Commonwealth Games 2022 LIVE: Laura Muir storms to 1500m gold after England win women’s hockey title

There will be no resting on the seventh day at the Commonwealth Games with another busy programme to keep up with in and around Birmingham. After yesterday’s twists through the Cannock Chase Forest on mountain bikes, the cycling action continues on the roads of the Black Country and Staffordshire, with some of the best in the world against the clock donning their aerosuits and grooved helmets for a bid at time trial glory. Can Geraint Thomas better his bronze from 2014? He showed good legs at the Tour de France.

There’s always a certain pressure on the top athletes in the world but when you are the daughter of perhaps Scotland’s finest ever female distance runner, expectation rather comes with the territory. For Eilish McColgan, though, living up to her mother, Liz’s, extraordinary record has proved rather tricky as the long-striding Scot travelled up and down the distances in search of triumph.

Last night, it, at last, all came together. The younger McColgan produced probably her best ever run and added a third Commonwealth Games 10,000m title to the family collection. McColgan was able to embrace 1986 and 1990 champion Liz at the side of the track, a hug that brought a “tear to the eye” of Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister - and plenty of others, too.

A live DJ set, flashing wristbands and a home lifter at the top of her game - the NEC was the place to be yesterday afternoon as Emily Campbell, who carried England’s flag at the opening ceremony, smashed the British and Commonwealth Games records to secure victory in the women’s 87+kg category.

Campbell, who became Great Britain’s first female Olympic weightlifting medallist at Tokyo 2020 last summer, rather enjoyed it: “The reason we come here is to perform on that stage so to get that perfect performance on the stage as well, you could call it a perfect Games.”

Tom Dean lost his individual battle with Duncan Scott but won the relay war against Australia to round off a breathtaking Commonwealth Games meet.

Scott and Dean’s 200m individual medley duel on the final night of racing was just as box office as the Olympic re-run of the 200m freestyle.

The race went in Scott’s favour at the touch by a margin of 0.13s as Scotland’s most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history secured gold.

But Dean was soon back in the pool and back to his best, producing an extaordinary final surge to pip Kyle Chalmers and secure medley relay gold for England.

Tom Harle was at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre for a thrilling final session of swimming action:

You don’t need Brummie glam rock icons Slade to ‘feel the noize’ at the Alexander Stadium.

Another capacity crowd - take note Seb Coe and World Athletics - rose as one to roar Eilish McColgan and Katarina Johnson-Thompson to golds in the space of 29 raucous and rocking minutes at the Commonwealth Games.

Johnson-Thompson’s 6981-point personal best, set when winning the world heptathlon title in 2019, meant this was always going to be her gold to lose.

You don’t need Brummie glam rock icons Slade to ‘feel the noize’ at the Alexander Stadium.

Another capacity crowd - take note Seb Coe and World Athletics - rose as one to roar Eilish McColgan and Katarina Johnson-Thompson to golds in the space of 29 raucous and rocking minutes at the Commonwealth Games.

Johnson-Thompson’s 6981-point personal best, set when winning the world heptathlon title in 2019, meant this was always going to be her gold to lose.

But in career defined by peaks and troughs in equal measure, the 29-year-old has long learned to take nothing for granted, dedicating her victory to gran Mary Johnson, who died last week.

Report by James Toney

What a night in the both the athletics and at the swimming! We’ll have reports to come.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, after defending her heptathlon title.

“It feels amazing. This competition has served my career so well. I’ve had a tough couple of years, hopefully this will kick-start my second career.

“It’s been hard. I’ve had moments where I didn’t want to carry on. To win gold, pushing through was worth it.

“Tokyo happened, but this has been incredible. I’m so happy I put in a performance for them.”

Was anyone doubting the double Olympic champion? Thompson-Herah moves through the gears to and shows her class in taking gold in Birmingham.

Rising star Julien Alfred from St Lucia takes the silver.

Neita was slower than her semi-final. Mixed emotions?

“Overriding emotion is its good to get another medal on home soil,” Neita says. “I didn’t put in my best race and that makes me want to get back to work, right now.

“I ran a PB, but I need to run better in these finals. I’m running against one of the best.”

And it’s GOLD for Thompson-Herah! The Olympic champion is the Commonwealth champion in 10.95s.

Neita did not make the best of starts, but makes a storming comeback to take bronze in 11.06!