Commonwealth Games: From Emma McKeon to Achanta Sharath Kamal, top performers in Birmingham

Birmingham: India's campaign at the Commonwealth Games 2022 officially came to an end, with 61 medals on the last day of the prestigious multi-sport event.

While the figure is five short of last edition's tally of 66, the Indian contingent can certainly be pleased with the number, given that shooting was not a part of this edition at Birmingham.

India had a fruitful campaign at Birmingham 2022, winning 61 medals (22 golds, 16 silvers and 23 bronzes). Wrestling topped the medal chart with 12 medals including six golds while weightlifting accounted for 10 medals.

Six-time defending champions Australia meanwhile wrapped up their campaign in style, hammering India 7-0 in the men's hockey final to end up with 67 golds overall.

Hosts England ended in second place with 57 golds, ahead of Canada on 26 and India on 22, with para sports included in the medal tally.

Sporting powerhouse Australia have topped the table at every Games since 1990 except in 2014, when England finished in first place in Glasgow.

As we conclude our coverage of the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games, we take a look at five leading performers from the quadrennial showpiece event:

Emma McKeon, Australia

Australian swimmer McKeon, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, become the all-time most successful Commonwealth Games athlete with a haul of eight medals, six of which were gold.

By winning eight medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Emma McKeon became the 2nd-most decorated swimmer in a single edition. Susie O’Neill won six golds and two silvers in 1998 and stands as the most decorated swimmer ever in a single edition. pic.twitter.com/1NEDFco65G

— Swimming Stats (@SwimmingStats) August 7, 2022

McKeon drew level with South African swimmer Chad le Clos and shooters Michael Gault and Phil Adams by winning an 18th medal with a bronze in the 100-metre freestyle. Before that, she had won gold in the mixed 4x100-metre freestyle relay, women’s 4x100-metre freestyle relay, women’s 50-metre freestyle and women’s 50-metre butterfly events while collecting silver in women’s 100-metre butterfly.

She set a new mark of 19 when she claimed her fifth gold medal for the Birmingham Games as part of Australia’s mixed 4x100-metre medley relay team, extending her record of 13 career gold medals across three games.

Victory in the women's 4x100-metre medley relay event would then add a sixth gold medal to her rich CWG 2022 haul, taking her overall tally to 20 medals, including 14 golds.

Jake Jarman, England

English gymnast Jarman was one of the standout performers from the home contingent in the Birmingham Games.

The 20-year-old scripted history by becoming the first male gymnast to win four gold medals in the history of the Commonwealth Games, going past Max Whitlock’s three gold medals in the 2014 Glasgow edition.

Jarman won gold in the all-around, team, vault and floor events, with England bagging a total of 16 medals in gymnastics, including 10 golds.

What was even more impressive was the fact that it was Jarman’s maiden appearance at the quadrennial sporting event, as well as his first appearance in a major senior championships event.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaica

With track superstar Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opting out of the Games, the spotlight fell on fellow Jamaican sprinter Thompson-Herah, who entered the event on the back of a lukewarm outing in the World Championships in Oregon.

Thompson-Herah, though, would end up setting the track on fire at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham by completing a sprint double — winning both the 100m and 200m events and breaking the record in the latter (22.02 sec).

The 30-year-old, who was the headline act on the penultimate day of the Games and did not disappoint the crowd, would also go on help her nation secure bronze in the women’s 4x100m relay.

Aaron Gate, New Zealand

Aaron Gate could perhaps be described as the toast of New Zealand’s Birmingham 2022 campaign as he became the first Kiwi to win four gold medals in a single edition.

Gate led the way in an impressive campaign for New Zealand’s cyclists, who contributed half of the 20 gold medals that the country won in the Games.

He began by helping his team beat England to win the men’s 4000m team pursuit, and followed it up with victories in the individual pursuit as well as in the 40km points race.

And his achievements weren’t just limited to the track — he would also go on to win gold in the men’s road race.

Achanta Sharath Kamal, India

Veteran paddler Sharath Kamal extended his domination at the Commonwealth Games with a stellar 2022 campaign, winning three gold and a silver to take his overall medal tally at the Games to 13.

Sharath Kamal capped off a memorable campaign by winning the gold medal in men's singles event, thrashing England's Liam Pitchford 4-1 in the final.

Besides the singles title, Sharath Kamal also won the men's team and mixed team gold and a silver in the men's doubles event.

The Tamil Nadu paddler had earlier won gold in men's singles at the Melbourne Games in 2006 and also bagged a bronze at the 2010 showpiece in New Delhi.

With inputs from agencies

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