterfinals.

In the middleweight (75-kg) class, Jovet Jean has won a bye straight into the eighth final and he will fight O. Kane.

In athletics at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Lindy Leveau-Agricole, the country’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony and in whom many had pinned their hope to win Seychelles a medal at these Games, finished seventh out of 12 participants in the javelin throw.

Sportslady of the Year Leveau-Agricole recorded a best throw of 54.50 metres in her third attempt.

Sunette Viljoen of South Africa won the gold medal with her best throw of 60.72 metres coming in the second round.

Defending champion Laverne Eve of the Bahamas settled for the silver medal with 60.54 metres. The bronze medal position was filled by Jamaican Olivia McKoy with a throw of 57.04 metres.

In swimming in the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre pool, Bertrand Bristol clocked 1:00.78 in heat one of the 100m butterfly. His result was well outside Kenny Roberts’ standing national record of 56.98 seconds set at the Fifth Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Reunion in 1998.

Swimming in heat number two, Adrian Nanty clocked 56.67 seconds in the 100m freestyle for fifth place. Again, Roberts’ record of 52.19 seconds registered at the same edition of the IOIG was not troubled.

Female swimmer Shrone Austin also finished just over four seconds outside her 800m freestyle record of 9:13.09 set during the Eighth All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2003.

The former Sportslady of the Year clocked 9:17.96 in Melbourne when swimming in heat number two.
Weightlifter Romeo Siméon didn’t perform to his best inside the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
He recorded an Olympic total of 240 kg (110 in snatch and 130 in clean and jerk) to finish 11th out of 15 lifters.

Australian Turner Alexander snatched the gold medal with a total of 294kg (128 in snatch and 166 in clean and jerk).

With 1kg less, Hidayat Muhammad took the silver medal with 293kg (130kg in snatch and 163kg in clean and jerk), while Indian Chitradurgo Kumar won the bronze medal with 287kg (129 in snatch and 158kg in clean and jerk).

It must be noted that female lifter Clementina Agricole is the athlete who has come the closest to winning Seychelles a medal in Melbourne.

Agricole, Young Female Athlete of the Year 2004, finished the 53-kg division contest with the same total – 152kg – as bronze medallist Jehan Nadeene Latif, but settled for fourth position after too many failed lifts.

G. G.