Commonwealth Games: Bowls and athletics gold for Team Wales on day five

Paralympic sprinter Olivia Breen and the lawn men's bowls pairs struck gold for Wales on day five of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Men's pair Daniel Salmon and Jarrad Breen won gold for Wales in the lawn bowls.

Olivia Breen finished first in the women's T37/38 100m final with a personal best of 12.83 seconds.

Jasmine Hacker-Jones enjoyed success with a bronze medal in the women's 63kg judo category.

Wales have now won 13 medals, with three gold, two silvers and eight bronze.

There will be another medal on Wednesday after Joel Makin reached the men's singles squash final.

After defeating defending champion James Willstrop 3-0, Makin will face New Zealand's Paul Coll for the gold medal.

But there was a blow when swimming medal hopeful Daniel Jervis pulled out of the 1,500m.

Jervis had been struggling with the after-effects of Covid-19 after contracting the illness a couple of weeks before the Games started.

Golden bowls

Salmon claimed a second Commonwealth gold after winning on the Gold Coast in 2018 with Marc Wyatt.

"It's just the perfect day, amazing," said Salmon.

"I would never have even dreamt of that probably happening. I've always wanted to get to one the Commonwealth Games, but to win two golds now is just beyond my wildest dreams."

There will soon be a return to the day job for Salmon, who is a self-employed painter-decorator.

"I will be back to painting some walls and ceilings soon," he joked.

Salmon praised his partner Jarrad Breen, who was delighted with the gold and produced some wild post-match celebrations.

"That's up there with probably my best achievements," said Jarrad Breen.

"It was just so emotional over the last couple of days and I didn't get much sleep.

"That's probably that's why its poured out of me at the end, but it is definitely up there with the best feeling."

Golden girl

Olivia Breen, 26, upgraded the Commonwealth she bronze in the women's T38 100m four years ago as she stunned England's reigning champion Sophie Hahn.

"I can't describe how I'm feeling, this morning I knew I was in good shape," Olivia Breen said.

"My preparation has been good. I ran a big personal best two weeks ago, so I wanted to repeat that.

"It was a good start, [I told myself to] keep going and get to the line. It was an amazing atmosphere. It's so lovely to have the crowd again and normal life again.

"All my family and friends are here, who have been with me throughout the journey."

Breen admitted the victory justified all the hard work.

"I am getting emotional, it has been 10 years of hard work and I have never run this fast, I am just so happy!

"I've just kept going. I've had days where I thought 'why am I doing this?' we all have them, but you just have to keep going, it will come eventually.

"Sophie has obviously been a main rival for years, but I just kept saying 'Olivia, you can do this, it will come', and it has come!"

Welsh sprinters Jeremiah Azu, Hannah Brier and Olivia Breen advanced from their heats as the track and field got under way in Birmingham.

Azu, in his first race since winning the British title, eased through his men's 100m heat in 10.35 seconds.

Welsh record holder Brier ran 11.48 seconds to go through as one of three fastest losers in the women's 100m.

Both will race in their respective semi-finals on Wednesday night.

"The race was good," Azu told BBC Sport Wales.

"It's nice to be back running fast. The crowd here is amazing - they made so much noise.

"So I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Come back, do the business, get in that final and hopefully leave with a medal."

UK shot put champion Adele Nicoll made her Commonwealth Games debut, throwing 17.30m to advance to Wednesday night's final.

Judo delight

Hacker-Jones admitted she could hardly believe her success after claiming a podium position.

"It's something I never believed I could achieve so to be here today taking home a medal for Wales is incredible," she said.

"This is the only Games where we can fly the flag for Wales. In the Olympics it's all Great Britain so to actually fight under the Welsh flag means so much.

"I have wanted this for such a long time and during the pandemic it seemed to slip further and further away.

"To be able to come back stronger and be here to standing on that podium - it's a dream come true."

Weightlifting worry

Welsh weightlifter Amy Salt was injured during the women's 76kg class at the NEC and was forced to go to hospital as a precautionary measure.

The Wrexham-born athlete, 29, who represents Wythenshawe Weightlifting Club, appeared to hurt her back making a last attempt to lift 107kg in the clean and jerk after two failed attempts.

Salt appeared to tweak something in her lower back during her second attempt but bravely decided to make her third attempt to stay in the competition.

But after completing her lift - which was ruled a foul lift by the judging panel - she fell to her knees in pain as she attempted to exit the main stage.

She was treated next to the stage for more than 10 minutes by medical staff. After going to hospital Salt was allowed to return home. She had earlier lifted 86kg in the snatch section.

Salt wrote on social media: "I've had too many messages to reply to thank you.

"I am back from A&E and at home, thankfully my back is not as damaged as last time.

"I still had the most wonderful experience. No regrets."

At the double

Wales now have five boxers in the quarter-finals as twins Ioan and Garan Croft and Owain Harris-Allan joined flyweight Jake Dodd and light-heavyweight Taylor Bevan in the last eight.

Welterweight Ioan Croft claimed a unanimous decision victory over Jean Jordy Vadamootoo of Mauritius and goes into Thursday's quarter-final. Light-middleweight Garan Croft defeated Nigerian Abdul-Afeez Osoba.

Bantamweight Owain Harris-Allan is through following a 4-1 split decision victory over Lesotho's Phomolo Daniel Lengola and will face Papua New Guinea's Jamie Chang on Thursday evening.

Zoe Andrews lost her women's featherweight last 16 bout against England's Sameenah Toussaint in a 4-1 split decision.

In swimming, defending champion Alys Thomas finished sixth in the women's 200m butterfly, Meghan Willis and Rebecca Lewis were seventh and eighth respectively in the women's 200m individual medley final, while the mixed 4x100m medley relay of Medi Harris, Kyle Booth, Harriet Jones and Matt Richards placed fifth.

Harris, who already has a bronze, qualified second fastest for the 50m backstroke final on Wednesday.

Wales' netballers lost 79-33 to Australia as Nia Jones won her 50th cap.

In gymnastics, Brinn Bevan finished in seventh position on the men's parallel bars final, while Emil Barber placed eighth in the men's vault final.

Teenage pair Jea Maracha and Sofia Micallef claimed sixth and seventh in the balance beam, while Poppy Grace-Sticker was sixth in the women's floor final.

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