NEW DELHI: Source: http://hindu.com  by K.P. Mohan

On a day of controversy and confusion at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the women's 100-metre result was overturned by the jury after Australian Sally Pearson won the gold but was found to have false-started.

In what would have been the 24-year-old Australian's first Commonwealth Games gold, for that matter her first major championship victory, Pearson was told around four hours after her victory that she would not be the champion and the gold would be awarded to Nigerian Osayemi Oludamola.

It was heart-break for the Australian and of course it was a big surprise for the Nigerian, with the bronze-winner Natasha Mayers (St. Vincent and Grenadines) getting silver and fourth-placed Katherine Endacott (England) upgraded to bronze.

Jamaica's supremacy in men's sprinting was maintained by 29-year-old Lerone Clarke who outclassed the field in 10.12 seconds. It was a start to finish victory for the Jamaican, who is only eighth-ranked among his countrymen for the season. England's Mark Lewis-Francis (10.20s) had a medal at last from the Commonwealth Games and he was overjoyed.
Trinidad's Aaron Armstrong claimed the bronze in 10.24s.
The problem in the women's race had begun at the start itself, with England's Laura Turner being disqualified for a false start. She claimed that a fly had entered her mouth forcing her to react which caused the false start and she was allowed to run under protest. The Englishwoman finished last, but England pressed with its protest which eventually revealed to the jury that Pearson had also false-started.

Turner reacted 0.070s to the gun while Pearson did so at 0.071. Both breached the allowable limit of 0.1000. The false start control apparatus would have detected both at the start, but Pearson's infringement was only noticed when the English protested.
Both Turner and Pearson were disqualified, but Australia lodged a counter protest which took hours to decide. Australia's contention that Pearson had only responded to a false start triggered by Turner was thrown out.

Clarke who won in great style, was never challenged and had a fraction of a second to spare towards the end for a sideways glance.
“It feels amazing. It's my first championship victory. I know I am the best in the Commonwealth,” said Clarke whose 10.12s was the best seen in Delhi.