DOUBLE GOLD JOY FOR ENGLAND
Alex Dowsett and Max Whitlock gave England a gold medal double boost on day eight of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Dowsett, a silver medallist four years ago in Delhi, struck first by landing men's road time trial gold and Whitlock swiftly followed up with his third gymnastics gold of the Games in the men's floor event.
The golden double left England top of the medals table with 40 golds to Australia's 35 golds and edged them one ahead on overall medals - 109 to 108.
Dowsett came from behind to triumph, completing the 38.4-kilometre route, which began and finished at Glasgow Green, in 47 minutes and 41.78 seconds.
Australia's Rohan Dennis, who had led for much of the race, was second in 47mins 51.08secs, and Wales' Geraint Thomas third in 47:55.82. Scotland's David Millar, the defending champion, was eighth in 49:56.23.
England's Emma Pooley, who is to retire after Sunday's road race, was second in the 29.6km women's event, six seconds behind winner Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, who clocked 42:25.46.
Whitlock, with team and all-round golds already in the bag, was crowned men's floor champion at the SSE Hydro with a score of 15.533 after a near-faultless routine which was full of flair. Canada's Scott Morgan took silver with 15.133 while 14.550 gave New Zealand's David Bishop bronze. The 21-year-old Englishman had finals on the pommel horse, rings and parallel bars still to come.
Jack Laugher's hopes of a second diving gold remained on course after the Englishman led the way in qualifying for Thursday evening's 3m springboard final.
The 19-year-old won the 1m springboard category on Wednesday night and the former world junior champion easily qualified for Thursday night's final as he finished with a combined score of 465.80 in the preliminary session. He was joined in the 12-man medal chase by Scotland's James Heatly and English team-mates James Denny and Oliver Dingley, who were fifth, sixth and eighth respectively.
Bolton wrestler Louisa Porogovska will fight for a bronze medal this evening after losing her 55kg semi-final to India's Babita Kumari at the SECC. Porogovska will take on Scotland's Kathryn Marsh.
There were also some other hopes for the home nation wrestlers via the repechage. Londoner Chloe Spiteri was defeated in her 63kgs semi-final, so will contest the bronze medals fight later, along with Wales' Sarah Connolly and Alex Gladkov, son of Scotland's national team coach Volodymyr, in the men's 65kg.
England skip Paul Brown kept his nerve to deny Scotland a lawn bowls B6/B7/B8 bronze medal in their para-sport open pairs play-off at Kelvingrove. Brown's final bowl of the 15th end earned the two shots required to force an extra end which England won handsomely to claim a 16-12 victory and seal a place on the podium for Brown, Bob Love and David Fisher.
England's men booked a hockey semi-finals spot with a 3-1 win over Canada. They sealed their progress in style thanks to two goals from Ashley Jackson and one from Barry Middleton in their final group game at the National Hockey Centre. England are likely to meet Australia, the number one side in the world, in the semi-finals.
The pairings of Laura Massaro and Jenny Duncalf and Emma Beddoes and Alison Waters won their respective quarter-finals to set up an all-England semi-final and guarantee at least a silver for England in the squash women's doubles.
Delhi 2010 silver medalists Massaro and Duncalf booked their place by beating Australia's Lisa Camilleri and Donna Urquhart 11-7 11-4. Beddoes and Water beat Malaysia's Nicol David - winner of women's singles gold - and Wee Wern Low 11-10 11-8.
Three of England's four mixed doubles table tennis teams progressed to this evening's quarter-finals.
Liam Pitchford and Tin-Tin Ho defeated New Zealand 3-0, the margin by which Daniel Reed and Kelly Sibley beat Singapore and Paul and Joanna Drinkhall overcame Canada.
In the men's doubles, Reed and Walker teamed up to defeat Scotland's Niall Cameron and Sean Doherty 3-0 and Drinkhall and Pitchford beat Australia's Heming Hu and Xin Yan 3-1 to both make the quarter-finals.
