Family tradition upheld as Smith collects silver

The 22-year-old, who trains at Costello Stadium in Hull, arrived with great expectations from back home after his father Dave claimed hammer gold at the 1986 Commonwealths in Edinburgh.

Younger brother Pete cranked up the pressure on the Hull Hammer Squad member by landing Commonwealth Youth Games gold in India two years ago.

Smith rose to the occasion and looked set to follow in his father's footsteps after clearing 72.95m – a new lifetime best – only for Christiaan Harmse to throw 73.15m with his final effort.

"We've always done well as a family at the Commonwealths and my dad has won and my brother as well so there was pressure on me to get a medal," said Smith.

"I think I did well. It was a PB and the best series of my life, it's a shame in the last round Chris pipped me."

In the pool, Lizzie Simmonds was forced to settle for silver in the 200m backstroke as Australian Meagan Nay snatched gold from her grasp.

The Beverley-born teenager, who won European gold in the event earlier this year, started quickly and looked to have made the right choice as she led at the 50, 100 and 150m mark. But with the wall in sight Simmonds was powerless to stop rival Nay reeling her in with the Australian touching home in a new Commonwealth Games record of 2:07.56 minutes, and just a fingertip clear of the European champion.

"This week has been really tough but a lot of people are going to be saying that so it's hardly an excuse," said Simmonds, who failed to reach the 100m final earlier in the week.

"I can't say I'm not disappointed to miss out on gold but I came out with silver so I have to be happy with that.

"The last 100m were so hard and I couldn't give any more, my head was pounding after that and I felt dizzy afterwards."

There was also medal joy for Rotherham's Joe Roebuck as the 25-year-old scooped silver in the 200m medley.

Roebuck claimed his second major international medal in as many months at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday as he finished second in the 400m medley.

And he repeated the trick yesterday, this time in the shorter discipline completing an England one-two in the process as James Goddard topped the podium in a time of 1:58.10 minutes.

"I'm happy with that and a little relieved because that's my last race now so I can watch and support the rest of the team now," said Roebuck, who clocked 1:59.86 minutes in Delhi. "There has been some real tough racing and we got off to a solid start so to hold on and get a 1-2 for England is great."

Earlier in the day Rotherham's Amy Oliver helped England's recurve archery trio to team silver – but admitted defeat in the final left a bitter taste in the mouth.

Oliver, Naomi Folkard and Alison Williamson guaranteed themselves at least a silver medal by downing Canada

208-200 in the semi-final to book a gold medal clash with hosts India.

But the hosts, roared on by a partisan, and at times overzealous crowd, secured the narrowest of victories, taking gold with a 207-206 win.

"Obviously it was a difficult way to finish," she said. "But if you'd offered us silver on the plane on the way over here we possibly would have taken it."

n SPAR, there for you and our GB athletes, proud supporters since 2004 www.spar.co.uk