Aussies win time trial golds, bungle rules out English rider

Australians Cameron Meyer and Katrin Garfoot won their time trial gold medals in Commonwealth Games road cycling on Tuesday. Melissa Lowther never had a chance in the women's race.

Somebody didn't check the right boxes, so England cyclist Lowther was ruled out of the time trial hours before it began because of an administrative error.

It meant Lowther wasn't formally entered for the race. Team England lost an appeal to have Lowther included.

"While Team England has apologised, I'm still gutted not to have the opportunity to represent my country after all the hard miles I've put in," said the 21-year-old Lowther, who will still be eligible to compete in Saturday's road race.

"I can't put into words how disappointed I am to have been missed off the start list due to an admin error."

England's chef de mission Sarah Winckless apologised to Lowther and the cycling coaches.

"Melissa has trained hard for and focused on this race and it should never be the case that an error on our part prevents an athlete showing what she can do," Winckless said.

The Commonwealth Games Federation said there had been no chance of the decision being overturned.

"The rules are very strict," CGF chief executive David Grevemberg said. "England has a very big team. These things happen."

The 30-year-old Meyer took the men's gold over the 38.5-kilometre Currumbin course in 48 minutes, 13.04 seconds. He was 30.26 seconds ahead of England's Harry Tanfield and 32.41 clear of New Zealander Hamish Bond, who took bronze.

Garfoot won the women's race by nearly 55 seconds over Linda Villumsen of New Zealand. Hayley Simmons of England won the bronze.

Here is more news from the games on Tuesday:

Back on Track 

The morning after Jamaica's title drought in the Commonwealth Games women's 100 metres was extended for at least another four years, Olympic dual sprint champion Elaine Thompson began her campaign on the Gold Coast in the heats of the 200 metres.

Thompson won the 100-200 double for Jamaica at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro but is only competing in the 200 here. She won her heat in 23.09 seconds.

The day after 

The fastest man and woman at the Commonwealth Games admitted they had little sleep since winning their respective 100-metre titles on Monday night. Trinidad and Tobago's Michelle-Lee Ahye, who won her first gold medal at a major international meet, was awaiting a call from the country's president, Paula-Mae Weekes. 

Ahye hoped her high-profile win might help the country's track and field program receive more government funding.

South Africa's Akani Simbine, who upset Jamaican Yohan Blake to win the men's title, was still having a tough time believing his win, 12 hours later. So was his mother, who took the day off work back home to watch the race on TV and who Simbine said had a "next-level smile."

Field hockey 

Harmanpreet Singh scored twice to help India beat Malaysia 2-1 to secure a spot in the men's field hockey semifinals, where they'll likely face either Australia or New Zealand.

Following a draw with Pakistan and wins over Wales and Malaysia, eight-time Olympic champions India will play England to finish of play in Group B ahead of the finals.

79-year-old finishes 8th

Robert Pitcairn, the 79-year-old Canadian and oldest-ever athlete at the Commonwealth Games, finished eighth in the Queen's Prize Pairs shooting event with partner Nicole Rossignol.

England's Parang Patel and David Luckman won gold, with Welsh pair Chris Watson and Gareth Morris taking silver and Scotland's Alexander Walker and Ian Shaw took bronze.

British shooters also filled the podium in the men's 50-metre rifle prone David Phelps of Wales took gold, Neil Stirton of Scotland won the silver and Kenneth Parr of England took the bronze.

Daley out

England diver Tom Daley has withdrawn from the 10-metre platform because of a recurring hip injury. 

British Swimming issued a statement saying the technical dives required in the platform event "put enormous physical strain on Tom's body," but that Daley would still compete in the men's synchronised platform with England teammate Daniel Goodfellow.

Daley, a former world champion in the platform and bronze medalist at the 2012 Olympics, said he was "devastated" to have to withdraw from the individual competition.

"I have been training so hard ... the hardest thing for any athlete is coping with an injury, especially when it means they can't compete in what they have been working towards," Daley said.

The games' diving competition begins Wednesday. Daley and Goodfellow are scheduled to compete on Friday.

Boxer fined for fighting

Sean McComb, a 25-year-old boxer from Northern Ireland, was fined $580 (756 Australian dollars) and banned from the Gold Coast nightclub district after an altercation with security overnight.

Local media reported that McComb had been drinking with friends when he was removed from the nightclub, and police were called when McComb tried to re-enter the club. 

Police said McComb was arrested and issued with an infringement notice for public nuisance and violence.

McComb's night out came after he was beaten by England's Luke McCormack in the 64-kilogram division on Sunday.