Glasgow 2014: Adam Gemili wins silver for England in men's 100m
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England's Adam Gemili took Commonwealth Games 100m silver behind Jamaica's Kemar Bailey-Cole to seal his first senior international medal in style.
Gemili, the 20-year-old former Chelsea junior footballer, got out of his blocks well before the much fancied Bailey-Cole, 22, overcame his own sluggish start to come through for gold in 10 seconds flat.
Bailey-Cole's fellow Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade took bronze at Hampden Park.
But it was Gemili - who was not ranked in the top 10 in the Commonwealth coming into the Games - who celebrated with the most glee as his 10.10secs on a cool Glasgow evening put him on a senior podium for the first time.
Gemili has focused more on his preferred 200m this season and will run over the longer distance at next month's European Championships in Zurich.
Adam Gemili on winning 100m silver: |
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"It's not about times, it's about position. This is just a stepping-stone for the European Championships and then the Olympics in Rio." |
But in front of a noisy capacity 44,000 crowd, which offered him tremendous support, the Dartford sprinter proved his decision to take on the shorter event was entirely justified.
"My first time representing England - I'm so happy," he said. "That's something I'm never going to forget in my life.
"It's not about times, it's about position. The times will eventually come. This is just a stepping-stone for the European Championships and then the Olympics in Rio."
Bailey-Cole, a training partner of double Olympic 100m champion Usain Bolt, shares some of the long-legged style of his superstar compatriot.
After an injury-hit season, Bolt is only competing in the sprint relay at these Commonwealths.
But Bailey-Cole's victory means that, like in Delhi four years ago when Lerone Clarke took gold from Mark Lewis-Francis,, external Jamaica pipped England to gold.
As always at a Commonwealth Games, there will be those who compare the quality of the field unfavourably to that of an Olympics or World Championships.
That is a little like criticising the FA Cup for not being the Champions League. They are different competitions with their own legitimacy, and Gemili's delight told its own tale. For him to split the Jamaicans is a significant achievement.
The Blackheath and Bromley Harrier was an outsider heading into Glasgow but, while quicker and more experienced athletes such as Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson failed to deliver, he handled the occasion in style.
World 400m record holder Michael Johnson said making the podium is a "big thing" for Gemili.
Johnson, now an analyst for BBC Sport, added: "That gives him something to build on for the future. He can now go on and win the European Championships and then he has medals in his back pocket heading into next year which is a huge confidence booster."
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