Commonwealth Games: Dunford swims to 100m freestyle semis

Jason Dunford celebrates winning 50m freestyle swimming event in 2010. [PHOTO:FILE/STANDARD]

More medals are expected as swimmer Jarson Dunford sailed into the semis of 100m freestyle.

Dunford, who finished fourth in the category in India, finished third (50.60) in heat seven.

Esther Akinyi also knocked down Sri Lanka’s Wewita Widnalage in the quarters yesterday to qualify for the medal contention. Kenya drew with Cook Islanders 15-15 in lawn bowl men’s triples.

Elsewhere, A 17-year-old Canadian who also holds Russian citizenship has won five of the six gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games.

Vancouver-born Patricia Bezzoubenko, based in Thornhill, Ontario, near Toronto, but who trains regularly with the Russian gymnastics team in Moscow, won the individual all-around title and the team title with Canada.

She then won three of the four individual apparatus events yesterday — the clubs, hoop and ball — on the final day of the event at the Hydro Building near the River Clyde in central Glasgow.

Attempting to make it six golds in six events, Bezzoubenko finished third in the ribbon. Francesca Jones of Wales won gold in the ribbon and Wong Poh San of Malaysia won the silver. Jones also finished with five silver medals.

Meanwhile, the spirit of the so-called Friendly Games has not extended to everyone in Glasgow. Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford is not happy with some of his neighbours at the Commonwealth Games Athletes’ village.

The English athlete posted on Twitter yesterday that “being in an athletes' village is great until the ignorant athletes make more noise than a herd of elephants startled in a China shop.”

Rutherford complained about “some serious big feet banging around.”