Canada's Wilkinson wins 2nd swim medal

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 | 1:42 PM ET

By Jesse Campigotto, CBC Sports

Canadian swimmer Julia Wilkinson won her second medal of the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday, making up for disappointing performances by two of Canada's relay teams and world-record holder Annamay Pierse.

Wilkinson, from Stratford, Ont., captured bronze in the women's 100-metre backstroke on Day 3 of competition in Delhi, adding to her bronze in the 200 individual medley from Day 1.

"To come here having never won an international medal, and now I've got two, is very exciting," Wilkinson said after raising Canada's swimming medal total to four.

"I was hoping for a better time, but overall it was a good 100 backstroke for me. Before the race I wasn't feeling that good, but probably the others weren't either, so I had to show I could handle this well."

It was an especially strong day for the powerful Australian team, even by its lofty standards. Aussies won gold in six of the nine finals and collected 13 medals to increase their swimming total to 25.

Emily Seebohm was the star of Day 3, beating Wilkinson and runner-up Gemma Spofforth of England in the 100 backstroke to win her first gold of the meet. Seebohm added a silver in the 100 freestyle, bringing her personal Delhi Games medal count up to four.

Pierse fades

An Australian sweep of the medals in the 200-metre breaststroke left Pierse off the podium in her best event.

The world-record holder since July 2009, when cutting-edge swimsuits were still allowed, Pierse was among the pre-event favourites in Delhi, and she started strong. But the Edmontonian faded in the second half of the race and didn't even finish as the top Canadian. That honour went to Toronto's Martha McCabe, who was fourth, one spot ahead of Pierse.

"I thought Annamay and I had the potential to be 1-2," McCabe said. "So we're surprised with this result."

Defending champion Leisel Jones won gold to lead the Aussie sweep and make amends for Tuesday's defeat in the 50 breaststroke, which went to teenage teammate Leiston Pickett. That result ruined Jones's hopes of sweeping the three women's breaststroke events for the second straight Commonwealth Games.

Tessa Wallace and Sarah Katsoulis rounded out the medals in the 200 breaststroke.

Canada also harboured podium hopes in both the men's and women's 4x200-metre freestyle races, but both teams finished fourth behind the gold medal-winning Australians.

The women were closest to the podium, with Genevieve Saumur of Montreal, Wilkinson, Barbara Jardin of Montreal and Alexa Komarnycky of Victoria finishing 0.31 of a second from third-place England.

Coutts wins 2nd gold

Another Canadian contender, Victoria Poon of Lasalle, Que., finished sixth in the women's 100 freestyle.

Australia's Alicia Coutts won that race for her second gold medal of the Games, adding to her victory in the 200 individual medley. Teammate Seebohm picked up the silver. Seebohm was also the runner-up to Coutts in Monday's 200 IM.

The bronze in the 100 free went to England's Francesca Halsall.

Charles Francis of Cowansville, Que., and Tobias Oriwol of Pointe-Claire, Que., were fifth and seventh, respectively, in the men's 200 backstroke. Scott Dickens of Burlington, Ont., finished fifth in the men's 100 breaststroke.

Brent Hayden of Mission, B.C., raised hopes that he may be able to win a medal on Day 4 by winning his men's 100 freestyle semifinal on Wednesday. Hayden's time was second-best overall behind Australia's Eamon Sullivan, the silver medallist from the Beijing Olympics.

Canadian coach Pierre Lafontaine said the team must move on from Wednesday's disappointment.

"We haven't had a night like this in quite some time," said Lafontaine. "But there are no easy races and we have to show some character moving forward."