DOUBLE JOY!

DEMARIO Prince says a talk with his coach after the first round got his mind back where it was supposed to be, leading him to win the gold medal in the 110m hurdles on Monday’s first day of track and field at the Commonwealth Games at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. Jamaica won two gold medals on the day as, minutes before Prince’s run, Romaine Beckford won the men’s high jump. Beckford’s leap to clear 2.25m brought Jamaica’s second gold in the event at the games and first in 68 years. Prince, the fourth-straight Jamaican and fifth in the last six editions to win the 110m gold medal, ran 13.17 seconds (0.4m/s) to claim his first major global medal. Prince, who was fourth in the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March, was delighted with the win. “This means a lot. You know, that was the aim coming into the Commonwealth Games. You know, just to get the gold medal, do it for myself, my family, and the fans. So yeah, I’m very, very pleased, very happy with the win,” Prince told the Jamaica Observer. The sprint hurdler said he believes this is the start of good things to come. “I feel like I can still give more and still wrap up more gold medals,” he said, noting that he had not been happy with his first round race in which he placed second. “I was more confident going into the final, I just had to go back in the mindset to know that I can go out there and execute as I was not pleased with the prelims. I spoke to coach Ben (Dalton) and he told me not to worry about anything, he told me that I can do this. It is a regular thing for me to go out and execute and go get the medal for Jamaica,” Prince said. England’s Samuel Bennett ran a personal best 13.30 for the silver medal and Milan Trajkvoc clocked a season’s best 12.32 to deliver Cyprus’ first medal in the event. Jamaica’s Jerome Campbell was sixth in 13.86. Beckford, who was eighth in 2022 and failed to clear the first height at last year’s World Athletics Championships, became the first Jamaican man to win the event since 1958 when Ernle Haisley set a then Commonwealth Games record 2.06m to capture gold. India’s Sarvesh Anil Kushare, who also cleared 2.25m, took the silver medal. England’s NCAA champion Kimani Jack was third with 2.20m. Two-time World Indoor bronze medallist Raymond Richards just missed a medal, placing fourth also with 2.20m. Jamaica will hope to add more medals today with athletes qualified for several finals, including in the men’s and women’s 100m. Women’s high jump defending champion Lamara Distin, former men’s 400m world champion Antonio Watson and 800m national champion Navasky Anderson are among those set to their first entry at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Former national champion Rohan Watson advanced to Tuesday’s semi-final of the men’s 100m after he won his first round race in 10.13 (1.5m/s). In the semi-final he is to be joined by Ackeem Blake who drew a bye. Demario Prince of Jamaica competes in the men’s 110m hurdles final at Scotstoun Stadium during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday. (Photos: AFP) Also advancing were the Ghanaian pair of Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, as well as Jeremiah Azu of Wales and Favour Ashe of Nigeria. Both Jamaican entries in the female 100m, Jonielle Smith and Jodean Williams, both of whom had byes, will join the action in the semi-finals. Former World Athletics champion Tajay Gayle led the qualifying for Wednesday’s final of the men’s long jump with 8.10m (0.1m/s). He is to be joined by Jordan Turner who had a wind-aided 7.84m (4.2m/s). Gayle, who have won medals at the last two major global championships, had a wind-aided 7.73m (3.3m/s) and 7.40m (1.0m/s) before his big mark. Turner was was third in his group, behind Indian Sreeshankar’s effort of 8.01m (2.0m/s) and Australian Christopher Mitrevski’s mark of 7.89m (1.8m/s). National champion Kelly Ann Beckford (2:01.63 minutes) and Adelle Tracey (2:02.58) advanced to Wednesday’s semi-finals of the women’s 800m. Beckford booked an automatic spot after placing third in her first-round heat behind pre-championships favourite Lillian Odira of Kenya who ran 2:01.05. Isabelle Boffey of Wales clocked 2:01.53. Tracey advanced on time after she was fourth in her first round race, just outside the automatic qualifying places. Australia’s Sarah Billings won with 2:01.51, followed by Botswana’s Oratile Nowe (2:02.11) and Kenya’s Janet Jepkemoi (2:02.30). Nayoka Clunis qualified for Tuesday’s women’s hammer throw final, her first major global final. She threw 64.84m in the third round, eighth best of the day. Distin could be pushed hard in her title defence with the likes of the in-form Australian pair of Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers, as well as former NCAA champion Temitope Simbiat Adeshina of Nigeria all ranked ahead of her going into the championships. The Sweden-based Distin has had a season’s best 1.96m, set indoors in February and has cleared 1.94m outdoors. Navasky Anderson will be hoping to get back to the final of the men’s 800m after he finished fifth four years ago in Birmingham, England. Since shocking the track and field world with his gold medal in the men’s 400m in Hungary in 2023, Watson has been through some lean years, failing to get past the semis in Tokyo, Japan, last year. But he has been improving through this season. Watson will be accompanied by Delano Kennedy and Zandrion Barnes as they seek places in the men’s 400m semi-finals. Leah Anderson and Shana Kaye Anderson are to line up in the women’s 400m first round. Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford competes in the men’s high jump final during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday.