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Olivier settles for bronze

Glasgow - Olympic champion and world record holder David Rudisha was beaten into second place by arch-rival Nijel Amos of Botswana in the Commonwealth Games 800m final on Thursday.

Kenyan star Rudisha, who missed most of the 2013 season with a knee injury, was caught over the last 100m by Botswana's Amos who won in 1min 45.18sec at Hampden Park.

Rudisha claimed silver in 1:45.48 with South Africa's André Olivier taking bronze in 1:46.03.

"The race was good but the last 100m was difficult. I didn't have good preparations," admitted Rudisha.

"Amos is a tough competitor. We were racing together in a tactical race but he was better tonight."

Amos paid triubute to his great Kenyan rival.

"This gentleman will always be the hero of the 800m," said the champion.

Jamaica's world silver medallist Warren Weir cruised into the 200m final.

In the absence of double world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt, Weir, who won bronze behind Bolt and Yohan Blake at the 2012 London Olympics, timed 20.48sec in his semi-final.

Nigerian Blessing Okagbare kept her bid for a Commonwealth sprint double on course as she advanced to the final of the women's 200m.

The 25-year-old scorched to a commanding victory in the women's 100m at Hampden Park on Monday, timing a Games record of 10.85 seconds and clocked 22.43sec in winning her 200m semi-final.

Vikas Shive Gowda won the men's discus, ending India's 56-year gold medal drought in men's athletics at the Commonwealth Games.

The last and only male Indian athlete to claim a gold medal in athletics was Milkha Singh who won the men's 440 yards at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games.

Alex Dowsett, second to David Millar four years ago in the men's road cycling time trial, claimed Commonwealth gold for England in a closely-contested race through the streets and suburbs of Glasgow.

He timed 47 minutes 41.78 with Australian rider Rohan Dennis crossing the line nine seconds slower to take silver and Geraint Thomas grabbing third to claim the bronze for Wales.

Millar, in his final season, was eighth.

It was England's first gold medal in road cycling in 28 years and the winner said that being dumped by his team for the Tour de France was extra motivation.

"Not being selected for the Tour was a massive disappointment for me," Dowsett said.

"I kind of spent the whole month fairly angry -- not at anyone in particular but just angry at the situation.

"The Commonwealth Games was a big target for me anyway, but it suddenly became a huge target because I really wanted to do something big after the disappointment of the Tour de France."

New Zealand's Linda Villumsen, also a silver medallist in New Delhi, produced a storming finish to clock 42 minutes 25.46 seconds and pip England's Emma Pooley in the women's race.

Pooley, who is to retire after the Games, had to settle for silver while Australia's Katrin Garfoot took the bronze.

In all 25 golds were up for grabs on Thursday.

Canada moved up into third place in the medals table with two golds in wrestling courtesy of Danielle Lappage in the women's -63kg division and Tamerlan Tagziev in men's -86kg.

George Kobaladze won the final weightlifting gold for Canada by taking the +105kg title with a new Games record combined weight of 400kg in the snatch and the clean and jerk.

"This was one of the most important lifts in my career. It is my first win in an international competition and, at 38, I feel like I've used my last chance," said Kobaladze.

In gymnastics, England won three of the five golds on offer through Max Whitlock in the men's floor event, Claudia Fragapane in women's vault --her third title of the Games -- and Rebecca Downie on the uneven bars.

At just 22, Downie still ranks as the oldest gold medallist in the event.

India took two wrestling golds thanks to Babita Kumari in the women's -55kg and Yogeshwar Dutt in the men's -65kg.

Canada were the most successful wrestling nation with seven golds while India won five.

In field hockey England's men moved through to a semi-final clash with champions Australia after a routine 3-1 win over Canada. The Australians were too good for Scotland winning 5-0

New Zealand ensured they finish top of Group B by defeating Malaysia 6-1 and will play India who beat South Africa 5-2.

England won the women's triples bowls gold beating Australia 22-4 with the 'mercy' rule coming into operation.

Commonwealth Games podiums in Glasgow on Thursday:

Athletics:

Women's 200m
Gold: Blessing Okagbare (NGR)
Silver: Jodie Williams (ENG)
Bronze: Bianca Williams (ENG)

Men's 800m
Gold: Nijel Amos (BOT)
Silver: David Rudisha (KEN)
Bronze: André Olivier (RSA)

Men's 400m hurdles
Gold: Cornel Fredericks (RSA)
Silver: Gordon Jehue (TRI)
Bronze: Jeffery Gibson (BAH)

Women's 400m hurdles
Gold: Kaliese Spencer (JAM)
Silver: Eilidh Child (SCO)
Bronze: Janieve Russell (JAM)

Women's long jump
Gold: Esme Brume (NGR)
Silver: Jazmin Sawyers (ENG)
Bronze: Christabel Nettey (CAN)

Men's discus
Gold: Vikas Shive Gowda (IND)
Silver: Apostolos Parellis (CYP)
Bronze: Jason Morgan (JAM)

Women's para 1500m T54
Gold: Angela Ballard (AUS)
Silver: Diane Roy (CAN)
Bronze: Jade Jones (ENG)

Men's para 1500m T54
Gold: David Weir (ENG)
Silver: Kurt Fearnley (AUS)
Bronze: Alex Dupont (CAN)

Lawn bowls

Para Open Triples
Gold: South Africa
Silver: New Zealand
Bronze: England

Women's Triples
Gold: England
Silver: Australia
Bronze: South Africa

Cycling

Women's time-trial

Gold: Linda Villumsen (NZL)
Silver: Emma Pooley (ENG)
Bronze: Katrin Garfoot (AUS)

Men's time-trial
Gold: Alex Dowsett (ENG)
Silver: Rohan Dennis (AUS)
Bronze: Geraint Thomas (WAL)

Gymnastics

Women's vault
Gold: Claudia Fragapane (ENG)
Silver: Elsabeth Black (CAN)
Bronze: Dipa Karmakar (IND)

Men's Floor
Gold: Max Whitlock (ENG)
Silver: Scott Morgan (CAN)
Bronze: David Bishop (NZL)

Men's Pommel Horse
Gold: Daniel Keatings (SCO)
Silver: Max Whitlock (ENG)
Bronze: Louis Smith (ENG)

Women's Uneven Bars
Gold: Rebecca Downie (ENG)
Silver: Larissa Miller (AUS)
Bronze: Ruby Harrold (ENG)

Men's Rings
Gold: Scott Morgan (CAN)
Silver: Kevin Lytwyn (CAN)
Bronze: Daniel Purvis (SCO)

Freestyle wrestling

Women's -55kg
Gold: Babita Kumari (IND)
Silver: Brittanee Laverdure (CAN)
Bronze: Ifeoma Nwoye (NGR) and Louisa Porogovska (ENG)

Men's -65kg
Gold: Yogeshwar Dutt (IND)
Silver: Jevon Balfour (CAN)
Bronze: Sampson Clarkson (NGR) and Alex Gladkov (SCO)

Women's -63kg
Gold: Danielle Lappage (CAN)
Silver: Geetika Jakhar (IND)
Bronze: Blessing Oborududu (NGR) and Blandine Metala Epanga (CMR)

Men's -86kg
Gold: Tamerlan Tagziev (CAN)
Silver: Andree Dick (NGR)
Bronze: Armando Hietbrink (RSA) and Pawan Kumar (IND)

Weightlifting

Men's +105kg
Gold: George Kobaladze (CAN)
Silver: Itte Detenamo (NRU)
Bronze: Damon Kelly (AUS)

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