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Commonwealth Games 2018: Relay gold for England

Posted: 14th April 2018 - 10:14am
Commonwealth Games 2018: Relay gold for England

Loughborough College alumnus Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and former student Richard Kilty have helped England storm to 4x100m relay gold on the final day of athletics at the Commonwealth Games.

Aikines-Aryeetey anchored home the men's quartet, holding off South Africa's 100m champion Akani Simbine.

"I ran like a rabbit," said Aikines-Aryeetey of his anchor leg.

"I knew I had the second-fastest man of all time behind me and the 100m Commonwealth champion behind me."

Just as in the 100m final, Simbine edged out Blake again as South Africa took silver ahead of Jamaica.

England also won gold in the women’s 4x100m relay, continuing a trend of success set by Great Britain at the Rio Olympics and at the 2017 World Championships in London.

Kilty, Aikines-Aryeetey and teammates Reuben Arthur and Zharnel Hughes had been expected to come under severe pressure in the men's race. Every athlete from the quartet who had claimed world gold for Great Britain last year was missing through injury or other priorities.

Former 100m world champion Yohan Blake anchored home Jamaica, while Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies - who led a South African one-two in the individual event on Monday - were part of the South African team.

But England's polished changeovers and a strong second leg from Hughes, running after losing gold to a disqualification in the individual 200m, proved enough.

Pictured: 100m relay gold for England as Loughborough College alumnus Harry Aikines-Aryeetey anchors home the men's quartet which also featured former student Richard Kilty